Consumer Behavior:

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Chapter 8 Persuasive Communications

• Consumer Behavior
• A FrameworkJohn C. MowenMichael S. Minor

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Environmental Context
Noise
Noise
Receivers decode message
Medium
Message
Source
Feedback
Noise
Noise
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Source Characteristics

• Credibility
• Physical Attractiveness
• Likability
• Meaningfulness

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Source Credibility . . .

• Source expertise
• Source trustworthiness

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Effects of Credible Sources

• If multiple credible sources are used, their
  positive effects are magnified.
• They reduce counter-arguments to the message.
• Produce more positive attitude change, behavioral
  change.
• Enhance the effectiveness of fear appeals.

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The Physical Attractiveness of the Source

• Beautiful is good
• Interaction with product
• Match-up hypothesis
• Consumer self-image
• Sex
• Nudity
• Cross-cultural

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Source Likability

• Positive/negative affect regarding a source of
  information.
• Attractiveness
• Positive communications
• Self-deprecating
• Views that match the audience
• Smiles

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Source Meaningfulness

• Tiger Woods
• Associated with golf excellence

Transfer of meaning (golf excellence) through
brand endorsement

• Nike
• Associated with Tiger Woods and hence, golf
  excellence

Transfer of meaning (golf excellence) through
brand consumption

• Consumer
• Associated with Nike, so associated with Tiger
  Woods and hence, golf excellence

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Message Characteristics

• Message content
• Message construction

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Message Content

• Rhetorical figures of speech
• Rhyme
• Puns and plays on words
• Hyperbole
• Metaphors
• Irony
• Paradox

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Message Content (continued)

• Message complexity
• How many bits of information are contained in
  message
• Rule of thumb only 4 copy points in TV ads
• When celebrities used, must be even more simple.
• Involvement

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Message Content (continued)

• Drawing Conclusions
• Stating the conclusion
• Message is complex
• Audience has low involvement.
• Audience draws own conclusion
• More effective
• Fairly certain conclusion will be positive

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Message Content (continued)

• Comparative Messages
• Compare positive and negative aspects of brand to
  competitor.
• Used to position and differentiate a brand.
• Direct comparative advertisements
• New or low market share brands.
• Indirect comparative advertisements
• Moderate share brands
• High market share brands should avoid comparative
  ads.

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Message Content (continued)

• One-sided versus Two-Sided Messages
• Two-sided arguments
• Give appearance of fairness
• Lowers counterarguments
• Disarms unfriendly audiences
• One-sided arguments
• Good for friendly audiences, low involvement,
  possibly lower educated audiences.

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Message Content (continued)

• Fear Appeals
• Effective if
• Give instructions on how to solve problem.
• Avoid high fear messages to the highly vulnerable
  and those with low self esteem.
• Make sure that fear is not so arousing as to
  interfere with message processing.

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Message Content (continued)

• Humor in Messages
• Negative effects
• Positive effects
• Humor works best when it is naturally related to
  the product or situation

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Message Content (continued)

• Vivid versus Abstract Information
• Concrete information
• Personal relevance
• Proximity
• Time
• Space
• Sensory
• Greater attention
• Easier to encode into memory.

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Message Content (continued)

• Lectures Versus Dramas
• Lectures
• Source speaks directly to audience
• Counterarguments
• Dramas
• Sources interact with each other
• Observational learning
• Transformational advertising

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Message Content (continued)

• Life Themes

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Message Structure

• How the source organizes the content of the
  message
• Where to put the important part of the message
• How often key information should be repeated

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Message Structure (continued)

• Primacy and Recency Effects
• A primacy effect occurs when material early in
  the message has the most influence.
• A recency effect occurs when material at the end
  of the message has the most influence.
• Key avoid middle position.

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Message Structure (continued)

• Repetition effects
• Two-factor theory
• Factor 1 repetition increases learning and
  reduces uncertainty
• Factor 2 repetition increases boredom.
• After about 3 repetitions boredom overwhelms
  learning and negative effects occur.

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Message Structure (continued)

• Lists versus Narratives
• Print advertising

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Managerial Implications

• Positioning
• Environmental analysis
• Market research
• Marketing mix
• Segmentation