12 Communication & Persuasion Readonly

Communication and persuasion

Communication and persuasionComponents of Communication, The Communication process

Consumer Behaviour by Schiffman Kanuk 8th editionPage no. 293 to 328Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar1

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar2CommunicationCommunication is the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver via a medium (or channel) of transmission.Four basic componentsSenderReceiverMediumMessageThe fifth essential components is FEEDBACK, which alerts the sender as to whether intended message was received.Messages are encoded by the sender and then decoded by the receiver.Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar3Elements of the communication processThe message initiator (source)The senderThe receiverThe mediumThe messageThe target audience (the receivers)Feedback (the receivers response)Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar4Basic Communication model

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar5Comprehensive communication model

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar6MESSAGE CHANNELSelect the mediaor other vehicleto carry the messageDECODINGTHE MESSAGEReceiver comparesmessage toframe of referenceMESSAGE AS RECEIVEDKnowledge, beliefs,or feelings ofreceiver changedRESPONSERanges from simple awareness topurchaseFEEDBACKImpact measuredusing research, sales,or another measureENCODING THEMESSAGECreate an ad,display, or salespresentationMESSAGE ASINTENDEDA promotional idea inmarketers mindNOISECompeting ads,other distractionsThe Communication ProcessHarleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT GandhinagarHjhfj

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Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar81. The source as the message initiatorThe sender (as the initiator of the communication), can be a formal or an informal source. A formal source represents either a for-profit (commercial) or a not-for-profit organization.An informal source was originally defined as a person whom the message receiver knows personally, such as a parent or friend, who gives product information or advice. Today, informal sources also include people who influence ones consumption via online social networks and other web forums.Consumers often rely on informal sources in making purchase decisions as they are perceived as having nothing to gain from the receivers subsequent actions. Therefore, marketers encourage & even initiate positive word-of-mouth (WOM) communications about their products and services.Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar9Impersonal & Interpersonal communicationsCommunications can be Impersonal (Not personal, hence lacking warmth) & Interpersonal (related to interaction between individuals)

The sources of impersonal communications are organizations (either for-profit or not-for-profit) that develop & transmit appropriate messages through their marketing departments, advertising or public relations agencies and spokespersons. The targets or receivers of such messages usually are a specific audience or several audiences that the organization is trying to inform, influence or persuade.

The senders of Interpersonal communications can be either formal sources (a salesperson in a physical or virtual location) or informal sources (peers with whom the consumer communicates face to face or via electronic means)Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar10

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar11Source credibilityThe key factor underlying the persuasive impact of a personal or interpersonal message received from either a formal or informal source is the sources credibility (the extent to which the receiver trusts and believes the source sending the message)The perceived honesty & objectivity of the sponsor of the communication have enormous influence on how the communication is accepted by the receivers.Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar12Reference GroupsFrom a marketing perspective, reference groups are groups that serve as frame of reference for individuals in their purchase or consumption decisions because they are perceived as credible sources.

Reference groups influencing broadly defined values or behavior are called Normative Reference Groups. (childs NRG is the immediate family)

Reference groups serving as benchmarks for specific or narrowly defined attitudes or behavior are called Comparative Reference Groups. (upper-level executives at workplace whose lifestyle and clothing appears to be admirable and worthy of imitation)

A group to which a person either belongs or would qualify for membership is called a Membership group. (the group of men with whom a young executive plays golf)

There are also groups in which an individual is not likely to receive membership, despite acting like a member by adopting the groups values, attitudes and behavior. Such group is a symbolic group.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar13Credibility of Informal Sources & WOMOne of the major reasons that informal sources such as friends, neighbors, and relatives have a strong influence on a receivers behavior is simply that they are perceived as having nothing to gain from a product transaction that they recommend. That is why word-of-mouth communication is so effective. Interestingly, informal communications sources, called opinion leaders, often do profit psychologically, if not tangibly, by providing product information to others.

