These are classic techniques of persuasion, used by advertisers, media makers, politicians, and most other individuals, consciously or unconsciously.
Remember, emotional transfer is the basic process at work in persuasion and sales. If you can make your target feel something, especially better, you are on your way to persuading them.
1. Symbols are larger than reality, usually emotional, "idea-conveyances;" they can be words, designs, places, ideas, music, etc. They can symbolize tradition, nationalism, power, religion, sex or any emotion or emotional concept. The fundamental principle of persuasion is to rub the emotional content of one thing onto another. Thus, a beautiful woman can be used on TV to promote sexual promiscuity, the killing of police, or the nutritious benefits of Snickers.
2. Hyperbole is exaggeration or "hype." Glittering generalities is a common subset of hype that utilizes impressive language, vague and meaningless, and leaves the target impressed emotionally and, therefore, more susceptible to the next pitch. For example, “The greatest automobile advance of the century....”
3. Fear or Defensive Nationalism uses fear, usually of the enemy, although it can be of sickness or any threat. For example, calling political statements “McCarthyism” or "communism" brings up fear of demagogues and dictatorship. Scapegoating is a powerful subset of defensive nationalism that blames all problems upon one person, group, race, religion, etc.
4. Humour is a powerful emotion. If people laugh, one can persuade them.
5. Lie (big) - Most people want to believe the truth. Lies work, on cereal boxes and, especially, on
television “news.” According to Hitler, people are more suspicious of a small lie than a large one.
“Nutrigrain Cereal has no added sugar.” (Read the fine print; In the words of ____, it depends upon
your definition of . . .)
6. Maybe (a combination of hype and lie) Outrageous claims are fine, if preceded by "maybe, might, or could." Listen carefully to the infomercials . . . .
7. Testimonial uses famous people or respected institutions or idea to sell a product. It can be a person, idea or product. They need have nothing in common, and no logic need be used, since Americans have become conditioned to accept this pattern as fact.
8. Repetition drives the message home many times (in different ways or the same, but repeat it). It is (in the words of Goebbels) effective even when the target thinks that it is unpleasant. Remember,
Chevy trucks are “like a Rock.”
9. Plain folks promotes oneself or one's product as being of humble origins, common, one of the
guys/girls/people/Americans, etc. This device is very popular with advertisers and politicians. The
unfortunate side effect of plain folks is that it reinforces anti-intellectualism (a common TV theme),
implying that “common” is necessarily good.
10. Strength (also known as Führerprinzip or the "leadership principle") that Adolf was so fond of
describing. Be firm, bold, strong; have the dramatic, confident image of a leader. Believe it or not,
this is frequently combined with plain folks. America has built a myth about the value of rugged
individualism (Clint Eastwood, Rambo, Arnold Schwartznegger, etc.) that some think leads to much
“aloneness” and, more importantly, lack of cooperation in our society.
11. Name calling is frequent. It can be direct or delicately indirect. Audiences love it. Our violent,
aggressive, sexual media teaches us from an early age to love to hear dirt. Just tune in to Geraldo or Jerry Springer. Name calling is frequently combined with hype, truth, lies, etc. Remember, all is fair in love, war, political campaigns and advertising (and suing for libel is next to impossible.)
12. Flattery is telling/implying that your targets are something that makes them feel good or, often,
what they want to be. And, I am sure that you are all intelligent enough to understand this one.
13. Bribery gives (or seems to give) something desirable for support or purchase. Everyone wants
something for nothing.
14. Diversion seems to tackle a problem or issue, but, then, throws in an emotional non-sequitur or
distraction. A subdivision is straw man which sets up an illogical (or diminished) concept as though it is what your opposition represents or supports and, then, attacks it.
15. Denial allows you to avoid being attached to something unpopular. It can be direct or indirect.
My favorite example of indirect denial was Gov. Dukakis saying, “Now if you think I would take a
page out of George Bush’s Willie Horton book and bring up the example of a furloughed federal prisoner who brutally raped a mother of five children, you’re wrong. I would not do that.”
