Class 5 - The Message

Question 1

The Persuasion Knowledge Model

Answer 1

What is this ad trying to get you to do?
How is it doing it?
Do you think it would work now?

People are not passive and obedient consumers of marketing.
With experience, they build up an immunity to being persuaded.
The process by which people become more skeptical of marketing is called the “persuasion knowledge model”

Question 1

The Persuasion Likelihood Model

Answer 1

When people encounter an ad, they try to guess what the marketer is trying to get them to think, feel or believe.
Next, they think about the tactics the marketer is using to change their thoughts, feelings or beliefs.
Then, they attempt to cope with the tactics

• Not paying attention to the ad
• Discounting part of the message (e.g., “that woman isn’t real”)
• Counterarguing against the message

Question 2

What does this mean for me ?

Answer 2

The skeevy way of thinking about it…

Marketing tactics must constantly change to keep up with consumers as they become more savvy to methods of persuasion
Be aware of the ways consumers are likely to cope with your messaging, and circumvent them if possible

The less skeevy way of thinking about it…

Offer your consumer some value in your messaging so that they engage with you willingly!

Question 3

What do I want my message to do?

Answer 3

Inform

Customer—who was previously unaware of the brand—becomes aware because of MarComs.

Persuade

Persuading current and potential customers that the offering has value (i.e., fills needs in a cost-effective way)

Differentiate

Differentiate your brand and offer from other brands offering similar products, with the goal of capturing market share.

Remind & Reassure

Reassuring consumers of the value of the product (e.g., check-ins, warranty) & reminding them of the products’ value with the goal to elicit future purchase.

Question 4

Goal: Inform

Answer 4

Goal: Have more customers become aware of your brand
When: When customers are not aware your brand exists
How:
Share information about new products
Share information about updates to products
Public service announcements

Success: Increased brand awareness

Question 5

Goal: Persuade

Answer 5

Goal: Persuade customers that your product brings value
When: When customers are aware you exist but not buying
How:
Demonstrate how the product (or product category) will add value to their lives
Demonstrate that your brand aligns with consumer values
Increase desire to make a purchase
Success: Increased market size or increased market share

Question 6

Goal: Differentiate

Answer 6

Goal: Demonstrate that your brand is different from competitors
When: When you need to capture market share from competitors
How:
Compare your product to the offerings currently in the market
Success: Increased market share, pulled from competitor

Question 7

Goal: Remind & Reassure

Answer 7

Goal: Build relationships that keep consumers coming back
When: When you want to increase repurchase
How:
Abandoned cart or post-purchase follow-up emails
Content marketing
Display ads that keep the brand top of mind
Success: Increased repurchase and WOM

Question 8

MESSAGE CHARACTERISTICS

Answer 8

Message Balance
One-sided or two- sided?

Gain or Loss Frame
The stick or the carrot?

Construal Level
Seeing the forest or the trees?

Certainty
How sure are you?

Question 9

Balance - One-sided Messages :

Answer 9

What is it ? Messages that only present arguments in favor of the product and ignore counter arguments

When it is effective ?
Persuading people who are already in favor
Persuading people with low cognitive resources (busy, tired, uneducated on the topic)

Question 10

Balance -

Answer 10

What is it ? Presenting both sides of an argument such that skeptics can feel their concerns have been acknowledged before accepting the other side

When it is effective
Persuading people who are opposed or skeptical
Persuading people with high cognitive resources (e.g., focused, educated)

Question 11

Regulatory Focus :
Promotion Focus

Answer 11

What is it ? Consumer mindset aimed at obtaining positive outcomes (becoming the ideal self)

When is it effective ? If customers tend to adopt a promotion focus in your product category, message them about the benefits they can gain if they do buy

Question 12

Regulatory Focus : Prevention Focus

Answer 12

What is it ? Consumer mindset aimed at avoiding negative outcomes (fulfilling obligations)

When is it effective ? If customers tend to adopt a promotion focus in your product category, message them about the benefits they miss if they don’t buy

