COMMUNICATION

&
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

INTRODUCTION
COMMUNICATION IS THE LINK BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY.
COMMUNICATION IS THE TOOL THAT MARKETERS USE TO PERSUADE
CONSUMERS TO ACT IN A DESIRED WAY.
COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION
MOST MARKETERS WOULD AGREE THAT COMMUNICATION IS THE
TRANSMISSION OF A MESSAGE FROM A SENDER TO A RECEIVER VIA A
MEDIUM (OR CHANNEL) OF TRANSMISSION.
AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT IS FEEDBACK, WHICH ALERTS THE
SENDER AS TO WHETHER THE INTENDED MESSAGE WAS, IN FACT,
RECEIVED.

THE SENDER
THE SENDER IS THE INITIATOR OF THE COMMUNICATION AND CAN BE A
FORMAL OR INFORMAL SOURCE.
A FORMAL COMMUNICATIONS SOURCE MIGHT BE THE ORGANIZATION
COMMUNICATING THE MESSAGE.
AN INFORMAL SOURCE MIGHT BE A PARENT OR A FRIEND WHO GIVES
PRODUCT INFORMATION OR ADVICE.
INFORMAL WORD-OF-MOUTH COMMUNICATION TENDS TO BE HIGHLY
PERSUASIVE.
THE RECEIVER
THE RECEIVER IS THE TARGETED PROSPECT OR A CUSTOMER THERE
ARE ALSO INTERMEDIARY AUDIENCES FOR A MESSAGE, SUCH AS
WHOLESALERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AND RETAILERS WHO RECEIVE TRADE.

THE MEDIUM
THE MEDIUM IS THE CHANNEL OR WAY THE MESSAGE IS
COMMUNICATED.
IT CAN BE AN IMPERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS CHANNEL, SUCH AS A
MASS MEDIUM LIKE A NEWSPAPER OR TELEVISION PROGRAM.
IT CAN BE AN INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS CHANNEL A
FORMAL CONVERSATION BETWEEN A SALESPERSON AND A CUSTOMER.
MASS MEDIA ARE GENERALLY CLASSIFIED AS PRINT (E.G.,
NEWSPAPERS), BROADCAST (RADIO, TELEVISION), OR ELECTRONIC
(THE INTERNET).
DIRECT MARKETERSOFTEN CALLED DATABASE MARKETERSSEEK
RESPONSES FROM ADVERTISEMENTS THEY HAVE PLACED IN ALL THE
MASS MEDIA AND DIRECT MAIL.

DESIGNING PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY
THE SPONSOR MUST FIRST ESTABLISH THE PRIMARY
COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVES, WHICH MIGHT BE :
AWARENESS,
PROMOTING SALES,
ENCOURAGING CERTAIN PRACTICES, ETC.
COGNITIVE MODELS HAVE BEEN USED TO DESCRIBE THE
COMMUNICATIONS PROCESS.
TODAY, OTHER MODELS ARE GAINING POPULARITY. FOR EXAMPLE
A MODEL BASED ON PERCEPTION, EXPERIENCE, AND MEMORY.

TARGET AUDIENCE
SELECTION OF THE APPROPRIATE AUDIENCE IS KEY.
THE SPONSOR SHOULD SEGMENT THE AUDIENCE INTO
HOMOGENEOUS GROUPS WITH SOME RELEVANT
CHARACTERISTIC.
THIS ENABLES THE MARKETER TO CREATE SPECIFIC MESSAGES
FOR EACH TARGET GROUP AND RUN THEM IN SPECIFIC MEDIA
THAT ARE SEEN OR HEARD BY EACH TARGET GROUP.
THERE IS A NEED FOR AN UMBRELLA MESSAGE FOR ALL AUDIENCES
FROM WHICH THEY SPIN OFF SPECIFIC MESSAGES FOR TARGETED
SEGMENTS.

MEDIA STRATEGY

FIRST, THE SPONSOR SHOULD DEVELOP A CONSUMER PROFILE OF THE

TARGET MARKET.
NEXT, A MEDIUM WITH AN APPROPRIATE AUDIENCE PROFILE NEEDS TO
BE SELECTED.
BEFORE SELECTING A SPECIFIC MEDIUM, THE ADVERTISER NEEDS TO
SELECT A GENERAL MEDIA CATEGORY THAT WILL ENHANCE THE
MESSAGE.
THEY CAN THEN CHOOSE THE SPECIFIC MEDIUM (OR MEDIA) IN THAT
CATEGORY THAT REACHES THEIR INTENDED AUDIENCES.

