(IB) Persuasive techniques

• logos


  An appeal to logic or reason. An advertisement using this technique will give you the evidence and statistics you need to fully understand what the product does. An example of this in an advertisement will be the "straight facts" about the product: One glass of Florida orange juice contains 75% of your daily Vitamin C needs.
• pathos


  An appeal to emotion. An advertisement using this technique will attempt to evoke an emotional response in the consumer. Sometimes, it is a positive emotion such as happiness: an image of people enjoying themselves while drinking Pepsi. Other times, advertisers will use negative emotions such as pain: a person having back problems after buying the "wrong" mattress. This could also include emotionssuch as fear and guilt: images of a starving child persuade you to send money.
• ethos


  An appeal to credibility or character. An advertisement using this technique will try to convince you that the company is more reliable, honest, and credible; therefore, you should buy its product. This technique often involves statistics from reliable experts, such as nine out of ten dentists agree that Crest is the better than any other brand or Americas dieters choose Lean Cuisine. Often, a celebrity endorses a product to lend it more credibility: Justin Beiber makes us want to switch to T-Mobile.
• scientific evidence


  This is a particular application of the Expert technique. It uses the paraphernalia of science (charts, graphs, statistics, lab coats, etc.) to "prove" something. It often works because many people trust science and scientists. It's important to look closely at the "evidence," however, because it can be misleading.
• rhetorical questions


  These are questions designed to get us to agree with the speaker. They are set up so that the "correct" answer is obvious. ("Do you want to get out of debt?" "Do you want quick relief from headache pain?" and "Should we leave our nation vulnerable to terrorist attacks?" are all examples of this technique.) This technique is used to build trust and alignment before the sales pitch.
• nostalgia


  This is the opposite of the New technique. Many advertisers invoke a time when life was simpler and quality was supposedly better ("like Mom used to make"). Politicians promise to bring back the "good old days" and restore "tradition." But whose traditions are being restored? Who did they benefit, and who did they harm? This technique works because people tend to forget the bad parts of the past, and remember the good.
• new


  We love this because we (most people) don't love old things and old ideas. That's because the dominant culture in the United States (and many other countries) places great faith in technology and progress. But sometimes, the latest products and ideas lead to unforeseen and more difficult problems.
• glittering generalities


  This is the use of so-called "virtue words" such as civilization, democracy, freedom, patriotism, motherhood, fatherhood, science, health, beauty, and love. Persuaders use these words in the hope that we will approve and accept their statements without examining the evidence. They hope that few people will ask whether it's appropriate to invoke these concepts, while even fewer will ask what these concepts really mean.
• flattery


  Persuaders love to compliment us. Politicians and advertisers sometimes speak directly to us: "You know a good deal when you see one." "You expect quality." "You work hard for a living." "You deserve it." Sometimes ads say nice things about us by showing people doing stupid things, so that we'll feel smarter or superior. This technique works because we like to be praised and we tend to believe people we like. (We're sure that someone as brilliant as you will easily understand this technique!)
• charisma


  Sometimes, persuaders can be effective simply by appearing firm, bold, strong, and confident. This is particularly true in political and advocacy messages. People often follow leaders with this quality even when they disagree with their positions on issues that affect them.
• warm and fuzzy


  This technique uses sentimental images (especially of families, kids and animals) to stimulate feelings of pleasure, comfort, and delight. It may also include the use of soothing music, pleasant voices, and evocative words like "cozy" or "cuddly." This technique is another form of Association. It works well with some audiences, but not with others, who may find it too corny.
• testimonial


  Media messages often show people attesting to the value or quality of a product, or endorsing an idea. They can be experts, celebrities, or plain folks. We tend to believe them because they appear to be a neutral third party (a pop star, for example, not the lipstick maker, or a community member instead of the politician running for office.) This technique works best when it seems like the person "certifying" is doing so because they genuinely like the product or agree with the idea. Some may be less effective when we recognize that the person is getting paid to endorse the product.
• repetition


  Advertisers use this technique in two ways: Within an ad or advocacy message, words, sounds or images may be seen or heard again and again to reinforce the main point. And the message itself (a TV commercial, a billboard, a website banner ad) may be displayed many times. Even unpleasant ads and political slogans work if they are heard or seen over and over enough to pound their message into our minds.
• plain folks