Even with informal sources, however, intentions are not always what they appear to be. Individuals who experience post purchase dissonance often try to alleviate their uncertainty by convincing others to make a similar purchase.Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar14The Word-Of-Mouth environment & e-WOMWord-Of-Mouth taking place online is called e-WOM. Consumption-related e-WOM occurs online in social networks, brand communities , blogs and consumer message boards and weblogs.

Refer reading materialHarleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar15Strategic marketing applications of Word-Of-MouthReferral programs customers are rewarded for bringing in new clientsA campaign for Vaseline Clinical Therapy asked the female consumer who received a free sample of the product to freely prescribe it to anyone she thought might need it. the venue selected for the campaign was Kodiak Island a remote location in Alaska known for its harsh weather.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar16Strategic marketing applications of Word-Of-Mouth contd.E-WOM brought in a number of campaigns and strategic initiatives such as buzz agents, viral marketing, e-referrals & recommendations and responding to negative rumors.Buzz-Agents: Many firms enlist typical consumers to serve as their buzz agents who promote products by bringing them to family gatherings, suggest to store owners who do not carry a given product that they should do so and talk other consumers into trying certain products during shopping trips.Bzzagent.com recruits buzz agents & assists its clients in creating buzz marketing campaigns.P&G has company known as tremor (www.tremor.com) specializing in targeting teens and their families. Tremor appoints suitable applicants as buzz agents.Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar17Strategic marketing applications of Word-Of-Mouth contd.Viral Marketing consists of encouraging individuals to pass on an email message to others, thus creating the potential for exponential growth in the messages exposure & influence.Hotmail.com-the first free web email service-gave away free email addresses & attached a tag to the bottom of every message encouraging receivers of email to sign-up with the companyAnother effective form of viral marketing is e-referrals and recommendations.Highly successful e-merchants such as eBay and Amazon.com routinely attach links encouraging users to send notices of their selections to their friends.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar18The credibility of formal sources Not-for-profit sources generally have more credibility than for profit (commercial) sources. Formal sources that are perceived to be neutral such as Consumer Reports or newspaper articles have greater credibility than commercial sources because of the perception that they are more objective in their product assessments.

Because consumer recognize that the intentions of commercial sources (E.g: manufacturers, service companies, financial institutions, retailers) are clearly profit oriented, they judge their credibility on factors as past performance, reputation, the kind and quality of service they are known to render, the quality and image of other products they manufacture.

The ability of a quality image to invoke credibility is one of the reasons for the growth of family brands. Recognizing that a manufacturer with a good reputation generally has high credibility among consumers, many companies spend a sizable part of their advertising budget on institutional advertising, which is designed to promote a favorable company image rather than to promote specific products.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar19

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar20The credibility of spokesperson & endorsersConsumers sometimes regard the spokesperson who gives the product message as the source (or initiator) of the message. Many studies have investigated the relationship between the effectiveness of the message and the spokesperson or endorser employed (that is male or female, a person who appear in a commercial that is why there are celebrities in the ads to promote the product).

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar21The credibility of spokesperson & endorsers contd.Key findings of research in this areaThe effectiveness of the spokesperson is related to the message itself.

The synergy between the endorser and the type of product or service advertised is an important factor because according to associative learning theory, celebrities are conditioned with the products they promote.

Endorsers who have demographic characteristics (E.g: age, social class, ad ethnicity) that are similar to those of the target audience are viewed as more credible and persuasive than those that do not.

The endorsers credibility is not a substitute for corporate credibility; one study discovered that although the endorsers credibility strongly impacted the audiences attitudes toward the ad, the perceived corporate credibility had a strong impact on attitudes toward the advertised brand.

Marketers who use celebrities to give testimonials or endorse products must be sure that the specific wording of the endorsement lies within the recognized competence of the spokesperson.


Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar23Message credibilityThe reputation of the retailer who sells the product has a major influence on message credibility. The aura of credibility generated by reputable retail advertising reinforces the manufacturers message as well.

