CHOICES - Advertising

Association

Association

This technique tries to link a product, service, or idea with something already liked or desired by the target audience, such as fun, pleasure, beauty, security, intimacy, success, wealth, etc. The media message doesn't make explicit claims that you'll get these things; it is implied.

Bandwagon

Many ads show lots of people using the product, implying that "everyone is doing it" (or at least, "all the cool people are doing it"). No one likes to be left out or left behind, and these ads urge us to "jump on the bandwagon." Politicians use the same technique when they say, "The American people want..." How do they know?

Glittering Generalities

This is the use of so-called "virtue words" such as civilization, democracy, freedom, science, health, beauty, and love. Persuaders use these words in the hope that we will approve and accept their statements without examining the evidence. They hope that few people will ask whether it's appropriate to invoke these concepts, while even fewer will ask what these concepts really mean.

New

We love new things and new ideas, because we tend to believe they're better than old things and old ideas.

Experts

(A type of testimonial) Scientists, doctors, professors, and other professionals often appear in advocacy, messages, lending their credibility to the product, service, or being sold. We rely on experts to advise us about the things we don't know ourselves. Sometimes plain folks can also be experts, as when a mother endorses a brand of baby powder or a construction worker endorses a treatment for sore muscles.

Denial

This technique is used to escape responsibility for something that is unpopular or controversial. It can be either direct or indirect.

Fear

This is the opposite of the association technique. It uses something dislike or feared by the intended audience (like bad breath, failure, high taxes or terrorism) to promote a "solution". Ads use fear to see us products that claim to prevent or fix the problem. Politicians and advocacy groups stoke our fears to get elected or to gain support.

Diversion

This technique changes our attention from a problem or issue by raising a separate issue, usually one where the persuader has a better chance of convincing us. It is often used to hide the part of the story not being told.

Explicit Claims

For example, some ads state the price of the product, the main ingredients, where it was made, the number of items in the package - these are explicit claims. So are scientific, measurable promises about the quality, effectiveness, or the reliability, like "works in only five minutes!" Something is "explicit" if it is directly, fully, and or clearly expressed or demonstrated. It can be surprising to learn how few ads can make explicit claims. Most of them try to persuade us in ways that cannot be proved or disproved.

Beautiful People

Using good looking models (who may also be celebrities) and to attract our attention. This technique is extremely common in ads, which also may imply (promises) and will look like the models if we use the product.

Rhetorical Questions

These are questions designed to get us to agree with the speaker. They are set up so that the "correct" answer is obvious. ("Do you want to get out of debt?" "Do you want quick relief from headache pain?" and "Should we leave our nation vulnerable to terrorist attacks?".) Used to build trust and alignment before the sales pitch.

Majority Belief

This technique is similar to the Bandwagon technique.

It works on the assumption that if most people believe something, it must be true. That's why polls and survey results are so often used to back up an argument.

Bribery

This technique tries to persuade us to buy a product by promising to give us something us, like a discount, a rebate, a coupon, or a "free gift". Sales, special offers, contests and sweepstakes are all forms of this.

Symbols

Words or images that bring to mind some larger concept, usually one with strong emotional content, such as home, family, nation, religion, gender, or lifestyle. Persuaders use the power and intensity of symbols to make their case. But symbols can have different meanings for different people. Hummer SUVs are status symbols for some people, while to others they are symbols of environmental irresponsibility.

Card stacking

No one can tell the whole story; we all tell part of the story. This technique, however, deliberately provides a false context to give a misleading impression. It "stacks the deck," selecting only favourable evidence to lead the audience to the desired conclusion.

Slippery slope

("If we let them ban smoking in restaurants because it's unhealthy, eventually they'll ban fast food, too.") This technique combines Extrapolation and Fear. Instead of predicting a positive future, it warns against a negative outcome. It argues against an idea by claiming it's just the first step down a "slippery slope" toward something the target audience opposes. It is commonly used in political debate, because it's easy to claim that a small step will lead to a result most people won't like.

Ad hominem

Latin for "against the man" this technique responds to an argument by attacking the opponent instead of addressing the argument itself. It's also called "attacking the messenger." It works on the belief that if there's something wrong or objectionable about the messenger, the message must also be wrong.

Repetition

If a message is displayed many times. Even unpleasant ads and political slogans work if they are repeated enough to pound their message into our minds

Celebrities

(A type of testimonial - the opposite of plain folks). We tend to pay attention to famous people that's why they're famous) Ads often use celebrities to call our attention by appearing in an ad, celebrities simplicity endorse the product; sometimes the endorsement is explicit.