16. Card stacking is selecting facts (usually out-of-context) so that they give a false and/or misleading impression–telling only part of the story. Read the critic’s quotations in any movie ad.
17. Band wagon insists that "everyone is doing it,." It plays upon the universal loneliness of man. In
America with our sports addiction, it is often accompanied by the concept of winning. “Join the winning team.”
18. Simple solutions reduce complexities,which are to be avoided (except when selling to intellectuals). If possible, attach many problems to one solution.
19. Scientific evidence uses the paraphernalia of science (charts, uniforms, vocabulary, etc.) for
"proof” that gives a misleading impression.
20. Group Dynamics uses group behavior, replacing that "I" weakness with "we" strength. Achieving a powerful “dynamic” in a target usually involves using a sequence of many other devices as well.
21. Ask Rhetorical questions. Get the target "agreeing,” saying “yes;” then give them the sales pitch.
22. Nostalgia takes advantage of the fact that people forget the bad aspects of the past. Referring to good memories causes people to think a product is good. Remember, emotions rub off from one idea onto others.
23. Timing can be as simple as planning your sell for a time when you know your target will be tired. However, in sophisticated propaganda it is the organization of the above techniques and your factual material in an effective pattern or strategy that makes people do what they would not ordinarily do.
Acknowledgment:
This resource is by Bob McCannon, Executive Director, New Mexico Media Literacy Project
www.nmmlp.org
After completing your performance tasks and after reading through this article, as a group, please comment on which of the above mentioned techniques you find the most effective or widely-used (it would be good if you could cite examples).
Also try to address these questions:
Do you have your own techniques of persuasion that do not easily fit into the above categories? Are there specifically Asian or even Singaporean strategies that may be different from the rather American brand of persuasion techniques as espoused by the article?
Best regards.
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14 comments:
We agree to an extent that humor is the most effective technique. However, we feel that it depends somewhat on the product that you want to sell, and the impression you want to leave on the target. For example, Mocca wanted to be viewed as an all-new and somewhat quirky kind of advertising site, hence the humourous commercials.
A very effective technique that was not listed is kind of like the opposite of bandwagon -- instead of saying everyone's using it and so should you, the technique says that it is only for a select (usually subtly hinting at "elite") few. We see quite a lot of this technique on the streets. One example is from ABC beer, where it says on the posters that it is "only for the strong".
Tu Guang, Bertrand, Edmund, Zoe
We find that two of the most widely used techniques is the big lie and the every man.
The big lie is commonly seen on food products advertising for a healthier choice ("less fat"), or hair care products that promise "up to 2x more ~~ !", while the every man is used in everything from mobile company ads ("Gina loves to gossip with her friends! With our student plan, this is made easier!") to marketing beauty treatments.
At the same time, ads can use much more than one technique at a time, with many using both the testimonial AND every man together.
Humour can be effective if used properly (The CHEERS! beer series of commercials was very good) but it may not work for some products that want to be taken more seriously.
In the Asian context, the appeal to family and traditions is widely used. E.G. Commercials for rice and various commodities often show the whole family together with young children eating good wholesome food. For Dettol soaps, the theme of 'protecting the whole family' promotes keeping the family unit safe and together through using their line of antibacterial washes. This may be due to the fact that in Asia the family is still one of the most important social units in people's lives.
By: Abigail K, Sze Waiy, Timothy & Zhe Fei
We think that the most effective media tool is humour as it has a lasting effect on the consumers' minds. Humorous adverstisements will not be easily forgotten by the viewers and can easily win the viewers' hearts.
One example would be Krispy Kreme's famous tagline: "Less filling, just as fattening".
