Chapter 8:

Persuasive
Communications
Consumer Behavior:
A Framework
John C. Mowen
Michael S. Minor
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:
 Source

 Message

 Channel

 Receiver

 Feedback

 Noise
Source Characteristics
 A source is an
individual or
character who is
delivering a message
 Source
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 Sources
 If 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
Source
A. 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 attractiveness—
cont.
 May interact with product
 Example: 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 Likeability
 Positive/negative affect regarding a source
of information.
 Difficulty to identify causes of likeability
 attractiveness
 positive communications, says pleasant things
 self-deprecating
 views that match the audience
 smiles
Source Meaningfulness
 Sources of information
also provide meanings
which can be transferred
between the source and
the brand
 Celebrities may become
cultural symbols—e.g.,
Cher, Madonna, Tiger
Woods.
Message Characteristics

 Message content refers to the strategies

that may be used to communicate an idea
to an audience
 Message construction refers to the problem
of how to physically construct a mesages
 Where 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 speech
 rhymes, 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 complexity
 How many bits of information are contained in
message.
 Rule of thumb: only 4 copy points in TV ads
 Involvement important here.
 When celebrities used, must be even more
simple.
Drawing Conclusions
 When does communicator close the
argument by stating the conclusion?
 When message is complex
 When audience has low involvement.
 If audience draws own conclusion,
the message will tend to be more
effective—assuming the conclusion
is positive!
 Comparative Messages
 Compare 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 Messages
 Do you present both sides of an issue to the
audience?
 Advantages of 2-sided arguments
 Give appearance of fairness
 Lowers counterarguments
 Disarms unfriendly audiences
 Advantages of 1-sided arguments
 Good for friendly audiences, low involvement,
possibly lower educated audiences.
 Fear Appeals
 Early research negative on fear appeals
 Recent research positive
 Give instructions on how to solve problem

 Avoid 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 Messages
 Both 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 ad—particularly when
audience is already favorable toward the
ad.
 Humor works best when it is naturally
related to the product or situation
 Lectures Versus Dramas
 A 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
Effects
 A 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 message
 Two-factor theory explains repetition effects
 Factor 1: repetition increases learning and reduces
uncertainty
 Factor 2: repetition increases boredom.
 After about 3 repetitions boredom overwhelms learning
and negative effects occur.
 Managerial Implications
 Positioning. 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.