The reputation of the medium that carries the advertisement also enhances the credibility of the advertiser. The reputation of the medium for honesty and objectivity also affects the believability of the advertising. Consumers often think that a medium they respect would not accept advertising for products it did not know were good.

The consumers previous experience with the product or the retailer has a major impact on the credibility of the message.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar24Vendor credibilityThe reputation of the retailer who sells the product has a major influence on message credibility. Products sold by well-known quality stores seem to carry the added endorsement (and implicit guarantee) of the store itself.If amazon.com recommends it, it must be a good book.

Medium credibilityThe reputation of the medium that carries the advertisement also enhances the credibility of the message.The image of Vogue confers added status on the products advertised within.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar25Effects Of Time On Source Credibility: The Sleeper Effect

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar263. The Target Audience (Receivers)Receivers decode the messages they receive on the basis of their personal experiences and personal characteristics. A number of factors affect the decoding and comprehension of persuasive message including the receivers personal characteristics, involvement with the product or product category, the congruency of the message with the medium, and the receivers mood.


Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar28Personal Characteristics & MotivesThe amount of meaning accurately derived from the message is a function of the message characteristics, the receivers opportunity and ability to process the message, and the receivers motivation. A persons demographics (such as age, gender, marital status), socio cultural memberships (social class, race, religion), and lifestyles are key determinants in how a message is interpreted.

Personality attitudes and prior learning all affect how a message is decoded. Perception, based as it is one expectations, motivation, and past experience, certainly influences message interpretation.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar29Involvement & CongruencyPeople who have little interest (that is a low level of involvement) in golf, for example, may not pay much attention to an ad for a specially designed putter; people who are very interested (highly involved) in gold may read every word of a highly technical advertisement describing the new golf club.

One study discovered a relationship between low involvement and the style and context of an ad. Subjects with low involvement with the product preferred message placed within a congruent context. Another study showed that the congruency between the nature of the television program and the advertisement affected the level of viewer recall.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar30MoodMood, or affect, plays a significant role in how a message is decoded. A consumers mood (E.g: cheerfulness or unhappiness) affects the way in which an advertisement is perceived, recalled, and acted upon.

Marketers of many image-centered products such as perfume, fashion, and liquor have found that appeals focused on emotions and feelings associated with these products are more effective than rational appeals depicting the products benefits. Advertisers have found that emotional appeals work well even for technologically complex products.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar31Barriers to communication

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar32Selective Exposure to messagesConsumers selectively perceive advertising messages. They read ads carefully for products they are interested in and tend to ignore advertisements that have not interest or relevance to them.Technology provides consumers with increasingly sophisticated means to control their exposure to media.Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar33Psychological noisePsychological noise in the form of competing advertising messages or distracting thoughts, can impact the reception of a promotional message.Some strategies that marketers use to overcome Psychological noise-Repeated exposure to an advertising messageCopywriters often use contrast to break through Psychological noise & advertising clutter.Digital technologies allow marketers to monitor the consumers visits to web sites, infer the persons interests from this data, design & send customized promotional messages.Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar344. The media as the channels for transmitting messagesMedium, or communication channel, can be impersonal (e.g., mass medium) or interpersonal (e.g., a formal conversation between a salesperson & a customer).Today, there are two types of media that marketers useMass media (print newspapers, magazines, billboards, broadcast radio, TV)New communication technologies grouped under the term new media (also termed as alternative or nontraditional media)Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar35Targeting consumers through mass mediaMedia strategy is an essential component of a communication plan. It calls for the placement of ads in the specific media read, viewed or heard by each targeted audience. To accomplish this, advertisers develop, through research, a consumer profile of target customers. Media organizations research their own audiences and develop descriptive audience profiles.A cost-effective media choice is one that closely matches the advertisers consumer profile to a mediums audience profile.Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar36Targeting consumers through new (nontraditional) mediaNew media are more dynamic than traditional mass media. While mass media transmit the same message to all the members of a given audience and the receivers are passive, messages transmitted via new media are:AddressableInteractiveResponse-measurableHarleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar37New Media contd.Out-of-Home & On-the-Go mediaOnline and Mobile mediaInteractive TV (iTV)

Refer reading materialHarleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar38Designing Persuasive MessagesA message can be verbal, nonverbal or a combination of the two. The message is the thought, idea, attitude, image or other information that the sender wishes to convey to the intended audience.

