Central and Peripheral

Routes to
Persuasion

Prepared by:
Md. Aktaruzzaman
BBA 12th Batch
Dept. of Marketing
University of Dhaka
Think and think again.
 Why we need to think

Dr. Laurence J. Peter said in his book “The Peter Prescription”

“Right now is the beginning of the rest of one’s
life which depends on proper thinking.”

Prof. M.D. Husain said in his book “Behavioral Science”

“The man is a greater thinker and
only the creative thinking finds solution.”
 How much we think for what

Our thinking process, and involvement will

depend on our central and peripheral routes
to persuasion discovered by Petty and
Cacioppo (1981).

Source: Attitudes and Persuasion by Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. 

Central and Peripheral Routes
to
Persuasion
 Central Route to Persuasion

• The central route to persuasion requires

considered thought and cognitive processing.
• It involves being persuaded by the arguments
or the content and pertinent information of the
message. 
• The most effective marketing strategy

Source: http://www.psychologyandsociety.com/routestopersuasion.html
 Peripheral Route to Persuasion
• The peripheral route to persuasion requires
less cognitive processing.
• It involves being persuaded in a manner that
is not based on the arguments or the message
content. 
The peripheral route can involve using
superficial cues such as the attractiveness of
the speaker.
Source: http://www.psychologyandsociety.com/routestopersuasion.html
 The basic premise of “Central and
Peripheral Routes to Persuasion” theory

• Consumers carefully think the merits and

weaknesses of a product when the purchase is
of high relevance to them.
• Consumers think less about the purchase low
relevant to them.
 Relation between central and peripheral
routes to persuasion and consumer
information processing
High involvement with a product produces
more extensive processing of information such
as evaluating brands.
Low involved consumers apply very simple
decision rules thus require less information.
 The usage of central and peripheral
routes to persuasion in marketing field
• To highly involved consumers, the quality of
the promotional message of the products is
more effective in decision making than
imagery message.
• Comparative ads are processed centrally
whereas nocomparative ads are processed
peripherally.
 The usage of central and peripheral routes
to persuasion in consumer behavior

• Psychologically, intuitive and thinker

category consumers’ behavior is affected by
central route to persuasion
• However, feeler and sensor category
consumers’ behavior is affected by peripheral
route to persuasion.

Source: Differential or Die by Jack Trout

 Some studies found that

• The use of metaphors and figures increases the

ad’s persuasiveness and memorability.
• Utilitarian products require a consumer’s
product involvement and objective product
knowledge.
 continued……..
• Hedonic products (designed to bring about
pleasure) require subjective knowledge the
outcome of the factual information provided
by ads.
• Marketers should consider the degree of the
product’s utilitarianism in selecting either the
central or peripheral route in promoting the
product.
 Bibliographies

• Consumer Behavior by Leon G. Schiffman and

Leslie Lazar Kanuk
• Behavioral Science by Prof. M.D. Husain
• The Peter Prescription by Dr. Laurence J.Peter
• http://www.psychologyandsociety.com/routestopers
uasion.html