Influencing People (Chapter 1)

Advertising does not persuade, but does influence the consumer’s choices in small ways or ‘feathers’. When the consumer is trying to make a choice between two products, there are several methods used by advertisers.

Repetition: increases familiarity with a claim. The effect of repetition is known as ‘the truth effect’.

User Image: Using people we want to be like to help advertise products. This is commonly done with sex appeal as shown in this Louis Vuitton ad:

Louis Vuitton ad, Spring 2008

Product Image: positioning a product as a better alternative. Evian water was positioned to be the “healthy” better tasting option.

Agenda-setting effect: this theory states that the media don’t tell us what to think; but they do tell us what to think about. It was originally designed to determine the most important political issues.

Salience: is what we think is most important in reference to people or things. In advertising, repetition is often used to increase salience. Everyone thinks of Nike when they hear or see the words ‘Just Do It’.

Just do it.

Point-of-sale advertising: Advertiser’s try to increase a brand’s salience at the point of sale by signs and displays. Brand position and shelf space also come into account when the consumer shops.