Humorous advertisements are often talked about by children, teenagers, and even adults. They provide a way to connect with our friends and colleagues, as humor can be appreciated by everyone. These advertisements then spread by word of mouth which would encourage those who have not seen them before to catch the advertisement in order not to be left out during discussions. This will in turn increase the number of people being exposed to the products. Humorous advertisements provide entertainment for the viewers, who might want to watch the advertisements repeatedly. Repeated viewings would engrave the advertisement into viewers' minds, hence providing a lasting effect and sense of familiarity towards the products.
In the local context, the use of different languages or accent in commercial is also an often used strategy. To appeal to singapore's multiracial audience, companies feature in their advertisements people of different races and also people speaking different accents. For example, the promoters of a bhangra CD used a bhangra accent in their commercials as both a form of humour and also as to make a bigger impact on the consumers. This is because typical Singaporeans come into contact with people speaking in different accents daily and the advertisement will have a more local flavour hence will bring the product closer to Singaporeans.
Ying Hin, Emily, Evelyn and Yihui 09S03K
We feel that the ‘Testimonial’ method is the most effective method of persuasion whenever it is applicable in an advertisement. Testimonials give its audience a sense of confidence in the product promoted. This is because claims on the benefits of the product are substantiated by real life evidence and hence removes the uncertainty the audience have on the product or idea. It allows the audience to see the truths and facts with their own eyes. This is important since audience are more likely to be persuaded by trusting their own observations rather than just unsubstantiated claims that ‘Product X is good’.
On the other hand, other methods such as humour and hyperbole are also commonly used in advertisements. This category of persuasion methods is clearly different from testimonials, as they are only effective in attracting the attention of the testimonials. They do not answer why a certain product or idea is beneficial to the audience, hence they are not as effective as testimonials in persuasion.
Testimonials are commonly seen in our advertisements today. They are most commonly found in commercials promoting slimming, hair-care products and services. These commercials nowadays employ both famous artiste and problematic cases to endorse their products. For example, Beijing 101 employs artistes such as Terence Cao and Cassandra See to share their experience with the hair care service. By witnessing the improvements of the hair conditions of these artistes, audience would be more willing to trust the effectiveness of the hair care service.
- weiliang, bryan, serene, ruisi 09S06J
Our group is divided over which tool is the most effective in conveying a message to the consumers. We believe that each and every technique has its pros and cons, hence companies are likely to make use of more than one technique when advertising for the company. As such, our group has decided to choose the top three most effective techniques which we believe are essential in a well-designed advertisement.
1. Humor is an effective way of attracting potential costumers as it generates laughter. When a person recognizes the humor behind an advertisement, he or she will most likely purchase the product. Psychologically speaking, all human beings want to live in a world of happiness. For example, the advertisement 'Human Touch' by Toyota creates a sense of comfort through humorous depiction of 'human touch' in its vehicles.
2. Repetition emphasizes the importance of a product in people's daily lives. Similar to humor, repetition causes people to remember the product even if they do not like it. Most of the time, people will forget what they see in advertisements, but the inclusion of repetition constantly refreshes their minds about that particular product. As they see/hear more of the product, they will remember it better. Most people will associate Tiger Beer with 'tiger time' as it is repeated over and over again in different forms of advertisement.
3. Symbols give a particular brand a sort of identity which costumers can identify themselves to. They can be compared to the national flag of a particular country which unites the citizens together. Similarly, symbols can create an atmosphere whereby the consumers believe that they are a part of the brand itself. When they feel a sense of belonging, they will naturally purchase the products.
In Singapore, advertisements focus more on facts. Due to the strict regulations of MDA, some companies are not granted the green light to publish what they want. For example, advertisements on health care products have to add in tag line stating that the results of these products have not been proven scientifically.
~Qi Wei, Jiwei, Yande, Yadi,
09S06J
We think that card stacking is the most effective advertising technique. Card stacking, though largely overused, still works effectively in convincing consumers. Even though we should applaud the advertisers for not distorting the truth about their products, there is still the other side of the coin to it – consumers are not given the full picture to the truth.
