Persuasive Techniques

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Persuasive Techniques

• How advertising influences consumers

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Virginia English SOLs

• 6.2 The student will listen critically and
  express opinions in oral presentations.
• Distinguish between fact and opinion.
• Compare and contrast viewpoints.
• Present a convincing argument.
• 7.3 The student will describe persuasive messages
  in nonprint media, including television, radio,
  and video.
• Identify persuasive technique used.
• Distinguish between fact and opinion.
• Describe how word choice conveys viewpoint.
• 8.3 The student will analyze mass media
  messages.
• Evaluate the persuasive technique being used.
• Describe the possible cause-effect relationships
  between mass media coverage and public opinion
  trends.
• Evaluate sources, including advertisements,
  editorials, and feature stories, for
  relationships between intent and factual content.

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What is persuasion?

• An attempt to change opinions and attitudes
• An attempt to change your behavior
• EX. politicians, advertisements, parents.
  friends

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Sources of Persuasion

• T.V.
• Radio
• Internet
• Magazine
• Snail mail advertisements
• People
• Billboards. And more

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Persuasion Propaganda

• Both attempt to change your thought process or
  feelings to cause a change in behavior (using a
  change in consumption of goods or services)

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Persuasion vs. Propaganda

• Propaganda is defined as the spreading of ideas,
  information, or rumor for the purpose of helping
  or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person.
• Persuasion is defined as a form of social
  influence, the act of influencing the mind by
  arguments or reasons offered, communication
  intended to induce belief or action.

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Persuasive/Propaganda Techniques

• glittering generality
• exaggeration/ overstatement
• repetition
• bandwagon/group appeal
• expert testimony/testimonial
• citing statistics
• loaded words/slanted words

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Persuasive/Propaganda Techniques

• buzz words
• transference
• name-calling
• plain folks
• emotional appeals
• something for nothing/ bargain

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Glittering Generality

• Offering general information or description that
  uses words like New! Improved! Powerful!
• Glittering generalities play to emotions without
  making any commitments or putting the speaker in
  a position where they may be challenged or
  criticized.

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Exaggeration

• Making something seem better or more important
  than it is generalizations that cant be backed
  up by facts.
• Brand X clothing makes you look 20 pounds
  lighter and 20 years younger

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Loaded Words/Slanted Words

• Words that tend to cause favorable or unfavorable
  reactions such as home and family, that you
  probably have strong feelings about.
• Loaded words like dishonest and wasteful can
  be used to attack the competition since people
  dont like dishonesty and waste.
• Carefully chosen words to evoke a particular
  feeling such as sweat vs. perspiration or
  frugal vs. cheap can influence the audience.

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Repetition

• Repeating a name, slogan or product over and over
  in the same advertisement or campaign it seems
  to become more believable the more times it is
  used.
• Hitler was a master at this game.

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Bandwagon/Group Appeal

• Convincing us to accept someone or something
  because of its popularity.
• All the kids on the block wear X brand jeans.
  Everybodys buying it and if you dont, youll be
  left out.
• Everybody elses parents are letting them go.

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Expert Testimony/Testimonial

• Famous people or someone you respect or like says
  the product is good and advertises the product.

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Citing Statistics, facts and figures

• Using tests, statistics or information that
  sounds scientific to prove that one product or
  person is better than another
• Four out of five dentists recommend brand X
  toothpaste. (How many total dentists were
  polled? Just 5?)
• Fails to give important data about the dentists,
  such as if they are paid to promote band X.

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Citing Statistics, facts and figures

• 85 of Americans polled believe this candidate
  will do a better job can they all be wrong?
  (Which Americans were polled? Her immediate
  family?)
• 200 doctors recommend brand X (but maybe 400
  doctors prefer brand Z.)

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Vague Comparisons

• Comparing a product or person to another, without
  providing the other half of the comparison.
• Brand X cleans better. (Better than what? Soot
  and dirt?)
• Candidate X the best choice. (Best for whom?
  Himself?)

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Buzz Words

• Words that have suddenly become popular with
  consumers words like pureall natural
• Advertisers may also use buzz words from a
  particular industry to suggest to the consumer
  that they are part of the in crowd.

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Transference

• Suggesting that buying product X is associated
  with positive situations, people or events.
• May feature symbols such as an American flag
• Advertisements for alcohol use pictures where
  people are having a good time, not pictures of
  drunks in an alley or people fighting or being
  taken advantage of.

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Snob Appeal /Transference

• Suggesting that association with a person or
  product can make you better than average or part
  of an elite group.
• May feature pictures of successful people in
  luxurious settings.

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Name Calling

• Calling a product or person a negative name like
  liar or using adjectives like flimsy, poor
  quality or slow when talking about the
  competition, without providing proof.

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Plain Folks

• People just like you, are buying it, so why dont
  you? Picture in the ad will feature down home
  kind of folks, like you.
• An ordinary looking family sits together at a
  table to eat brand X or play with brand Z.

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Plain Folks

• Politicians show pictures of themselves playing
  with a dog or with their children, wearing casual
  clothing.

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Emotional Appeals/ Hidden Fears

• Advertisers scare consumers into buying the
  product. They imply that something awful will
  happen if you fail to buy their product. They
  may use pictures to illustrate negative
  consequences.
• Dont let this (terrible thing) happen to you.
• OR
• Dont be embarrassed by body odor. Buy Brand X

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Emotional Appeals/ Hidden Fears

• Buy a certain toothpaste or breath mint to avoid
  rejection.
• Often advertisers prey on the insecurity of not
  knowing you have a problem that is effecting you
  in a negative manner for example Even your best
  friend wont tell you

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Emotional Appeals/ Flattery

• Appealing to consumers with flattery. For
  example an advertiser will tell consumers the
  they demonstrate good sense or wisdom if they buy
  the product.
• Brand X is the choice of the discerning shopper
• Or
• Smart shoppers choose Brand X

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Free or Bargain

• A speaker suggests that consumers can get
  something for nothing or almost nothing.

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Testimonial

• Using a famous person or an expert to convince
  consumers to buy product X or support a
  particular candidate or cause.
• Tiger Woods chooses Nike. or Got Milk?

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Consumer questions about facts

• Before buying ask yourself these questions
• Is the evidence sufficient in volume? (Is there
  enough evidence to present a strong or
  indisputable case.?)
• Is the evidence trustworthy? (Does it come from
  reliable, informed sources?)
• Is the evidence verifiable?  (Can you corroborate
  it through other sources.) 

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Consumer questions about experts

• Is the expert a current authority on the specific
  subject in question? (Tiger Woods may know golf,
  but does he know toothpaste or life insurance?)
• How is the expert viewed by their peers?  Is
  he/she respected in the field?
• Is the expert associated with reputable
  organizations?
• How free of bias is the expert?
•  

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Review Games

• Matching
• http//www.quia.com/mc/638412.html
• Advertising terms matching
• http//www.quia.com/mc/1297929.html
• Hangman
• http//www.quia.com/hm/384859.html

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Additional resources

• Read Write Think has a terrific lesson plan with
  many printable handouts at
• http//www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.
  asp?id1166
• PBS lesson plan
• http//www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonp
  lans/october01/warads/