Marketing and Persuasive communication
LECTURE 1; INTRODUCTION
Persuasion Definition “persuasive” a senders attempt to change a receivers beliefs
attitudes and behaviour
Longer definition;
A symbolic process in which communicators try to convince other people to change
their attitudes or behaviours regarding a issue through the transmission of a message
in an atmosphere of free choice
intentional influence
sender, reciver (has free choice), message, issue, atmosphere
Persuasive communication + Marcom
persuasive communication is :
- brooder than marketing communication
- foundation of most marketing communication
Marketing communication
= persuasive communication but also;
Attention/ awareness
Branding – role of a brand in marketing
Targeting positioning (logic of positioning product)
Channels (online/ offline)
Strategy + campaign design
Media influence
Classes subjects (Questions) :
which elements determine commercial effectiveness?
can we influence people outside their awareness?
when you want to use evidence and arguments In persuasion?
How do people persuade themselves?
Is there such thing as persuasive personality?
what do we have in common with Pavlov’s dog?
Why persuasion differs from previous eras:
- Number of messages
- Speed and brevity (=beknoptheid)
- Conducted via institutions and organizations
- Subtlety
- Complexity and mediation
- Digitalization
,Persuasion; application areas 3 spheres
corporate sphere: E.g.
Marcom, advertising…
-sales / negotiation
-motivating / leadership
-online campaigns / influencers
Public sphere: E.g.
Health
Pol com, public opinion
individual sphere; E.g.
Relationships
Education / upbringing
Learning goals –
1.
- Sender characteristics
- Message characteristics
- Receiver characteristics
- Context characteristics
2. Being able to conduct scientific research on persuasion effects
- Design a experiment
- Measuring responses
Practical use:
o You will be able to predict whether a message is effective
o You will know how and whether someone is trying to persuade you or others
o You will be able to persuade others more effectively
Scientific approach to persuasion
Why we need it =
People often do not understand their own beliefs attitudes and behavioural motif
We need objective evidence to understand why people change their behaviour
How do we get this evidence?
Halo-effect: good looking people are seen as more intelligent, nicer, more outgoing. Effect:
more positive responses, credible, reliable, more persuasive, better jobs.
Ø People don’t admit that they think there is a relationship (political correctness) Ø
People are not aware that they perceive a relationship.
Experiment Questions; E.g.
are good looking people seen as more or less intelligent ass less good looking people?
ANSWER:
- They are seen as more intelligent, outgoing, nicer
- Effect; more positive responses, credible, persuasive
what is more effective in a TV commercial; good arguments or nice images?
, - Options; arguments, nice images, depends on person
can it be effective to flash secret message for a few seconds during a tv commercial?
- Answer ; Only if the message appeals to receivers
which tv commercial is remembered best?
- Answer;
Why we run experiments;
Street survey;
- We probably would find no relation between attractiveness and inelegance
o People do not admit there is such relation ( political correctness)
o People are not a wear that they make this connection
3 persuasive communication effects:
1. Shaping: socialization can be regarded as an example of attitude shaping of
formation.
2. Reinforcing: reinforce a position people already hold.
3. Changing responses: changing attitudes
News may influence attitudes, but there usually is no “persuasive intent”.
Ø If there is persuasive intent => persuasion
Coercion (=dwang) and persuasion are not polar opposites, but overlapping concepts.
Coercion occurs when the influence agent:
- Delivers a believable threat or emotional harm to those who refuse the directive
- Deprives (=berooft) the individuals of some measure of freedom or autonomy
- Attempts to induce the individual to act contrary to her preferences.
Rhetoric: refers to the use of argumentation, language and public address to influence
audiences.
2 classical normative perspectives for persuasion:
1. Kant’s deontological theory:
morality of persuasion should be based on intentions and moral duty, not simply the
consequences of an action.
ØKant’s theory emphasizes moral duties, universal obligations and according respect
to individuals as ends in and of themselves.
, ØShortcoming: doesn’t allow for expectations that ought to be made in particular
situations.
2.Utilitarianism:
emphasizes that we should judge actions based on their consequences.
ØThe moral act is one that promotes the greatest good for the greatest number of
people.
ØShortcoming: doesn’t consider the communicator’s intentions of moral obligations.
LECTURE 2;
ATTITUDES (and balance)
news – news may influence attitudes but there is usually no “persuasion intent”
o In case of unequal power / hierarchical contexts there is no free choice.
1. What are attitudes? - a phycological construct
Definitions –
Key - a learned, global evaluation of an object (person, place, or issue) that influences
thought and action
Ø Evaluation of a particular object
Ø Predisposition: attitude is there before exposure
ØAttitudes are pretty stabile
o “A mental and neural state of readiness, organized through experience, exerting a
directive and dynamic influence upon the individual's response to all objects and
situations with which it is related” Allport (1935)
o “The predisposition of the individual to evaluate a particular object in a favorable or
unfavorable manner” Katz (1960)
o “A tendency to respond in a consistently favorable or unfavorable manner with
respect to a given object” Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975 / Ajzen 1988
o “A psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with
some degree of favor or disfavor” Eagly & Chaiken (1993)
o an association between a given object and a given evaluation