By tapping on consumer's weakness to succumb to the temptation of buying the seemingly flawless product, marketers deliberately accentuate the pros of the products to further persuade them to forget about the need to consider the cons as well. Others even go to lengths to suppress critics' voices in a bid to sell their one-sided proposition to the public. Most fortunately or unfortunately, consumers tend to walk blindly into the marketer's ploy, owing to their indolence to find out more about the possible disadvantages of the product.
Besides, although card stacking may be associated with a form of biasness, consumers seldom reject the claims put forward by marketers that give them a misleading impression of the product, thus making this advertising gimmick effective because of its subtleness in manipulating prospective buyers.
Indeed, so effective is this advertising technique that most conventional advertisements do utilize card stacking to a certain extent. From the advertiser's point of view, it is common sense to only emphasize the positive aspects of the product they are trying to sell and completely downplay its negative aspects in order to create a positive image of that product to potential buyers and prevent the negative aspects of that product from jeopardizing its chances of being sold. Card stacking provides advertisers with a convenient method to do just that, which explains why it is so widely used. For instance, as pointed out in the article itself, virtually all advertisements for movies in newspapers have quotations from critics which are certainly always positive.
Our group has chosen symbols to be the most effective media tool in Singapore. Symbols, however, come in many forms like words, places, ideas, images, etc. and our group feels that a powerful and commonly used one is the portrayal of beautiful and supposedly ‘hot’ women as the mascots of a particular product. We believe that sexual imagery, in the form of posters or front-page photos, is the main tool used in media advertising in Singapore. The reason for the high usage of such imagery is because advertisers believe that sexual content invariably attracts people, the males in particular. One clear example of such advertising would be magazines that focus on issues pertaining to daily life as opposed to scientific and political issues. Such magazines are bound to have a beautiful model on its cover page with questions about sex splashed across the cover page. Magazines like “Maxim” and “FHM” are probably experts in this strategy.
Nowadays however, magazines aside, even drink companies use this strategy to attract consumers. The latest such print advertisement would be about the two new drinks called “Whatever” and “Anything”. It shows a woman with a very “seductive” pose and look with the slogan “Give me whatever you have. Anything satisfies me!” This is expected to attract male customers as it uses the model to give the impression that the drinks impress attractive women. From another point of view, women might be interested in trying out the drinks since they seemingly boost their sexual image.
There are many other media tools which are highly effective but are not mentioned in the list above. One such tool, which our group believes is effective, is animation. We define animation as incorporating human characteristics into a product or its mascot in an advertisement so as to give the audience a better understanding of what the advertisement is trying to promote. By humanizing the product or the mascot, the advertisers are indirectly showing the audience the benefits of the product for the consumers themselves. In short, animation is used to emphasize on the benefits of the product to the consumer.
An example of such an advertisement would be the advertisement about a sugar free juice where a carton of juice repeatedly dodges a spoonful of sugar to indicate that it is literally sugar free. Similarly, health conscious people try their utmost to avoid eating too much of sugar, salt, and other unhealthy ingredients. Another advertisement that makes use of animation is Calbee’s potato chips where potatoes are shown to be happy and excited while going through the different processing belts to emerge as flavoured chips. This urges people to buy a packet of the chips to determine if they are really as delicious as shown in the advertisement. Ultimately, this technique helps to convince consumers that the products are definitely worth the buy and it is not hard to see it being used all around us in media advertising today.
Done By: Peng, Jasmine, Ying Xin , Abs and Megan
My group feels that testimonial is the most effective advertising technique out of the list.
When a product is being endorsed by celebrities or a famous sports person etc, the reputation of that particular popular figure plays a big role in gaining the trust of the public. When introduced an unknown product, we place our trust on the spokesperson and thus if this figure is someone we idolise or look up to, it's easier to attain our trust.
