Persuasion in Print Ads
The use of Persuasion in Advertising
Effective advertising is, almost always, persuasive
advertising, and while not all advertising seeks to
persuade, in a competitive situation those who best
persuade are those most likely to win.
Advertising is about selling. By nature, advertising is
neither neutral nor objective. Pleading its case through
the strongest, most persuasive means, advertising
informs, entertains and sells. Occasionally, it even
inspires. If advertising is about selling, then persuasion is
how we get there.
Consider advertising
Consumers are not persuaded by illogical or irrational promises and
can see through ill-conceived ideas.
You might be surprised to learn that 80 to 90 percent of new
products launched FAIL.
Smart marketers hold the utmost respect for their consumers in two
ways:
1) delivering product quality and
2) using honest advertising.
Think about yourself as a consumer for a moment. How do you
respond to the advertising you are exposed to each day? Do you run
out and buy everything you see and hear advertised? Are you easily
convinced that you absolutely need to buy a product?
Advertising: A Difficult
Challenge
You may be starting to get a sense of how
difficult it is to persuade someone. Before
looking at some of advertising's greatest
attempts, let's try to understand just what an
advertiser's challenge is.
Although our society is fortunate to have a proliferation of
products and services, consumers must somehow wade
through millions of products crammed on retail shelves and sort
through thousands of marketing messages that fight for their
attention every day.
Commercial messages appear just about everywhere - - on TV,
in magazines, newspapers, billboards, on the radio, on buses,
in phone booths, sports arenas, on the Internet, even in public
toilets. The average American is exposed to over 3,000 ads a
day.
Advertising: A Difficult Challenge
Considering this, and today's hi-tech electronic
environment, advertisers are challenged as
never before to get their message to consumers.
As a result, advertising's job is extremely
difficult.
The key to creating advertising that engenders
persuasion is to have a sound and properly
focused advertising strategy. It is necessary to
understand who the consumer is and what
his/her attitudes and product usage habits are in
order to develop this strategy.
Advertising Strategy
An advertising strategy identifies who the prospective
target is and defines his/her needs, wants and desires.
This meaningful information, when clearly and creatively
executed, should translate to a call to action: "I'm going
to buy this product." The common form for a written
strategy is:
Objective: States what you would like to convince
consumers to feel or do as a result of the advertising
execution. This statement should be the central, singular
marketplace problem facing the brand.
Advertising Strategy
Target Audience: Who is your prime
prospect/customer? (Include age, gender and any other
pertinent demographic/psycho-graphic information
and/or lifestyle explanation of who your target customers
are.)
Key Consumer Benefit: Must go beyond "Cleans your
windows" or "Tastes great." What (singular)
thought/belief about consumers' lives, brand feelings,
category assumptions, hopes, dreams, expectations,
worries, cultural beliefs, etc., will cause a strong reaction
and get the target's attention?
Advertising Strategy
Reason to Believe: Which one or two product attributes
will persuade the consumer to believe the product will
deliver the promised benefits? In other words, what is
the single most important fact, angle, direction,
sentiment or emotion that can be communicated in order
to meet business objectives/solve the problem?
Proof: Provide support. (Research, data, numbers, etc)
Tone and Manner: Affects the setting, look and feel of
the execution. Must be relevant to the target audience to
drive the message. (Think voice and word choice!)
Advertising Strategy –
Applying Persuasive Strategies
Convincing advertising also
employs a mix of the strategies
we have discussed:
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Staking a claim
Appealing to emotion
Appealing to logic
Showing research/proof
Using comparisons
Using rhetorical questioning
Using big names (celebrity)
Showing credibility or honesty
Connecting with the consumer
Developing a sense of urgency
Some Examples and
Questions to Consider…..
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What is the objective?
•
Who is the target audience?
•
What is the benefit to the consumer?
•
What are the reasons to believe the ad? What will
persuade the consumer to believe the product will
deliver the promised benefits?
•
What proof is provided?
•
How will the tone and manner appeal to the target
audience?
The long lasting AXE effect.
IRONICALLY, SHE'S THE ONE
WORRIED ABOUT HER WEIGHT
We're always the ones more likely to be
concerned. Even when we have nothing
to be concerned about. But looking your
best is about being strong and healthy not obsessive. Look good on your own
terms. Exercise. Refuse to skip meals.
Start with a balanced breakfast every
morning and go from there. Kellogg's
Special K cereal is low in fat and a
source of essential nutrients so it's a
light, sensible way to start your day.
After all, there's no reason to let your
weight control you. Especially if you're
like her and have nothing to lose.
A healthy body weight
looks good on everyone.
Activities
• Choose one of the advertisements, and respond
to the ad strategy questions. Comment on the
ad’s effectiveness.
• Develop an ad campaign for a made up product
or service. Consider the strategy techniques
and also elements of effective persuasive
writing. Word choice and voice will be very
important. With your assignment, you must
submit the campaign strategy as well as the
visual advertisement. (This activity can be
completed individually, or in partners.)