  (A type of Testimonial - the opposite of Celebrities.) This technique works because we may believe a "regular person" more than an intellectual or a highly-paid celebrity. It's often used to sell everyday products like laundry detergent because we can more easily see ourselves using the product, too. This technique strengthens the down-home, "authentic" image of products like pickup trucks and politicians. Unfortunately, most of the "plain folks" in ads are actually paid actors carefully selected because they look like "regular people."
• maybe


  Unproven, exaggerated or outrageous claims are commonly preceded by "weasel words" such as may, might, can, could, some, many, often, virtually, as many as, or up to. Watch for these words if an offer seems too good to be true. Commonly, Intensity and this technique are used together, making the whole thing meaningless.
• intensity


  The language of ads is full of words that relate to this technique, including superlatives (greatest, best, most, fastest, lowest prices), comparatives (more, better than, improved, increased, fewer calories), hyperbole (amazing, incredible, forever), exaggeration, and many other ways to hype the product.
• humor


  Many ads use this technique because it grabs our attention and it's a powerful persuasion technique. When we laugh, we feel good. Advertisers make us laugh and then show us their product or logo because they're trying to connect that good feeling to their product. They hope that when we see their product in a store, we'll subtly re-experience that good feeling and select their product. Advocacy messages (and news) rarely use this technique because it can undermine their credibility; an exception is political satire.
• fear


  This is the opposite of the Association technique. It uses something disliked by the intended audience (like bad breath, failure, high taxes or terrorism) to promote a "solution." Ads use this technique to sell us products that claim to prevent or fix the problem. Politicians and advocacy groups stoke this to get elected or to gain support.
• explicit claims


  Something is this if it is directly, fully, and/or clearly expressed or demonstrated. For example, some ads state the price of a product, the main ingredients, where it was made, or the number of items in the package - all examples of this technique. So are specific, measurable promises about quality, effectiveness, or reliability, like "Works in only five minutes!" This technique can be proven true or false through close examination or testing, and if they're false, the advertiser can get in trouble. It can be surprising to learn how few ads make these. Most of them try to persuade us in ways that cannot be proved or disproved.
• experts


  (A type of Testimonial.) We rely on these people to advise us about things that we don't know ourselves. Scientists, doctors, professors and other professionals often appear in ads and advocacy messages, lending their credibility to the product, service, or idea being sold. Sometimes, "plain folks" can also be this, as when a mother endorses a brand of baby powder or a construction worker endorses a treatment for sore muscles.
• celebrities


  (A type of Testimonial - the opposite of Plain folks.) We tend to pay attention to famous people. That's why they're famous! Ads often use this technique to grab our attention. By appearing in an ad, these people implicitly endorse a product; sometimes the endorsement is explicit. Many people know that companies pay them a lot of money to appear in their ads (Nike's huge contracts with leading athletes, for example, are well known) but this type of testimonial still seems to be effective.
• bribery


  This technique tries to persuade us to buy a product by promising to give us something else, like a discount, a rebate, a coupon, or a "free gift." Sales, special offers, contests, and sweepstakes are all forms of this. Unfortunately, we don't really get something for free -- part of the sales price covers the cost of it.
• beautiful people


  This technique uses good-looking models (who may also be celebrities) to attract our attention. This technique is extremely common in ads, which may also imply (but never promise!) that we'll look like the models if we use the product.
• bandwagon


  Many ads show lots of people using the product, implying that "everyone is doing it" (or at least, "all the cool people are doing it"). No one likes to be left out or left behind, and these ads urge us to "jump on the __________." Politicians use the same technique when they say, "The American people want..." How do they know?
• association


  This persuasion technique tries to link a product, service, or idea with something already liked or desired by the target audience, such as fun, pleasure, beauty, security, intimacy, success, wealth, etc. The media message doesn't make explicit claims that you'll get these things; it is implied. This technique can be a very powerful technique. A good ad can create a strong emotional response and then connect that feeling with a brand (family = Coke, victory = Nike). This process is known as emotional transfer. Several of the persuasion techniques below, like Beautiful people, Warm & fuzzy, Symbols and Nostalgia, are specific types of this.