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Consumer Behavior Today: The Communication Process and the Elaboration Likelihood Model

Learning Objective

• Explain the communication process:
  • The communication process consists of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) which outlines two distinct routes to message persuasion.

Elaboration Likelihood Model Overview

• Two Routes to Persuasion:
  1. Central Route Processing:
  • Utilizes factual messages characterized by high-quality arguments and strong evidence.
  • Effective when the audience is motivated and has the ability to process information cognitively.
  1. Peripheral Route Processing:
  • Relies on emotional appeals that create a positive feeling, for example, by making consumers feel good.
  • Effects are temporary, leading to potential forgetfulness or change due to competing messages.

Factors Influencing Elaboration Likelihood

• Motivation and Ability:
  • Consumers will engage in central route processing if:
  • They are motivated to process the message:
    • This is dependent on three factors:
    1. Message Relevance:
       • Importance of the message content to the consumer’s interests or needs.
       • Example: An engineer is motivated to process an ad for software that may advance her career, while a homemaker who uses a computer mainly for personal tasks may not be.
    2. Need for Cognition:
       • The intrinsic motivation to engage in and enjoy thinking. A consumer with a high need for cognition may process information more deeply.
       • Example: The homemaker may become motivated to process factual information if she is generally curious about computers.
    3. Purchase Responsibility:
       • Direct responsibility influences the depth of information processing. The more personal responsibility a consumer feels about making a purchase decision, the more likely they are to scrutinize relevant information.
       • Example: In an organization, an employee tasked with evaluating software will feel responsible for the decision, increasing the likelihood of central processing. In contrast, diffusion of responsibility may lead to peripheral processing where emotional appeals prevail.
  • If motivation and cognitive ability are low, peripheral processing characteristics become more effective in delivering emotional appeals.

Implications of Attitude and Cognitive Processing

• Recent research indicates:
  • People generally accept advertising appeals unless they are specifically motivated to resist perceived manipulative intents.
  • Attitude strength affects acceptance and choice; consumers with strong positive attitudes towards brands are more likely to include them in their consideration set.
  • Confidence in one's cognitive responses significantly affects advertisement effectiveness:
  • Increased confidence in positive thoughts enhances effectiveness.
  • Conversely, increased confidence in negative thoughts reduces effectiveness of the advertisement.

Lessons Learned

• Understanding Communication Effects Model:
  • Marketers need to grasp the communication effects model to anticipate target audience responses effectively.
• Setting Communication Goals:
  • Clear communication goals and objectives should frame marketing strategies.
• Hierarchy of Effects:
  • Promotions are designed to guide consumers through purchasing stages.
• Identifying Persuasion Routes:
  • Marketers must identify whether a central or peripheral route to persuasion is most suitable for meeting communication objectives.

Exercises

1. Advertisement Analysis:
   • Find three advertisements across different media (e.g., Facebook, magazine, television).
   • Discuss possible market segments for each ad based on demographic, psychographic, and geographic factors.
2. Target Consumer Response:
   • Identify the desired consumer response targeted in each advertisement, using hierarchy-of-effects models for guidance.
3. Application of ELM:
   • Discuss how the elaboration likelihood model may influence the effectiveness of ads in achieving the desired consumer response.

References

• Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). Communication and Persuasion: Central and Peripheral Routes to Attitude Change. Springer-Verlag.
• Other studies referenced include:
  1. Priester et al., 2004;
  2. Briñol et al., 2004;
  3. Sagarin et al., 2002;
  4. Petty & Krosnick, 1995.