Persuasive Communication

learning intentions

• Today we are learning about the different types of persuasive techniques so we can identify them in advertising.
• We will know we have learned this when we can identify and explain their use in advertising.

Persuasive communication

• use of words or images to get people to believe something or get them to do something.

Persusasive Appeals

• Appeals to logic (logos)
• Appeals to emotion (pathos)
• Appeals to credibility (authority) (ethos)

Appeals to logic (logos)

• Evidence such as statistics examples and anecdotes (short stories) are used in logical appeals.

Logos Example:

• An example would be a doctor’s report is chosen over a high school teacher writing a similar report. (Being a doctor appeals to logos.)

Appeals to emotion (pathos)

• arguments that stir an audience’s feelings and cause an emotional response.

Pathos Example

• “How will you feel when you watch all your friends go on to high school and you’ve been held back a year?”

Appeals to credibility (Ethos)

• A speaker tries to gain credibility and the audience’s trust, either with an important position in society or saying that the speaker is the same as the audience. (We tend to believe people whom we respect).

•Target audience

• a specific group of people an ad or advertisers target and tries to appeal to them.

propaganda

• A persuasive technique that deliberately discourages people for thinking for themselves.

Types of propaganda

• bandwagon
• transfer
• testimonial
• cardstacking
• vague and undefined terms
• rhetorical questions
• loaded words

Look for these common, often hidden messages:

• Bandwagon: Hop on the bandwagon or else you won’t fit in. "Everybody's doing it so you should, too." Based on peer pressure.

Untitled Slide

• Transfer: Buy this product and you'll be just like me!”
• In this technique an attempt is made to transfer the status of a positive symbol to a person or idea.

Testimonial:

• A celebrity or expert who endorse a product, candidate or idea.

3 types:

• “An expert" says...
• "Famous people" say...
• “Plain Folks" say

“An expert" says

• Since chefs are experts about food, people will trust one of them to recommend a brand of food.

Famous people say...

• The endorsement of a product by a celebrity is a very old and popular advertising device.

“Plain Folks" say

• Ordinary people sell a message. You are to believe that because these people are like you; they can be trusted.

Card Stacking

• Presents only the good points of your product. If you discuss another product, you only present the bad points.

Vague and undefined terms

• Use words such as “New!” and “Improved!” They don’t give details about how it’s improved or new.

Rhetorical Questions

• Answer is obvious but does not prove the product is good.
• Example: “Wouldn’t you like to stay healthy?”

Loaded words

• Use negative or positive connotations.

Connotation

• A feeling that is associated with a particular word. Can be a negative or positive feeling.

Denotation

• The actual meaning found in the dictionary.

Positive vs. Negative

• We bought inexpensive souvenirs at the amusement park.
• We bought cheap souvenirs at the amusement park.

Positive or Negative?

• childish/childlike
• spit/saliva
• antique/old-fashioned

Analyzing an Advertisement