A widely used technique would be that of humour. We agree that making the public laugh at the jokes in the advertisement puts down the guard of the customer and thus it's easier to "attack" us. When we laugh at something, we tend to be in agreement with it thus giving us more reason to purchase the product. However, humour should be used appropriately as certain campaigns or products involve a certain level of seriousness and thus ruling out such a technique of advertising.
Our group feels that Singaporean advertisements use a lot of humour and at times catchy tunes to attract our attention. These advertisements target the teenagers and thus use the "cool" factor to appeal to us. Advertisements such as the marigold advertisement promoting their banana favoured milk uses tunes to attract our attention. When we find ourselves humming the tune, we might just find ourselves craving for that certain product as well.
09S07A Eileen, Shi Hua, Lin Bo, Vincent, Samantha
In our group’s opinion, offering simple solutions to the consumer is one of the most widely-used and effective modes of advertisement, especially in advertising of beauty or healthcare products. In this fast-paced society, people tend to opt for the quickest and the easiest way to treat the myriad of issues an average individual may encounter. Ostensibly, in the race against time, societal members are increasingly inclined to choose the effortless ways that the media offers to complete arduous tasks.
For example, Colgate boasts that its toothpaste prevents a dozen different dental problems with regular brushing. Incidentally, the Colgate brand is Singapore’s top selling toothpaste brand. Another case in point is the way local slimming centres such as Sensualite promises women, who are obsessed with their physical imperfections, quick fixes, or “quick and easy” solutions.
In response to the second question, we are of the view that the portrayal of cohesive family units is often used to persuade the general public to buy the message that the media is trying to convey. Time and again, commercials conjure the image that using a particular product can bind a family or encourage consumers to invest in their product because it will benefit the entire family.
Advertisements for Dettol and certain washing detergents depict caring wives and mothers using these products that will protect their spouses and children from illnesses. Cigarette packets now bear the image of a family that is harmed by a single family member’s smoking habit, an attempt to discourage smokers from smoking.
Why do these advertisements appeal so much to Singaporeans, and Asians at large, but may not have the same effect on American consumers? One possible reason may be that while Americans emphasise more on individualism, Asians are still more emotionally to their families and feel an obligation to act in a way that will guarantee the welfare of their families.
sorry that was by elaine, kenneth, benkhoo, yuanning wenyu from 09S06H
We think that humour and testimonials are the most effective media tools in Singapore. The attention-grabbing nature of humour and the inclusion of authorities or influencial figures in the nation aid the passing of information through the media.
We think that humour is effective as it is able to grab attention, and can be easily remembered. A funny punch line or skit is likely to be remembered and imitated by viewers because of its entertaining nature, and therefore, would make an impact on a viewer. Take for example the advertisement on Mocca.com, where a bodybuilder shows off his muscles to advertise the sale of a property. The humour from the advertisement stimulates thought and creates a "chat topic" in mainstream society.
Testimonials are just as effective and important as humour in the local media. This is because of the influence local popular media figures have on the people. A trend started by a "star" would most likely flow through the mainstream. Take for example, the spikey, lengthy hairstyle trend started by Chinese Pop artistes that was copied by Chinese pop enthusiasts, followed by almost any person. Media stars' influence outside the media is equivalent to their influence in the media. For example, a cosmetic product endorsed by a star could influence fans to follow suit.
One way in which Singaporean advertisements might differ from American advertisements is the lack of namecalling being employed in local advertisements. The Singaporean community are generally less open-minded towards namecalling as compared to the American public and various forms of media which employ the technique of namecalling will be scrutinized and censored by the more stringent Singapore government. On the other hand, local media also often makes use of Singlish, making the product more appealing and readily accepted by the Singaporean audience who use Singlish on a day-to-day basis.