MESSAGE STRATEGIES
THE MESSAGE IS THE THOUGHT, IDEA, ATTITUDE, IMAGE, OR OTHER
INFORMATION THAT THE SENDER WISHES TO CONVEY TO THE INTENDED
AUDIENCE.
SENDERS MUST RECOGNIZE :
-WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO SAY
-THEIR AUDIENCES CHARACTERISTICS
-SO THEY CAN ENCODE THE MESSAGE APPROPRIATELY.
USE THE ELABORATION LIKELIHOOD MODEL (ELM) --THAT, FOR HIGHINVOLVEMENT PRODUCTS, FOLLOW THE CENTRAL ROUTE TO
PERSUASION; -- PRESENT ADVERTISEMENTS WITH STRONG, WELLDOCUMENTED, ARGUMENTS THAT ENCOURAGES COGNITIVE
PROCESSING.
WHEN INVOLVEMENT IS LOW, PROVIDE THE CONSUMER WITH PLEASANT,
INDIRECT ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE PRODUCT USING PERIPHERAL ROUTE
TO PERSUASION.

MESSAGE FRAMING SHOULD A MARKETER STRESS THE BENEFITS

TO BE GAINED BY USING A SPECIFIC PRODUCT (POSITIVE MESSAGE
FRAMING),
THE BENEFITS TO BE LOST BY NOT USING THE PRODUCT (NEGATIVE
MESSAGE FRAMING)
1.THE APPROPRIATE MESSAGE FRAMING DECISION DEPENDS ON :
-THE CONSUMERS ATTITUDES
-CHARACTERISTICS
-THE PRODUCT ITSELF.
ONE-SIDED MESSAGES
TELL CONSUMERS ONLY THE GOOD POINTS (BENEFITS).
MOST EFFECTIVELY USED :
-IF THE AUDIENCE IS FRIENDLY,
-IF IT INITIALLY FAVORS THE COMMUNICATORS POSITION, OR
-IF IT IS NOT LIKELY TO HEAR AN OPPOSING ARGUMENT.

TWO-SIDED MESSAGES
TELL CONSUMERS BOTH GOOD (BENEFITS) AND
BAD (DISADVANTAGES) POINTS OF THE PRODUCT.
-MOST EFFECTIVELY USED WHEN THE TARGET AUDIENCE IS
CRITICAL OR
-IF IT IS WELL EDUCATED, OR
-IF IT IS LIKELY TO HEAR OPPOSING CLAIMS.
COMPARATIVE ADVERTISING
CLAIMS PRODUCT SUPERIORITY OVER ONE OR MORE IDENTIFIED
COMPETITORS, EITHER ON AN OVERALL BASIS OR ON SELECTED
PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES.

1.COMPARATIVE ADVERTISING IS USEFUL IN :

-PRODUCT POSITIONING,
-TARGET MARKET SELECTION, AND
-BRAND POSITIONING STRATEGIES.
2.A DOWNSIDE TO COMPARATIVE ADS MAY BE THAT THEY ASSIST
RECALL OF THE COMPETITORS BRAND AT THE EXPENSE OF THE
ADVERTISED BRAND.
3.POSITIVESIDE
-AdS ARE FOUND TO ELICIT HIGHER LEVELS OF COGNITIVE
PROCESSING ACTIVITY (HIGH-INVOLVEMENT),
-BETTER RECALL THAN NONCOMPARATIVE ADS
-PERCEIVED AS MORE RELEVANT.

ORDER EFFECTS
THE ORDER IN WHICH A MESSAGE IS PRESENTED AFFECTS
AUDIENCE RECEPTIVITY.
1.ON TELEVISION, THE POSITION OF A COMMERCIAL IN A
COMMERCIAL POD CAN BE CRITICAL.
2.THE COMMERCIALS SHOWN FIRST ARE RECALLED BEST, THOSE
IN THE MIDDLE THE LEAST.
3.MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS RECOGNIZE THE IMPACT OF ORDER
EFFECTS BY PRICING MORE FOR ADS ON THE FRONT, BACK, AND
INSIDE COVERS OF MAGAZINES THAN FOR THE INSIDE MAGAZINE
PAGES, BECAUSE OF THEIR GREATER VISIBILITY AND RECALL.

