Attitude Change and Interactive Communications

Chapter 8

Changing Attitudes
Persuasion: effectiveness of marketing communications to change attitudes
Reciprocity Scarcity Authority Consistency Liking Consensus
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Tactical Communications Options

Who will be source of message? How should message be constructed? What media will transmit message? What target market characteristics will influence ads acceptance?

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Communication Model

Figure 8.1
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Interactive Communications
The traditional communications model doesnt tell the whole story
Consumers have many more choices available and greater control to process messages Permission marketing Frankfurt School theorists

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Uses and Gratifications Theory

Consumers are active, goal-directed, and draw on mass media to satisfy needs Media compete with other sources of entertainment and information
Advertising = entertainment, escaping, play, self-affirmation
Media play both positive and negative role

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Updated Communications Model

Consumers are now proactive in communications process
VCRs, DVRs, video-on-demand, pay-per-view TV, Caller ID, Internet

Figure 8.2
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New Message Formats

M-commerce
Worldwide revenue will reach $39 billion in 2007!

Blogging
Moblogging Video blogging (vlogging) Podcasting RSS (Really Simple Sydication) Flogs (fake blogs)
Discussion: Are flogs ethical?
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Interactive Response Levels

Response can be more than just a purchase/transaction
First-order response: transaction (sales data) Second-order response: nontransaction customer feedback

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The Source
Source effects: the same words by different people can have very different meanings
Source credibility Source attractiveness

Match between consumers needs and offered rewards of source Match between source and type of product
Experts for utilitarian products Celebrities for social risk/impression products Typical consumers for everyday/low-risk products
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Source Credibility
A sources perceived expertise, objectivity, or trustworthiness
Consumers beliefs that communicator is competent and provides competitor information

Credible source is persuasive when consumer has no formed opinion about product Endorsement contract = large profits
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Sleeper Effect
Over time, disliked sources can still get a message across effectively
We forget about negative source while changing our attitudes

Explanations
Dissociative cue hypothesis Availability-valence hypothesis

Discussion: Theres a saying in public relations that any publicity is good publicity. Do you agree?
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Building Credibility
Relevant qualifications of source to the product can enhance credibility of message

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Source Biases
Consumer beliefs about product can be weakened by a source perceived to be biased
Knowledge bias Reporting bias (hired gun)
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Hype vs. Buzz

Corporate paradox
Table 8.1

Hype Advertising Overt Corporate Fake Skepticism

Buzz Word-of-mouth Covert Grass-roots Authentic Credibility

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Hype vs. Buzz (Contd)

Stealth buzz building

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

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Source Attractiveness
Perceived social value of source
Physical appearance Personality Social status Similarity

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What Is Beautiful Is Good

Halo effect
Good-looking people are thought to be smarter, cooler, and happier Consistency principle

Physically attractive source leads to attitude change

Directs attention to marketing stimuli (ads with attractive models) Beauty = source of information (especially for attractivenessrelevant products)
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Star Power
Celebrities as communications sources
Tiger Woods ~$62 million/year in endorsements! Famous faces capture attention and are processed more efficiently by the brain Enhance company images and brand attitudes

Celebrities embody cultural and product meanings Q-Score for celebrity endorsers AMERICAN STARS Match-up hypothesis
IN JAPANESE ADS!
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Discussion
Many, many companies rely on celebrity endorsers as communications sources to persuade. Especially when targeting younger people, these spokespeople often are cool musicians, athletes, or movie stars
In your opinion, who would be the most effective celebrity endorser today, and why? Who would be the least effective, and why?
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Nonhuman Endorsers
Often, celebrities motives are suspect as endorsers of mismatched products Thus, marketers seek alternative endorsers:
Cartoon characters Mascots/animals Avatars
Virtualstars

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The Message
Positive and negative effects of elements in TV commercials
Most important feature: stressing unique product attribute/benefit
Table 8.2 (Abridged) Positive Effects Showing convenience of use Showing new product/improved features Casting background (i.e., people are incidental to message) Negative Effects Extensive information on components, ingredients, nutrition Outdoor setting (message gets lost) Large number of onscreen characters

Indirect comparison to other products Graphic displays

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The Message (Contd)

