1. Common Persuasive Techniques
How does the media persuade you to believe in or buy their product?

2. Advertising strategies
Advertising executives (those people who create your favorite advertisements) use a variety of propaganda techniques.
Propaganda: techniques used by advertisers and politicians to influence the way people think or act (voting, buying, etc.)

3. Peer Pressure
Ordinary people or celebrities are used to tell you to buy this product. Everybody’s using it or it will make you better is often the reasoning for this technique.
Closely related to “bandwagon” and “testimonial”
EXAMPLE:
“Did you miss Jimmy’s text message on Friday night? You were left out because you don’t have an iPhone.”
Other products?

4. Bandwagon “Everyone else is buying it. So why aren’t you?”
You are urged to believe something because everyone else does.
This technique preys on our need for acceptance and conformity.
Ordinary people are used the majority of the time in this technique.
EXAMPLE:
“Be where the action is. Shop at Hang-out mall!”
What products can you think of?

5. Persuasive appeals
Appeals to logic (LOGOS): arguments that emphasize reason and clear thinking. Evidence such as statistics, examples, and true stories is used.
Appeals to emotion (PATHOS): arguments that stir the audience’s feelings
Appeals to credibility (ETHOS): arguments that ask the audience to believe in the person speaking and what he/she is saying (ethics and credibility)

6. Transfer “United we stand. Buy our cars.”
This technique uses a picture of something positive (American flag, eagle, walking on a beach, etc.) and places it next to the product. Your positive feelings become associated with that product.
Products?

7. Testimonial “Mr. Big uses this product, and just look where he is.”
Famous people and experts are often used, although some products use an “average” person who “testifies” about how great a product is.
Products?
Gatorade
Nike
Cover Girl

8. Loaded Words
This technique uses words that are emotionally charged and make you want to buy this product.
How do these words work? Why do they appeal to you as consumers?
What words can you think of?
Other products?

9. Repetition
This is the art of repeating words which focus on one aspect of a product to make it sound more desirable.
Cell phones and free minutes…
Others?
Repetition can also be used with “loaded words”
Save, Save, Save
Free! Free! Free!
Others?

10. Random Vocab.
Slogans: catchy phrases that become associated with certain products due to exposure.
Logo: a symbol that is associated with any given product.
Jingle: catchy tunes (songs with lyrics) that are repeated over and over with the result of becoming associated with a certain product.

11. Random vocab. (cont.)
Faulty reasoning: false assumptions or generalizations based on too little evidence
Relevance: is the information provided relevant to the product? Does the information provided have anything to do with the product?

12. Reminders #1 RULE: IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE!
These techniques don’t occur in isolation; many times the media uses a variety of techniques in the same commercial.
For example:
Medicine: transfer and loaded words
Gatorade: bandwagon and celebrity endorsement
Cover Girl: celebrity endorsement and peer pressure