In order to create persuasive communications, the sponsor (who may be a individual, a for-profit company, or a not-for-profit organization) must first establish the objectives of the communication, then select the appropriate audiences for the message and the appropriate media through which to reach them, and then design (encode) the message in a manner that is appropriate to each medium and to each audience.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar39An ad portraying nonverbal, symbolic communications (in form of hand gestures) in three cultures

EgyptBe patientItalyWhat exactly do you mean?GreeceThats just perfectHarleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar40Behavior theories & persuasive messagesAmong behavioral theories, the prospect theory deals with the pleasure based on change in conditions as compared to the existing conditions of consumers. (cars, housing apartments etc.)The framing theory examines a product in light of other products (toilet cleaners claiming to be superior than acid-based cleaners)The recovery theory highlights the undue weightage given to recent experiences (the degree of loyalty of consumers associated with modern coffee outlets and modern retail formats in urban markets can be associated with the recency theory)Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar41Message Characteristics

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar42Message structure & presentationResonanceMessage framingOne-sided versus two-sided messagesOrder effectsHarleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar43Message structure & presentation contd.Resonance - Advertising resonance is wordplay, often consisting of a humorous double meaning, and usually accomplished by a relevant picture.By using resonance in ads, marketers hope to increase the chances that consumers will notice their ads, remember them and view them favorably.

Message Framing - Messages might be framed in two ways-Stressing on benefits to be gained by using a specific product (positive message framing) Stressing on benefits to be lost by not using the product (negative message framing)

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar44Wordplay in advertising

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar45Message structure & presentation contd.One-sided versus Two-sided messages One-sided messages (supportive) stress only positive factors about their products & pretend that competition does not exist.

For many products, specially when audience is well educated, or if it is likely to hear opposing claims, then a two-sided (refutational) messages are likely to be more effective.

The credibility of an advertised claim can often be enhanced by actually disclaiming superiority of some product features in relation to a competing brand or by not claiming that the product is a universal cure.Ads of anti-dandruff shampoo, disinfecting floor cleaners, dettol

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar46Two sided messagesListerine Listerine tastes bad twice a dayHeinzHeinz Ketchup is slow good

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar47Message structure & presentation contd.Order effects When should the commercial be presented?The order in which a message is presented affects audience receptivity. Some researchers have found that the material presented first produces a greater effect (primacy effect), whereas others have found that the material presented last is more effective (recency effect).Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar48Persuasive Capabilities & Limitations Of Major Medias:Characteristics of the medium

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar494. Characteristics of the medium contd.






Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar55Advertising appealsComparative AdvertisingFearHumorAbrasive AdvertisingSex in AdvertisingAudience ParticipationTimely AdvertisingCelebritiesHarleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar56GroupsGroup 1- Roll No. 1-5Group 2 - Roll No. 6-10Group 3-Roll No. 11-15Group 4-Roll No. 16-20Group 5-Roll No. 21-24Group 6-Roll No. 25-28Group 7-Roll No. 29-32Group 8-Roll No. 33-36

