COMM 1000: Module 8 - Persuasion

In Class: Persuasion

Date: 3/23/2026

Ethos, Pathos, Logos

  • aristotle argued ethos = your credibility as a speaker, pathos = playing on peoples emotions, logos = speaking logically



Persuasion: Outcome/Proccess?

Persuasion is a process 



A working definition of persuasion: 

  • “Persuasion involves one or more persons who are engaged in the activity of creating, reinforcing, modifying, or extinguishing beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivations, and/or behaviors within the constraints of a given communication context”

               (Gass & Seiter, 2014)



How do we change behavior?


Attitude

Learned predisposition to respond favorably or unfavorably toward some attitude object


Psychological consistency

  • we seem to like consistency 


Cognitive Dissonance

  • consonant beliefs: Consistent with one another ; Example: I prioritize my health, and I eat healthy foods!

  • dissonant beliefs: Inconsistent and at odds ;  Example:  prioritize my health, but I eat unhealthy junk food.. Now what?


Compliance gaining strategies

  • Reciprocity: I’ll do this if you do that 

  • The consistency principle: but you always do this! 

  • The foot-in-the-door: a persuasion strategy where agreeing to a small, initial request increases the likelihood of complying with a larger, subsequent request

  • The door-in-the-face: offend someone with crazy request, then give the actual easier request

  • Lowballing: someone makes a small request, then after u agree, they change the terms of the deal


Persuasion in context


  • Marketing Communication

  • Advertising

  • Public Relations



Creditibility

  • Trustworthiness

  • Expertise

  • Goodwill


Improving your credibility


  • Adapt your style to your audience.

  • Emphasize similarity. Create empathy. 

  •  If you have low credibility, emphasize receiver involvement.

  • Have a credible source introduce/endorse you



Video Lecture: More on Marketing, Advertising, and PR


Marketing

The marketing mix: Customer, Cost, Convenience, Communication


  • Traditional Channels: Print, Mail, TV, and Telephone

  • Modern Marketing Strategies:

                 →  Digital Marketing: Search engines, blogs, emails, websites → engagement


                  → Social Media Marketing: Dynamic allows for feedback and input from the clientel which allows for some spontaneous content to emerge, influencer marketing for products = $


                  → Global Marketing: Globalize our messaging our content and approach a potential client base from across the entire world (involves intercultural informations)


                 → Relationship Marketing: Focus on customer happiness, retain customers we already have and they are satisfied with our products - (forging good relationships with people that already have the product and they are happy with it)


                  → Brand Management: To forge a bond between the customer and the company’s brand (create positive association with customer and specific brands - more likely to from loyalty to the brand) - such as a customer always buying Nike shoes


                  → Product Development: Creating sellable products and services requires spinning it - such as pitches (Sharktank for example)


                   → Societal Marketing: Social marketing, “green marketing” - incorporates social needs into a company’s culture, its brand, and its operation



Advertising 

One-way communication to promote products, services, and branding.

  • Typically limited to paid media (vs. owned/earned media)


- Owned media: we control a certain broadcast network or whatnot when we have access to promote things


-Earned media: what we are doing as a company that gets positive attention from press without company doing much


  • Numerous Benefits:

              → Educate Customers

              →  Show superiority of products / brands: show our stuff is better than competitors stuff

               → Promote new offerings

               → Attract new customers; keep existing customers (substiency principle)

 

  • Advertising Channels: Traditional print and broadcast; retail store ads; online;

mobile; outdoor ads; pay-per-click ads




Public Relations

Influencing, Engaging, and Building Relationships with Key Stakeholders across platforms to shape an organization’s public perception


  • Functions:

          →  Interpreting Public Opinion and Issues that can impact org.

          → Counseling management on decisions, actions, and messaging.

           → Protecting an org’s reputation.

            → Creating content to enhance the org's mission.



  • Sub-Disciplines:

→  Corporate Communications; Crisis Communications; Internal Communications; Media Relations; Events; Social Media; Speechwriting; Brand Journalism; Reputation Management