Analogy

Comparing one situation with another. To say, "Using this soap is like a trip to the spa."

The Big Lie

According to Adolf Hitler, people are more suspicious of a small lie than a big one. The Big Lie is more than exaggeration or hype; it's telling a complete falsehood with such confidence and charisma that people believe it. Recognizing The Big Lie requires "thinking outside the box" of conventional wisdom and asking the questions other people don't ask.

Straw man

This technique builds up an illogical or deliberately damaged idea and presents it as something that one's opponent supports or represents.

Warm and Fuzzy

This technique uses sentimental images to stimulate feelings of pleasure, comfort, and delight. It may also include the use of soothing music, pleasant voices and evocative words like "cozy" or "cuddly".

Testimonials

Media messages often show people testifying about the value or quality of a product, or endorsing an idea. They can be experts, celebrities, or plain folks. We tend to believe them because they appear to be a neutral third party (a pop star, for example, not the lipstick maker, or a community member instead of the politician running for office.)

Nostalgia

This is the opposite of the New technique. Many advertisers invoke a time when life was simpler and quality was supposedly better ("like Mom used to make"). Politicians promise to bring back the "good old days" and restore "tradition." This technique works because people tend to forget the bad parts of the past, and remember the good.

Simple solution

Life is complicated. People are complex. Problems often have many causes, and they're not easy to love. These realities create anxiety for many of us. Persuaders offer relief by ignoring complexity and proposing an easy solution. Politicians claim one policy change (lower taxes, a new law, a government program) will solve big social problems. Advertisers take this strategy even further, suggesting that a deodorant, a car, or a brand of beer will make you beautiful, popular and successful.

Humor

Many ads make us laugh because it grabs out attention and its a powerful persuasion technique. When we laugh, we feel good. Advertisers make us laugh and then show us their product or logo because they're subtly trying to connect that good feeling to their product. They hope that when we see their product in a store, we'll subtly re-experience that good feeling and select their product.

Euphemism

While the Glittering generalities and Name-calling techniques arouse audiences with vivid, emotionally suggestive words, This technique tries to pacify audiences in order to make an unpleasant reality more pleasant. (E.g. "Downsizing" instead of "Layoff" and "Intensive Interrogation Techniques" instead of "Torture")

Charisma

Persuaders can be effective simply by appearing firm, bold, strong, and confident. Usually seen in political and advocacy messages.

Cause vs Correlation

While understanding true causes and true effects is important, persuaders can fool us by intentionally confusing correlation with cause. For example: Babies drink milk. Babies cry. Therefore, drinking milk makes babies cry.

Maybe

Unproven, exaggerated or outrageous claims are commonly preceded by "weasel words" such as may, might, can, could, many, often, virtually, as many as, or up to. Watch for these words if an offer seems too good to be true.

Plain folks

(A type of testimonial - the opposite of Celebrities.) This technique works because we may believe a "regular person" more than an intellectual or a highly-paid celebrity. It's often used to sell everyday products like laundry detergent because we can more easily see ourselves using the product, too. This technique strengthens the down-home, "authentic" image of products like pickup trucks and politicians.

Flattery

Politicians and advertisers sometimes speak directly to us: "You expect quality." "You work hard for a living." Sometimes ads flatter us by showing people doing stupid things, so that we'll feel smarter or superior.

Scientific evidence

This is a particular application of the Expert techniques. It uses science (charts, graphs, statistics, lab coats, etc.) to "prove" something. It often works because many people trust science and scientists. It's important to look closely at the "evidence," however, because it can be misleading.

Extrapolation

Persuaders sometimes draw huge conclusions on the basis of a few small facts.

Intensity

The language of ads is full of intensifiers, including superlatives (greatest, best, most, fastest, lowest prices), comparatives (more, better than, improved, increased, few calories), hyperbole (amazing, incredible, forever), exaggeration, and many other ways to hype the product.

Group Dynamics

We are greatly influenced by what other people think and do. We can get carried away by the potent atmosphere of live audiences, rallies, or other gatherings. This is a more intense version of the Majority belief and Bandwagon techniques.

Timing

Sometimes a media message is persuasive not because of what it says, but because of when it's delivered. This can be as simple as placing ads for flowers and candy just before Valentine's Day, or delivering a political speech right after a major news event. Sophisticated ad campaigns commonly roll out carefully-timed phases to grab our attention, stimulate desire, and generate a response.