- Christian, Yik Sin, Nikhita, Yuwen, Emily, 09S07A
In our image-conscious cosmopolitan society, Singaporeans are seeking quick, easy methods of attaining their ideal appearance. Taking advantage of this need, beauty centers have splashed advertisements all over local media in response. In a day, it is likely that the average person will chance upon at least one Jean Yip or Expressions International advertisement either splayed across the front page of The Straits Times, on a billboard at the bus stop, or parading across the television screen. They may be from different companies, yet they share similar traits. Dissecting these advertisements have led us to the conclusion that the following 3 techniques of persuasion are the most widely used, and perhaps the most effective:
1. TESTIMONIAL
There are two ways to use the testimonial. The first is by way of using a famous person to endorse a product or idea. Celebrities, for all their stardom and glamour are worth, have a certain influence on the main population. Take Chen Li Ping for instance: Mediacorp artiste, HDB tai-tai extraordinaire and slimming company poster-girl – she is every overweight aunty’s idol. On the other hand, there is the testimonial from the layman, from someone ‘real’. This could be more effective than the aforementioned method as it was given by a ‘person like us’ instead of an aloof, deity-like superstar, and hence seems more credible; It speaks to the general public, “If she can do it, you can do it too.”
2. HYPE
The use of hyperbole in advertising is utilised because it allows the advertisers to put heavy emphasis on the strength of a product through the use of deliberately exaggerated statements designed to impress the consumer. For example, a typical slimming advert would scream “SHED 7 KILOS IN A WEEK! – TRIED AND TESTED!”, or “LOSE 5 INCHES IN 3 DAYS!” However the problem with hype is that it is such a common tool in advertising that it is easily recognised and ‘seen through’ by consumers (we've all heard the phrase: “Don't believe the hype.”)
3. BIG LIE
In fact, the hype can be exaggerated to the extent that it crosses over the thin white line of truth as companies often promise results that are, in reality, unattainable. For instance, shedding a whopping 7 kilos in a week (that’s 1kg a day!) is a dubious claim, and it may not be true at all. Of course, in all advertisements, there is always the obligatory fine pri nt to act as a disclaimer – “Results may differ from person to person” – but almost no one sees it. Despite many unsatisfied customers feeling “cheated”, truth be told, people want to be lied to. In this modern age, people flock to the product that promises the quickest and most drastic results, thinking that whatever promises to be the most effective, is the solution to their problems.
Well, you’ve seen them in our papers, at the bus stops, and on your television. Slimming advertisements have invaded our lives and are everywhere – a scantily clad Fiona Xie shows off her ridiculously-contoured body, a newly-slim Olinda Cho prances about in her Size 00 suit, and random ladies testify about their miraculous transformations. So are these advertising techniques and their advertisements effective? As the number of people lining up to get a ‘quick-fix’ increase, we feel that the statistics speak for themselves.
- Abigail Ho, Ewen, Jonathan, Xue Qian, Ying Ying [09S07A]
Our group believes that there are twomain classic techniques of persuasion which stand out from the others and have proven themselves to be the most effective of the lot.
Testimonial as we see it today remains one of the most overused media tools, and practically every celebrity has one or more products attached to him or herself for endorsement purposes. The reason why testimonial is so effective really is due to the fact that celebrity endorsement or the backing of a respected institution lends credibility to the product and its company; it lends weight to and strengthens whatever claims the advertisement can make. Hence, the general audience finds it easier to lap up whatever is presented in front of them, and they buy the product, simply because it works, and so-and-so celebrity is using it, or so-and-so institution says its good.
Bandwagon works in a similar fashion, but without using specific references to celebrities, famous people, or respected institutions. Instead, bandwagon plays on the universal loneliness on man, and insists that ‘everyone is doing this’ or ‘everyone is buying this product’, or ‘everyone is buying this brand’, and it makes the everyday man want to be like the rest of the people, simply because it is human nature to want to be included. Does it lend credibility to the product, just as testimonial does? Maybe, though not to as large a degree.
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- Claire, Chenxuan, Cassia, Yongsheng, Shiyang 09S06J
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