Question 13

Construal level : Concrete Construal

Answer 13

What is it ? Communication that is low-level and detailed (“the specifics”)

When it is effective ?
“How” topics
Familiar topics
Things that feel close in space or time
Consumers are in a bad mood

Question 14

Construal level : Abstract Construal

Answer 14

What is it ? Communication that is high-level and abstract (“the gist”)

When it is effective ?
“Why” topics
New topics
Things that feel distant in space or time
Consumers are in a good mood

Question 15

Certainty : Uncertain Language

Answer 15

What is it ? “Hedging” language that communicates the speaker isn’t sure (e.g., probably, maybe)

When it is effective ?
In general, consumers are more persuaded by speakers they see as confident.
In most situations, certain language is associated with more confidence.

Question 16

Certainty : Certain Language

Answer 16

What is it ? Language that communicates that the speaker is sure (e.g., always, everything, forever)

When it is effective ? When communicating a personal opinion, using a small amount of uncertain language may be more persuasive: ”I feel like Marketing Communications is a great class” is more persuasive than “It feels like Marketing Communications is a great class”

Question 17

Making Good Content

Answer 17

Part 1 : Storytelling
Part 2 : Authenticity
Part 3 : Humor
Part 4 : Consistency

Question 18

Part 1 : Storytelling

Answer 18

Consumers are particularly influenced by storytelling. Studies have found that ads that use storytelling engender liking for the ad, the product, and the brand.
To tell a good story in an advertisement, follow the 5 Cs.

CONTEXT: introducing the environment and providing rich details to understand place, time, social order and who the characters are. Context helps the readers/listeners/viewers develop enough stake in the story where they can see themselves in the situation and care about it.

CHARACTERS: a heroic figure, who overcomes obstacles and conflict

CONFLICT: The conflict drives the story and helps the hero achieve his/her goal.

CLIMAX: The climax is the turning point in the story, what the conflict leads up to

CONCLUSION: The result of the climax. It need not be positive but usually is in advertising.,

Question 19

Part 2 : Authenticity

Answer 19

Consumers prefer brands whose messages feel authentic
Better brand attitude
Brand seems more differentiated from competitors
Higher purchase intention
More brand loyalty
Less likely to face retaliation after a negative event

Ex : Ben&Jerry

Question 20

What is authenticity ?

Answer 20

Accuracy
The extent to which a brand is perceived as transparent and reliable in how it represents itself and its products to customers

Integrity
The extent to which a brand is perceived as being intrinsically motivated, not acting out of its own financial interests, while acting autonomously and consistently over time

Originality
The extent to which a brand stands out from mainstream offerings and does so without unnecessary embellishment

Question 21

How to act authentically ?

Answer 21

Walk the Talk
Don’t make statements that aren’t backed up by money & policy
Set measurable goals to make sure your actions make an impact

Limited & Aligned Causes
Determine what issues are most important to you & stakeholders.
Pick 1 or 2 that align with your company
Stick with them

Transparency
Be transparent about the successes and failures you have in pursuit of your objectives
Never lie to consumers

Question 22

Part 3 : Humor

Answer 22

What is humor? Benign Violation

Question 23

What ia bening violation

Answer 23

According to benign violation theory, something is funny when it is simultaneously appraised as a violation and as benign.
In other words, when something feels wrong, but not threatening.

Question 24

Types of violation

Answer 24

Violation 1 : Physical violation
Violation 2 : Social violation
Violation 3 : Cognitive violation

Question 25

Violation 1 : Physical violation

Answer 25

The most universal form of violation is the threat of physical violence.
Many forms of play and humor, in humans and animals, could be seen as physically threatening. But, when accompanied by play signals begin to be something funny or amusing.
Tickling and roughhousing come to mind easily.

Question 26

Violation 2 : Social violation

Answer 26

Identity Threat
Social Norm Threat
Moral Norm Threat

Violations can also be more social in nature. Threatening who we believe we are, and how we think society should function.