1.ORDER IS ALSO IMPORTANT IN LISTING PRODUCT BENEFITS

WITHIN AN AD.
2.IF AUDIENCE INTEREST IS LOW, THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT
SHOULD BE MADE FIRST TO ATTRACT ATTENTION.
3.IF INTEREST IS HIGH, PRODUCT BENEFITS CAN BE ARRANGED IN
ASCENDING

ORDER,

WITH

THE

MOST

IMPORTANT

POINT

MENTIONED LAST.
4.WHEN BOTH FAVORABLE INFORMATION AND UNFAVORABLE
INFORMATION ARE TO BE PRESENTED (E.G., IN AN ANNUAL
STOCKHOLDERS REPORT), PLACING THE FAVORABLE MATERIAL
FIRST

OFTEN

PRODUCES

UNFAVORABLE NEWS.

GREATER

TOLERANCE

FOR

THE

REPETITION IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN LEARNING.

REPETITION, OR FREQUENCY OF THE AD AFFECTS :
PERSUASION,
AD RECALL,
BRAND NAME RECALL, AND
BRAND PREFERENCES.
MULTIPLE MESSAGE EXPOSURES
GIVES CONSUMERS MORE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERNALIZE :
-PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES,
-TO DEVELOP STRONGER ASSOCIATIONS
-MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDES, AND
-INCREASED WILLINGNESS TO RESIST COMPETITIVE COUNTERPERSUASION EFFORTS.

ADVERTISING APPEALS
FACTUAL AND EMOTIONAL APPEAL EFFECTIVENESS VARIES WITH
THE CIRCUMSTANCE AND THE AUDIENCE.
1.REASONING APPEALS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE IN PERSUADING
EDUCATED AUDIENCES.
2.EMOTIONAL APPEALS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE IN PERSUADING
LESS EDUCATED AUDIENCES.
FEAR IS AN EFFECTIVE APPEAL
1.SOME RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND A NEGATIVE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE INTENSITY OF FEAR APPEALS AND THEIR ABILITY TO
PERSUADE.
2.STRONG FEAR APPEALS TEND TO BE LESS EFFECTIVE THAN MILD
FEAR APPEALS.

1. THERE IS NO SINGLE EXPLANATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN FEAR APPEALS AND PERSUASIVENESS.
2. MARKETERS MUST ALSO CONSIDER THAT THE MENTION OF
POSSIBLE DETRIMENTAL SIDE EFFECTS OF USING A PRODUCT
WHILE PROCLAIMING ITS BENEFITS MAY RESULT IN NEGATIVE
ATTITUDES TOWARD THE PRODUCT ITSELF.
HUMOR
A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF ADS USE HUMOR BECAUSE MARKETERS
BELIEVE IT INCREASES THE ACCEPTANCE AND PERSUASIVENESS OF
THE COMMUNICATION
SHOULD BE USED SELECTIVELY
-BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY QUALIFYING CONDITIONS TO
ITS EFFECTIVENESS.
-AUDIENCE CHARACTERISTICS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.

ABRASIVE ADVERTISING
THEY WORK BECAUSE OF THE SLEEPER EFFECT, AS ONLY THE BRAND
NAME AND THE PERSUASIVE MESSAGE ARE RETAINED OVER TIME.
1.ALL OF US HAVE AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER BEEN REPELLED BY
SO-CALLED

AGONY

DIAGRAMMATIC

DETAIL

COMMERCIALS,
OF

THE

WHICH

INTESTINAL

DEPICT

IN

EFFECTS

OF

HEARTBURN, INDIGESTION, CLOGGED SINUS CAVITIES, HAMMERINDUCED HEADACHES, AND THE LIKE.
NEVERTHELESS, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES OFTEN RUN SUCH
COMMERCIALS WITH GREAT SUCCESS BECAUSE THEY APPEAL TO
A CERTAIN SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION THAT SUFFERS FROM
AILMENTS HAVING LITTLE SYMPATHY FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

