EPR21003

PUBLIC RELATIONS
CAMPAIGN
Doa Recitation
Topic 4 Learning Outcomes

1. 2. 3.
Understanding Identifying the Describing
the nature of characteristics of campaigns that
persuasive propaganda. uses persuasion
campaigns. techniques.
Topic 4 Outline

1. 2. 3.
Persuasion Nine common Five types of
and propaganda persuasive
propaganda. devices. campaigns.
 Persuasion Propaganda
 An effort to gain public support for an  The attempt to have a viewpoint
opinion or course of action. accepted on the basis of appeals
other than the merits of the case.
 Based on truth, consensus.
 Based on fiction or exaggeration.
 Basically, persuasion is an act of
influencing someone to believe or  Tries to set up adversarial
consider a certain point of view by relationships or “us against them”
using an argument or reasoning. scenario.

 Basically, its purpose is to influence

and manipulate your opinions,
emotions and attitudes or behaviour.

 It seeks to guide your choice by

exaggerating the truth and using
hidden message.
Nine common propaganda devices
1. Name calling or stereotyping.

2. Glittering generalities.

3. Transfer.

4. The bandwagon approach.

5. The plain folks approach.

6. Testimonials.

7. Card stacking.

8. Fear or scare tactics.

9. Euphemisms
 1. Name calling or stereotyping
 The use of emotional labels that are offered in the place of logic or evidence.

 E.g. labels applied to individuals include “extremist”, “radical”, “liberal”, “racist”.

Attacking the opponent personally instead of his or her ideas or create an
unfavourable hatred towards a person or group instead of their ideas or beliefs.
 2. Glittering generalities
 Represent the opposite of name-calling
(wanting the audience to reject an idea
without examining the evidence).

 E.g. are claims that begin with “everyone

knows that …”

 In political campaigns examples of

glittering generalities include a candidate’s
charges that his or her opponent’s
proposals are “based on ideas of the past”.

 Basically, using vague wording or

generalizations, which are often a slogan
or a catchphrase.

 They appeal to the senses such as honor,

love, country, peace, etc.

 They cannot be proven true or false.

 3. Transfer
 A device by which the communicator
wants the audience to take the
authority, sanction or prestige of a
respected idea and apply it to a new
idea that the community wants the
audience to accept.

 Is often used as a tactic in political

campaign.

 Basically, it employs techniques that

access the audience’s positive
feelings about something, and
transfer them to the idea being
promoted.

 Relies heavily on symbolism.

 4. The bandwagon approach
 One in which audiences are encouraged to adopt a certain behaviour because
“everyone else is doing it” and they “do not want to be left behind”.
 5. The plain folks approach
 Suggests the audiences should adopt an idea because it comes from someone
similar to them or reject an idea because it comes from someone unlike them.
 6. Testimonials
 Appeals from influential celebrities
or authority figures whose expertise
may be irrelevant to the product
being sold or idea being promoted.
 7. Card stacking
 Method that stacks the card in favour of the desired result, presenting one-sided
evidence of half-truths.
 8. Fear or scare tactics
 Devices to influence behaviour is
common in advertising and political
campaigns.
 9. Euphemisms
 Terms intended to obscure of soften
the true meaning of behaviours or
concepts.
Types of persuasive campaigns
1. Political campaigns 2. Commercial 3. Reputation
campaigns campaigns
 Divided into two:
i. Candidate  Used to promote a  Aimed at improving how
oriented company’s new products a company or non-profit
• Orchestrated by or services or a new organization is
campaign company as a whole. perceived by its publics.
managers and
other professionals  They may include  Reputation campaigns
who use activities usually thought are different from
techniques other of as ‘advertising’ or commercial campaign
than those used by ‘marketing’ but they because they do not
public relations include public relations promote specific
professionals. techniques as well. products or services;
deal with the
ii. Issue oriented organization as a
• Are often aimed at whole, often follow a
attempting to get a major crisis or other
proposed situations generating
governmental negative publicity.
action passed or
defeated.
Types of persuasive campaigns (cont.)
4. Educational or public awareness
campaigns
 Conducted by non-profit organizations
or other advocacy groups.
5. Social action campaigns
 Advocate a social issue (similar to
issue-oriented political campaigns and
use many of the same techniques).

 Involve medical conditions e.g. cancer,  Diff. – generally long term in nature.
heart disease, eating disorder, etc.

 Conditions to make behavioural

changes e.g. child abuse, etc.
Characteristics of legitimate PR campaigns
1. Free choice 2. Mutual benefit 3. Multidisciplinary
approach
 Means the audiences  Both the communicator
are able to choose and the audience must  Instead of dealing only
freely among several emerge from the with the mass media,
actions. transaction with some an approach typically
benefit. used in advertising true
public relations
 A campaign which only campaigns may also
the communicator benefits apply theories and
in manipulation rather techniques from fields
than true public relations. such as psychology,
sociology and
education.