Basic Persuasion Techniques

1. Association

This persuasion technique tries to link a product, service, or idea with something already liked by the target audience, such as fun, pleasure, beauty, security, intimacy, success, wealth, etc. The media message doesn't make explicit claims that you'll get these things; the associations is implied.

Example :

The reason is : Because of advertisements from professional performing arts associations.

2. Bandwagon.

Many ads show lots of people using the product, implying that "everyone is doint it" (or at least, "all the cool people are doing it"). No one likes to be left out or left behind, and these ads urge us to "jump on the bandwagon." Politicians use the same technique when they say, "American people want..." How do they know?

Example : 

The reason is : Because the product from the image is very well known.

3. Beautiful People.

Beautiful people uses good-looking models (who may also be celebrities) to attract our attention. This technique is extremely common in ads, which may also imply (but never promise!) that we'll look like the models if we use the product.

Examples :

The reason is : Because the model of the advertisement goes into a beauty magazine.

4. Bribery.

This technique tries to persuade us to buy a product by promising to give us something else, like a discount, a rebate, a coupon, or a "free gift." Sales, special offers, contests, and sweepstakes are all forms of bribery. Unfortunately, we don't really get something for free -- part of the sales price covers the cost of the bribe.

Example : 

The reason is : Because these ads can attract the attention of consumers.

5. Celebrities.

(A type of Testimonial - the opposite of Plain folks.) We tend to pay attention to famous people. That's why they're famous! Ads often use celebrities to grab our attention. By appearing in an ad, celebrities implicity endorse a product; sometimes the endorsement is explicit. Many people know that companies pay celebrities a lot of money to appear in their ads (Nike's huge contracts with leading athletes, for example, are wll known) but this type of testimonial still seems to be effective.

Example : 

The reason is : Because the advertisement is a celebrity that is famous.

6. Experts.

(A type of Testimonial.) We rely on experts to advise us about things that we don't know ourselves. Scientists, doctors, professors and other appear in ads and advocacy messages, lending their credibility to the product, service, or idea being sold. Sometimes, "plain folks" can alos be experts, as when a mother endorses a brand of baby powder or a construction worker endorses a treatment for sore muscles.

Examples : 

The reason is : Because these advertisements are proven by experts in their fields.

7. Explicit Claims.

Something is "explicit" if it is directly, fully, and/or clearly expressed or demonstrated. For example, some ads state the price of a product, the main ingredients, where it was made, or the number of items in the package -- these are explicit claims. So are specific, measureable promises about quality, effectiveness, or reliability, like "Works in only five minutes". Explicit claims can be proven true or false through close examination or testing, and if they're false, the advertiser can get in trouble. It can be surprising to learn how few ads make explicit claims. Most of them try to persuade us in ways that cannot be proved or disproved.

 Example : 

The reason is : Because the advert is a lot of lies.

8. Fear.

This is the opposite of the Association technique. It uses something disliked or feared by the intended audience (like bad breath, failure, high taxes or terrorism) to promote a "solution." Ads use fear to sell us products that claim to prevent or fix the problem. Politicians and advocacy groups stoke our fears to get elected or to gain support.

Example :

The reason is : Because these ads make people afraid.

9. Humor.

Many ads use humor because it grabs our attention and it's a powerful persuasion technique. When we laugh, we feel good. Advertisers make us laugh and then show us their product or logo because they're trying to connect that good feeling to their product. They hope that when we see their product in store, we'll subtly re-experience that good feeling and select their product. Advocacy messages (and news) rarely use humor because it can undermine their credibility; an exception is political satire.

Example :

The reason is : Because these advertisements make people laugh at the humor of the ads.

10. Intensity.

The language of ads is full of intensifiers, including superlatives (greatest, best, most, fastest, lowest prices), comparatives (more, better than, improved, increased, fewer calories), hyperbole (amazing, incredible, forever), exaggeration, and many other ways to hype the product.

Example : 

The reason is : Because the ad contains the words more, less, etc.