Selected message issues facing a marketer (full list on p. 280)
Message: Is it conveyed in words or pictures? How often should message be repeated? Should it draw an explicit conclusion? Should it show both sides of argument? Should it explicitly compare product to competitors?
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Sending the Message

Visual vs. verbal communication of message
Visual images: big emotional impact Verbal message: high-involvement situations
Factual information More effective when reinforced by a framed picture Require more frequent exposures (due to decay)

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Dual Component of Brand Attitudes

Figure 8.3

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Vividness
Powerful description/graphics command attention and are strongly embedded in memory
Active mental imagery (vs. abstract stimuli)

Concrete discussion of product attribute

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Two-Factor Theory
Repetition can be a double-edged sword
Mere exposure phenomenon vs. habituation

Figure 8.4
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One- vs. Two-sided Arguments

One-sided: supportive arguments Two-sided: both positive and negative information
Refutational arguments increase source credibility by reducing reporting bias Positive attributes should refute presented negative attributes Effective with well-educated and not-yet-loyal audiences
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Drawing Conclusions
Should argument draw an explicit conclusion for consumer?
Yesif argument is hard to follow or consumers motivation is lacking Noif message is personally relevant

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Comparative Advertising
Message compares two+ recognizable brands on specific attributes
New OcuClear relieves three times longer than Visine

Butconfrontational approach can result in source derogation Effective for a new product that:
Does not merely say it is better than leading brand Does not compare itself to an obviously superior competitor

Discuss some conditions in which it would be advisable to use a comparative advertising strategy

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Emotional vs. Rational Appeals

Appeal to the head or to the heart? Many companies use an emotional strategy when consumers do not find differences among brands
Especially brands in well-established, mature categories (e.g., cars and greeting cards)

Recall of ad contents tends to be better for thinking ads

Although conventional ad effectiveness measures may not be entirely valid to assess emotional ads
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Sex Appeals
The prevalence of sexual appeals varies from country to country Nudity/undressed models in print ads generates negative feelings/tension among same-sex consumers Erotic ad content draws attention, but strong sexual ad imagery may make consumers less likely to:
Buy a product (unless product is related to sex) Process and recall ads content
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Discussion
Think of ads that rely on sex appeal to sell products
How often are benefits of the actual product communicated to the reader?

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Humorous Appeals
Specific cultures have different senses of humor Overall, humorous ads do get attention
Funny ad as source of distraction Inhibits counterarguing, thus increasing message acceptance
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Humorous Appeals (Contd)

Humor is more effective when it:
Doesnt swamp message of clearly defined brand Doesnt make fun of potential consumer Is appropriate to products image

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Fear Appeals
Emphasize negative consequences that can occur unless consumer changes behavior/ attitude Fear is common in advertising (especially in social marketing) Most effective:
Moderate threat Presented solution to problem Highly credible source
THETRUTH.COM

Not all threats are equally effective at inducing a fear response

The strongest threats are not always the most persuasive
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Message as Art Form

Marketers as storytellers (allegory)
Using literary devices to communicate product benefits/meanings

Metaphor (A is B) Similie (A is like B) Resonance: play on words with picture

Pepsi ad: This year, hit the beach topless with a Pepsi bottle cap lying on the sand (see Table 8.3 for full list of examples)
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Discussion
Think of examples of ads that rely on the use of metaphors or resonance
Do you feel these ads are effective? If you were marketing the products, would you feel more comfortable with ads that use a more straightforward, hard-sell approach? Why or why not?

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Forms of Story Presentation

Commercials as a lecture vs. a drama
Lecture is an attempt at persuasion Drama is similar to play or movie
Draws viewer into action or emotional response (transformational advertising)

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Source vs. Message

What is said, how its said, and who says it
Which aspect has most impact on consumer attitudes?
The answer seems to be related to variations in a consumers level of involvement

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ELM
Receiver will follow one of two routes to persuasion

Figure 8.5

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ELM: Steak or Sizzle?

ELM research indicates that relative effectiveness of a strong message and favorable source depends on consumers level of involvement with advertised product
Highly involved consumers look for steak
Strong message arguments

Those less involved look for sizzle

Packaging colors/images, celebrity endorsers
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