SEX IN ADVERTISING
SENSUAL ADVERTISING IS BEING EXTENSIVELY USED IN PRINT MEDIA
AND THE AIRWAVES.
A STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF SEXUAL ADVERTISING
APPEALS ON COGNITIVE PROCESSING AND COMMUNICATION
EFFECTIVENESS FOUND THAT :
SEXUAL APPEALS INTERFERE WITH MESSAGE COMPREHENSION,
PARTICULARLY WHEN THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL INFORMATION TO BE
PROCESSED.
IT IS FOUND THAT :
-MORE PRODUCT-RELATED THINKING OCCURS IN RESPONSE TO
NONSEXUAL APPEALS
-VISUAL SEXUAL ELEMENTS IN THE AD ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE
PROCESSED THAN THE VERBAL CONTENT DRAWING COGNITIVE
PROCESSING AWAY FROM PRODUCT OR MESSAGE EVALUATION.

1.THESE AND OTHER FINDINGS SUPPORT THE THEORY THAT SEXUAL

ADVERTISING APPEALS OFTEN DETRACT FROM THE PROCESSING
OF MESSAGE CONTENT.
2.THERE ARE STRONG INDICATIONS THAT THE TYPE OF INTEREST
THAT SEX EVOKES OFTEN STOPS EXACTLY WHERE IT STARTED
WITH SEX.
3.IF SEX IS IRELEVANT TO THE PRODUCT IT HAS LITTLE IMPACT ON
THE CONSUMER
4.THE ADVERTISER MAY BE GIVING UP PERSUASIVENESS TO
ACHIEVE STOPPING POWER.
5.THE ADVERTISER MUST BE SURE THAT THE PRODUCT, THE AD, THE
TARGET AUDIENCE, AND THE USE OF SEXUAL THEMES AND
ELEMENTS ALL WORK TOGETHER.
6.WHEN SEX IS RELEVANT TO THE PRODUCT (PERFUMES), IT CAN BE
EXTREMELY POTENT COPY THEME.

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
THE PROVISION OF FEEDBACK.
1.THIS IS IMPORTANT TO SENDERS, BECAUSE IT ENABLES THEM TO
DETERMINE WHETHER AND HOW WELL COMMUNICATION HAS
TAKEN PLACE.
IT ALSO IS IMPORTANT TO RECEIVERS, BECAUSE IT ENABLES THEM
TO PARTICIPATE, TO BE INVOLVED, TO EXPERIENCE IN SOME WAY
THE MESSAGE ITSELF. IT REINFORCES THE MESSAGE TO THE
RECEIVERS.

MARKETING COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS

THE KEYS TO EFFECTIVE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS ARE
DEVELOPING THE RIGHT PERSUASIVE MESSAGE
DELIVERING IT TO THE RIGHT AUDIENCE.
PRECISION TARGETING
THE CONSUMERS LOSS OF PRIVACY IS AN INCREASINGLY
PROBLEMATIC ETHICAL ISSUE
MARKETERS IDENTIFY AND REACH OUT TO INCREASINGLY
SMALLER AUDIENCES THROUGH INNOVATIVE MEDIA.
ADVERTISERS ARE INCREASINGLY ADOPTING NARROWCASTING
A TECHNIQUE TO SEND VERY DIRECTED MESSAGES TO VERY SMALL
AUDIENCES ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

NARROWCASTING IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF

SOPHISTICATED DATA PROVIDERS WHO COMPILE INDIVIDUAL PROFILES FORM
CENSUS DATA, TAX RECORDS, CREDIT CARD COMPANIES, BANKS, DIRECT MAIL
RESPONSES, SURVEYS AND PRODUCT WARRANTY CARDS COMPLETED BY CONSUMERS
AND FROM INTERNAL SALES RECORDS PROVIDED BY COMPANIES.

SOPHISTICATED ANALYSIS OF SUCH DATA ENABLES THE COMPILATION OF

EXTREMELY SPECIALIZED LISTS OF CONSUMERS.

BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS CELL PHONES OR THE GPS INTEGRATED

INTO YOUR CAR, MARKETERS CAN NOW LEARN WHERE YOU ARE.