Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter 9
Persuasion
Persuasion is part of the dominant view of
Public Relations as being about persuasive communications on behalf of clients. Persuasion can be used to:
change or neutralize hostile opinions crystallize latent (or already existing positive) opinions and positive attitudes conserve favorable opinions
Make/Save Money Save Time Avoid Effort More Comfort Better Health Cleaner Escape Pain Gain Praise Be Popular Be Loved/Accepted
Keep Possessions Protect Family/Reputation Be Stylish Have Beautiful Things Satisfy Appetite Be Like Others Avoid Trouble/Criticism Be an Individual Be Safe/Secure Make Work Easier
Drama helps create interest Statistics stats impress Surveys and Polls like
stats, can impress but people should read the fine print
people. Use of numbers can convey objectivity, size, and importance in a credible way that can influence public opinion and engage an audience
Testimonials using
Emotional Appeals
celebrity endorsers or victims/survivors can humanize message Endorsements credibility through third party endorsements (can be, for example, doctors, celebrities, national organizations, or media through editorials) fundraising letters or commercials from nonprofit groups use this persuasive device a lot
Research on Persuasion
Positive appeals are generally more effective than negative appeals
for message retention and compliance. Radio and TV messages tend to be more persuasive than print, but if the message is complex, better comprehension is achieved through the print media. Strong emotional appeals and fear arousal are most effective when the audience has minimal concern about or interest in the topic. Logical appeals, using facts and figures, are better for highly educated, sophisticated audiences than strong emotional appeals. Self-interest can be a strong motivator. A celebrity or attractive model is most effective when the audience has low involvement, the theme is simple, and broadcast channels are used. An exciting spokesperson can attract attention to a message that may otherwise be ignored.
Propaganda Techniques
Advertising and public
relations messages for commercial purposes do use several techniques commonly associated with propaganda These techniques have interesting, colorful names such as:
Ethical Concerns
A student of public relations should be
aware of propaganda techniques to make certain that he or she doesnt intentionally use them to deceive or mislead the public. Ethical responsibilities exist in every form of persuasive communication.
(see Ethics of Persuasion bullet points, page 241) ###