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CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Chapter 7: Persuading Consumers

University of Technology, Jamaica

Facilitator: Antonette Bromfield
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February , 2022
 CHAPTER 7 LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
7.1 To understand the elements and persuasive capabilities of communication,
as well as the barriers to effective communication.
7.2 To understand the distinctions between broadcasting and narrowcasting.
7.3 To understand how to design persuasive messages effectively.
7.4 To understand the effectiveness and limitations of prominent advertising
appeals.
7.5 To understand how to measure the effectiveness of advertising messages.

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PERSUADING CONSUMERS 4
LEARNING OBJECTIVE 7.1
7.1 To understand the elements and persuasive capabilities of
communication, as well as the barriers to effective communication.

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 THE COMMUNICATION
PROCESS
Communication is the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver via a
medium/channel, where the sender receives communication feedback, which alerts the sender as
to whether the intended message was received.

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TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
Communication can be:

• Impersonal - are messages that companies transmit through their marketing

departments, advertising or public relations agencies, and spokespersons.

• Interpersonal - may be either formal sources (e.g., a salesperson in a physical or virtual

retail location) or informal sources (e.g., peers with whom the consumer communicates
face-to-face or via electronic means).

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 COMMUNICATION
INTERFERENCE

1. Selective Exposure - refers to consumers’

selectivity in paying attention to advertising
messages. Consumers control their exposure to
media by - Time shifting: DVR, VOD, Online

Hub Entertainment research, February 2015

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 COMMUNICATION
INTERFERENCE
2. Psychological noise - the form of competing
advertising messages or distracting thoughts can affect
the reception of a promotional message.

Overcoming or Limiting Psychological Noise:

1. Repetition
2. Contrast
3. Digital technologies
4. Effective positioning and providing value

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 MEDIA
Media are the channels for transmitting communications.

There are two of media:

• Traditional - synonymous with broadcast media (or mass media) and consists of channels where all
receivers receive the same one-way messages from marketers (i.e., they cannot send direct responses
to the message sources).

• New Media – Channels of narrowcasting, defines as means that permit marketers to send messages
that are:
1. Addressable – directed to specific persons rather than groups
2. Customized – Based on data gathered from tracking consumers
3. Interactive – clicks lead to the transmission of a message
4. Response -measurable – Faster and more accurate communications

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LEARNING OBJECTIVE 7.2
7.2 To understand the distinctions between broadcasting and narrowcasting.

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BROADCAST VS
NARROWCAST
Traditional Media New Media

Broadcast Narrowcast
One-way Two-way
Directed at groups Addressable
Not customized or Customized
interactive
Interactive
Less accurate feedback,
delayed feedback Response-measurable

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LEARNING OBJECTIVE 7.3
7.3 To understand how to design persuasive messages effectively.

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MESSAGES
A message is the thought, idea, attitude, image, or other
information that the sender wishes to convey to the
intended audience.

Messages can be:

 Verbal - spoken or written
 Non-verbal - a photograph, an illustration, or a
symbol),
 Verbal & Non-Verbal (both) - combination 14
MESSAGES & NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION

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DESIGNING PERSUASIVE
MESSAGES
Steps for sponsor (individual or organization):

1. Establish objectives
• Create awareness
• Promote sales
• Encourage/discourage practices
• Attract patronage
• Reduce dissonance
• Create goodwill/favorable image

2. Select medium

3. Design (encode) message – words, pictures, etc.

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DESIGNING PERSUASIVE MESSAGES -
MESSAGE DESIGN DECISIONS

• Images and text

• Message framing
• One-sided vs. two-sided messages
• Order of presentation

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MESSAGE DESIGN DECISION – IMAGES & TEXT

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MESSAGE DESIGN DECISION –
MESSAGE FRAMING
Positive Message Framing vs Negative Message Framing

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 MESSAGE DESIGN DECISION – ONE-SIDED VS TWO-SIDED

A one-sided message pretends that its products are

the only ones of their kind.

A two-sided message acknowledges competing

products.

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MESSAGE DESIGN DECISION –
ORDER EFFECT
Primacy Effect - suggests material presented first is most effective.

Recency Effect - suggests material presented last is most effective. If audience

interest is low, the most important point should be made first to attract
attention.

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 LEARNING OBJECTIVE 7.4
7.4 To understand the effectiveness and limitations of prominent advertising appeals.

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PERSUASIVE ADVERTISING
APPEAL
Advertising is a form of non-personal communication

Advertising appeal which is used to attract the attention of the consumers, effectively
influence their feelings and change their attitude in favor of the advertised product/service.

Most Widely Use Advertising Appeals :

1. Comparative
2. Fear
3. Humour
4. Sex
5. Timeliness

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PERSUASIVE ADVERTISING APPEAL - COMPARATIVE

Comparative Advertising a marketer claims

product superiority for its brand over one or more
explicitly named or implicitly identified
competitors, either on an overall basis or on selected
product attributes.

• Sophistication
• Negativity
• Gender
• Promotion vs. Prevention-focused
• Reasonable factual evidence

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PERSUASIVE ADVERTISING APPEAL - FEAR

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 PERSUASIVE ADVERTISING APPEAL - FEAR

Guidelines in Developing Messages Using Fear Appeal:

• Understand the target audience’s reaction to a fear appeal, as well as its previous experiences.
• Beware the boomerang effect.
• Realize that changing behavior is a long and complex process.
• Study the extent to which the fear appeal encourages people to take action but without arousing too
much anxiety.
• Determine whether to use a rational or emotional fear appeal.
• Repeat advertising using fear appeals.
• Accept that some addicts may not respond to fear appeals
• Consider alternatives to fear appeals.

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 PERSUASIVE ADVERTISING APPEAL - HUMOUR
Studies Have Indicated:

• Humor attracts attention and enhances liking of the product advertised.

• Humor does not harm the comprehension of ads, and, in some cases, it actually aids
comprehension.
• Humor does not always increase an ad’s persuasive impact or a source’s credibility.
• Humor that is relevant to the product is more effective than humor unrelated to the product.
• Humor is more effective in ads for existing products than in ads for new products.
• Humor is more appropriate for advertising low-involvement than high-involvement products.
• The effects of humorous ads vary by the audience demographics.
• The impact of humor is related to the receiver’s personality.

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PERSUASIVE ADVERTISING APPEAL - HUMOUR

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PERSUASIVE ADVERTISING APPEAL - SEX

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PERSUASIVE ADVERTISING APPEAL - TIMELINESS

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LEARNING OBJECTIVE 7.5
7.5 To understand how to measure the effectiveness of advertising messages.

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 Measures if Message Effectiveness
Communication Feedback - enables the sender to reinforce or change the message to ensure that it is
understood in the intended way.

Interpersonal Communications  Immediate Feedback

• Verbal/Non-Verbal Cues

Impersonal Communications  Non-Immediate Feedback

• Degree of Customer Satisfaction
• Persuasion Effects & Sales Effects
• Media Exposure Effects (UPC Codes)
• Physiological Measures e.g. eye tracking, facial EMG, brain wave analysis
• Attitudinal Measure e.g. semantic differential scales, likert scales
• Recall & Recognition Tests

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 Next Topic:

From Print & Broadcast Advertising to Social and Mobile

Media - Chapter 8
&
Reference Group and Word-of-Mouth – Chapter 9

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