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar57Advertising appeals contd.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar58Comparative AdvertisingComparative advertising is a widely used marketing strategy in which a marketer claims product superiority for its brand over one or more explicitly named or implicitly identified competitors, either on an overall basis or on selected product attributed. Comparative advertising is useful for product positioning, for target market selection, and for brand positioning strategies.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar59FearFear is an effective appeal used in marketing communications. Some researchers have found a negative relationship between the intensity of fear appeals and their ability to persuade, so that strong fear appeals tend to be less effective than mild fear appeals. Strong fear appeals concerning a highly relevant topic (such as cigarette smoking) cause the individual to experience cognitive dissonance, which is resolved either by rejecting the practice or by rejecting the unwelcome information. Marketers must also consider that the mention of possible detrimental effects of using a product while proclaiming its benefits may result in negative attitudes towards the product itself.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar60HumorMany marketers use humorous appeals in the belief that humor will increase the acceptance and persuasiveness of their advertising communications.Impact of Humor on Advertising:Humor attracts attention.Humor does not harm comprehension.Humor does not enhance source credibility.Humor enhances liking.Humor that is relevant to the product is superior to humor that is unrelated to the product.Audience demographic factors affect the response to humorous advertising appeals.The nature of the product affects the appropriateness of a humorous treatment.Humor is more effective with existing products than with new products.Humor is more appropriate for low-involvement products and feeling-oriented products than for high-involvement products.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar61Abrasive AdvertisingHow effective can unpleasant or annoying ads are? Studies of the sleeper effect, suggest that that memory of an unpleasant commercial that antagonizes listeners or viewers may dissipate over time, leaving only the brand name in the minds of consumers. All of us have at one time or another been repelled by so-called agony commercials.

The Sleeper Affect - Both positive and negative credibility effects tend to disappear after a period of time.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar62Sex in AdvertisingSensual advertising is used by marketers to provoke attention with suggestive illustrations, crude language, and nudity in an efforts to appear contemporary.Calvin Klein, cologne, Cosmo, Maxim

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar63Audience ParticipationThe provision of feedback changes the communications process from one way to two way communication. This is important to senders because it enables them to determine whether and how well communication has taken place. But feedback also is important to receivers because it enables then to participate, to be involved, to experience in some way the message itself.

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar64Timely Advertising

Related to current events - festivals, sports, season, etc.Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar65CelebritiesTies product image to famous personMJ & Jackie Chan for Hanes

Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar66Feedback The Receivers ResponseIt is essential for the sender to obtain communication feedback as promptly and as accurately as possible. Only though feedback can the sender determines whether and how well the message has been received.

An important advantage of interpersonal communication is the ability to obtain immediate feedback through verbal as well as nonverbal cues. Experienced speakers are very attentive to feedback and constantly modify their messages based on what they see and hear from the audience. Immediate feedback is the factor that makes personal selling so effective.Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar67Feedback The Receivers Response contd.Obtaining feedback is an important in impersonal (mass) communications as it is in interpersonal communications. Indeed, because of the high costs of advertising space ad time in mass media, many marketers consider impersonal communication feedback to be even more essential. Unlike interpersonal communications feedback, mass communications feedback is rarely direct; instead, it is usually inferred. Senders infer how persuasive their messages are from the resulting action (or inaction) of the targeted audience.Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar68Feedback determines the messages effectivenessIn evaluating the impact of their advertising messages, marketers must measure their exposure effects (how many consumers were exposed to the message?)Persuasion effects (was the message received, understood and interpreted correctly)Sales effects (did the ad increase sales)Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar69Media & Message exposure messageThese measures assess how many consumers received the message and construct a profile of those who received it.(the largest syndicated company that collects such data and sells it to advertisers and other organizations in Nielsen)The tools used to monitor the total media exposure are portable people meters (small, GPS enable devices)Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar70Message attention, interpretation & recall measuresPhysiological measures track bodily responses to stimuli (eye tracking, brain wave analysis, facial electromyography Facial EMG)

Attitudinal measures gauge consumers cognitive responses to messages, including their levels of involvement with the message. (theatre tests viewers use dials to indicate their level of interests for an ad, Likert scale, recall & recognition measures such as day-after recall tests)Harleen Sahni, Assistant Professor, NIFT Gandhinagar71

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12 Communication & Persuasion Readonly