The first type of social threat is an identity threat. These are threats to who we think we are and the social group to whom we belong. They can include teasing, ethnic jokes, insult humor, and roasts.

The second type of social violation is any threat to our social norms — our ideas about how things are usually done. One of my favourite examples of this type of threat is an Instagram account that posts “useless inventions” like shoes with no soles or a beard shaving stencil that helps you look like hulk Hogan. Anything that violates the way we expect other people to act is a social violation.

Finally, some social violations are moral threats. These are threats to what we believe is good and right. A classic example, is Keith Richard’s assertion that he snorted his fathers ashes. It violations our assumptions about the moral ways to treat the dead and deal with loss.

Question 27

Violation 3 : Cognitive violation

Answer 27

Threat to Language Norm
Threat to Logic Norm

Finally, threats can be cognitive in nature.
These threats include threats to the way we use language, like puns and sarcasm.
Or they can be threats to what is logically possible in the world.

Question 28

Benign Appraisal 2: Inconsequential

Answer 28

Violations can also be appraised as benign if they are perceived as inconsequential.
Violations can be inconsequeuntial for three reasons:
First, they can be harmless. For example, this picture would be much less funny if this man was holding real guns as opposed to water guns.

Violations can also be to weakly held norms. For example, the book of Mormon is much funnier if you are not currently a member of the LDS church. For current members, the musical violates a strongly held religious belief and is therefore more offensive than funny.

Finally, violations can be inconsequential if they are psychologically distant. This book of George-bushisms is funnier if you’re a Canadian, a democrat or when he’s no longer the president.

Question 29

What are the 3 bening appraisal ?

Answer 29

Benign Appraisal 1: Play Signals

Benign Appraisal 2: Inconsequential

Harmless
Weakly Held Norm
Psychologically Distant

Benign Appraisal 3: Somehow Acceptable

Question 30

Why is humor effective ?

Answer 30

Humor can improve attention and recall for ads, but more importantly
Humor is an effective way to improve social bonds
Joking with another person is a way to signal a safe and accepting social space
Laughing at someone else’s joke signals that you like them
Feeling amused makes people seek out social connections
This generalizes to brands such that people tend to form stronger relationships with funny brands

Question 31

What types of rumor are there ?

Answer 31

Clever, self-deprecating, teasing, dirty, dry

Question 32

Clever

Answer 32

What is it :
Humor wherein the receiver makes mental connections to resolve the violation
Word-play, cultural references, ellipses
How can it help your brand?
Makes your brand seem both warmer and more competent
When not to use it
If consumers are unlikely to make mental connections

Question 33

Self-deprecating

Answer 33

What is it
Humor wherein the speaker makes fun of negative qualities about themselves
How can it help your brand?
Can make high-status / high-competence brands seem more down-to-earth
May help in service recovery
When not to use it
If you are an unknown or non-dominant brand

Question 34

Teasing

Answer 34

What is it
The speaker makes fun of negative qualities of the listener
Can be pro- or anti-social
Prosocial is teasing about non-sensitive topics, like achievements, accompanied by many play-markers
How can it help your brand?
All forms of teasing make brands seem more human (i.e., anthropomorphic)
Consumers connect with brands who use prosocial teases
When not to use it
Never use antisocial teasing

Question 35

Dirty

Answer 35

What is it
The speaker violates social taboos about appropriate topics of conversation
E.g., sex jokes, bathroom humor, sexist/racist jokes
How can it help your brand?
No research showing effective uses in brand communications
When not to use it
Never use humor that elicits a disgust response from consumers
About any social topics that may alienate an important group of consumers

Question 36

Dry

Answer 36

What is it
Saying one thing to convey the opposite
E.g., sarcasm, ironic humor
How can it help your brand?
May make your brand seem more intelligent or creative
When not to use it
Do not use sarcasm or ironic humor to put-down your competitors

Question 37

Part 4 : Consistency

Answer 37

Messages should be communicated consistently across time such that it should be clear to your customers:

Who you are
The problem you solve
How you differ from your competitors
Why people should buy your product or service