Consumer Behavior: A Framework John C. Mowen Michael S. MinorChapter 8:

Persuasive Communications

Communication . . .. . . involves the use of a sign to convey meaning

A sign may be a verbalization, an utterance, a body movement, a written word, a picture, an odor, a touch, or even stones on the ground.

A Communications Model . . .Depicts the relationships among the various factors that influence the effectiveness and impact of persuasive communications. The elements of the model are:SourceMessageChannelReceiverFeedbackNoise

Source CharacteristicsA source is an individual or character who is delivering a messageSource characteristics are the features that impact the effectiveness of the source in persuading the receiver.

Source Credibility . . . . . . refers to the extent that a source is perceived to have expertise and trustworthiness.Source expertise refers to the extent of knowledge the source is perceived to have about the subject on which he or she is communicating.Source trustworthiness refers to the extent that the source is perceived to provide information in an unbiased, honest manner.

Effects of Credible SourcesIf multiple credible sources are used, their positive effects are magnified.They reduce counter-arguments to the message.Produce more positive attitude change, behavioral change.Enhance the effectiveness of fear appeals.

The Physical Attractiveness of the SourceA. Summary: what is beautiful is good.B. Physically attractive communicators are more successful than unattractive one in changing beliefs.C. Higher pay. Companies with attractive people are more successful.

Physical attractivenesscont. May interact with productExample: highly physical attractive are good endorsers of perfumes, but less effective for coffee.Match-up hypothesis. Endorsers are most effective when dominant characteristics of the product match the dominant characteristics of the source.May harm the self-image of women.Sex in ads: attracts attention, enhances ad recall, and may improve attitude toward ad.Nudity in ads effective if appropriate to product, appeal to the opposite sex, draws attention to ads, and decreases cognitive processing of the ads.However, watch in cross-cultural situations.

Source LikeabilityPositive/negative affect regarding a source of information.Difficulty to identify causes of likeabilityattractivenesspositive communications, says pleasant thingsself-deprecatingviews that match the audiencesmiles

Source Meaningfulness

Sources of information also provide meanings which can be transferred between the source and the brandCelebrities may become cultural symbolse.g., Cher, Madonna, Tiger Woods.

Message CharacteristicsMessage content refers to the strategies that may be used to communicate an idea to an audienceMessage construction refers to the problem of how to physically construct a mesagesWhere the information should be placed in a message and how often the information should be repeated are examples

Developing Message Content . . .

. . . is the logical first step in creating a message

The sender must decide what signs to use to communicate meaning

Rhetorical figures of speechrhymes, puns, hyperbole, metaphors, irony, alliteration.Paradox: statement that is seemingly contradictory, false or impossible, but in some ways true. Mark McQuire hit 70 home runs last year but we held the bat. An ad for a batting glove.Message complexityHow many bits of information are contained in message.Rule of thumb: only 4 copy points in TV adsInvolvement important here.When celebrities used, must be even more simple.

Drawing ConclusionsWhen does communicator close the argument by stating the conclusion?When message is complexWhen audience has low involvement.If audience draws own conclusion, the message will tend to be more effectiveassuming the conclusion is positive!

Comparative MessagesCompare positive and negative aspects of brand to competitor.Used to position and differentiate a brand.Direct comparative advertisements-- when one brand is compared specifically with another brand. Should be used by low market share brands.Indirect comparative advertisements. When the comparison brand is not specifically mentioned but instead refers to competitors. Should be used by moderate share brands.High market share brands should avoid comparative ads.

1 Vs. 2-sided MessagesDo you present both sides of an issue to the audience?Advantages of 2-sided argumentsGive appearance of fairnessLowers counterargumentsDisarms unfriendly audiencesAdvantages of 1-sided argumentsGood for friendly audiences, low involvement, possibly lower educated audiences.

Fear AppealsEarly research negative on fear appealsRecent research positiveGive instructions on how to solve problemAvoid high fear messages to the highly vulnerable and those with low self esteem.Make sure that fear is not so arousing as to interfere with message processing.

Humor in MessagesBoth positive and negative effects may occur from the use of humor.Negative effects: reduced comprehension, shorten life span of ads, unanticipated negative effects. When audience is already negative toward a brand, humor can increase the negative feelings.Positive effects: encourages a positive mood state, attracts attention to ad, enhances liking for adparticularly when audience is already favorable toward the ad.Humor works best when it is naturally related to the product or situation

Lectures Versus DramasA lecture is when a source speaks directly to the audience in an attempt to inform and persuade. Audience recognizes the persuasion attempt and generates counterarguments.A drama occurs through indirect address in which the characters speak to each other and not to the audience. Frequently used in transformational advertising in which new associations are linked to product. Goal is to involve the audience emotionally in the ad.

Life Themes: goal is to influence beliefs and attitudes by using themes that relate to problems and issues faced by the audience. Vivid vs. abstract information.Develop messages that use concrete words, have personal relevance, and linked to person in time and space.Vivid information generates greater attention and is easier to encode into memory.

Message structure . . .. . . refers to how the source organizes the content of the message Where to put the important part of the message, or

Example: How often key information such as brand name should be repeated

Primacy and Recency EffectsA primacy effect occurs when material early in the message has the most influence.A recency effect occurs when material at the end of the message has the most influence.Key: avoid middle position.

Repetition effects . . .. . . refer to how often information should be repeated to promote learning without creating advertising wear-out. Advertising wear-out occurs when too much repetition results in consumers becoming increasingly negative toward the messageTwo-factor theory explains repetition effectsFactor 1: repetition increases learning and reduces uncertaintyFactor 2: repetition increases boredom.After about 3 repetitions boredom overwhelms learning and negative effects occur.

Managerial ImplicationsPositioning. Develop persuasive messages based upon the positioning and differentiation strategy.Environmental analysis. Analyze competitive environment to assess whether and how to employ comparative ads.Market research. Test audience beliefs and affective responses to source and message.Marketing mix. Develop of marketing communications is one goal of promotional strategy.Segmentation. Recognize that divergent segments may require different strategies. E.g., avoid using fear appeals when audience is low in self-esteem.