DESIGNING PERSUASIVE

COMMUNICATIONS

COMPONENTS OF
COMMUNICATION

SENDER

MESSAGE

CHANNEL
(MEDIUM)

FEEDBACK

RECEIVER
(CONSUMER)

 COMMUNICATION PROCESS
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

DESIGNING PERSUASIVE
COMMUNICATIONS
Establish objectives of the communication
Select appropriate audience for the message
Select appropriate media through which to reach
to the audience
Design message in a manner that is appropriate
to each medium & to each audience

ESTABLISH OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMUNICATION

SELECT APPROPRIATE AUDIENCE FOR THE MESSAGE

SELECT APPROPRIATE MEDIA

THROUGH WHICH TO REACH TO THE AUDIENCE

DESIGN MESSAGE IN A MANNER

THAT IS APPROPRIATE TO EACH MEDIUM & TO EACH AUDIENCE

 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY:
Establish primary communication objectives
Decide upon model to be used: Eg: cognitive
model (message exposure
interest & desire
for the product etc)
TARGET AUDIENCE:
Essential to segment audience into homogeneous
groups
Different communication strategy for different
target groups

 MEDIA STRATEGY:
Calls for placement of ads in specific media read,
viewed or heard by each targeted audience
For this prepare consumer profile
Decide upon media category & media vehicles to
be used
MESSAGE STRATEGIES:
Sender must know what he/she is trying to say &
why
Message should be easily understandable by the
target group
Previously studied models should be considered

 MESSAGE STRUCTURE & PRESENTATION:

RESONANCE: advertising resonance is wordplay
used to create a double meaning used in
combination with a relevant picture
MESSAGE FRAMING: Positive message framing:
stress on the benefits to be gained by use of the
product. Negative message: benefits to be lost
by not using the product. The choice depends
upon
consumers
attitude,
characteristics,
product itself etc.

 ONE SIDED VS TWO SIDED MESSAGES: should

only good points about the product be told or
bad points should also be told. Decision
depends upon the level of education &
intelligence among the targeted audience
COMPARATIVE ADVERTISING: marketer claims
product superiority for its brand over one or more
explicitly
named
or
implicitly
identified
competitors either on an overall basis or on
selected product attributes. It is useful for product
positioning, brand positioning etc

 ORDER
EFFECTS:
should
commercial
be
presented first or last? Should bad news be given
first or last? Order affects audience receptivity.
Most important points should be mentioned or
displayed earlier.
REPETITION/FREQUENCY: important factor in
learning.
ADVETISING APPEAL: factual appeals or emotional
appeals. Depends on kind of audience.
Fear appeal
Humor appeal

 ABRASIVE ADVERTISING: how effective an

unpleasant or annoying ad can be? Eg: ad of
medicine to treat headache.
SEX IN ADVERTISING: advertisers sometimes
make use of suggestive illustrations, crude
language or nudity. Studies show such ads rarely
encourage actual consumption behavior.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION: ask questions & seek
opinions of audience to draw them into
discussion. Develop effective feed back system
also.