The principles of persuasion apply to a variety of forms of written communication and always complement most other section like in advertising in creating a societal interest in a particular thing. The general principles apply to a couple of situations that involve oral communication and can thus apply to most situations that do not involve on one interactions.. As you read further, it may help you to think of applications to both oral and written situations of persuasion, one my come across oneself. Persuasive communication situation entails the following: (a) a communicator , who uses (b) a format to convey (c) a message to (d) an audience. We should however know that the field of persuasion is huge, complex and subtle subject. Since there is minimal, what trails summary and cannot probably contain all the shades of persuasion principles.
The knowledge of what messages that can be passed to match the market is essential in the advertising campaign. This paper seeks to analyze the essential aspects of principles of persuasion and evaluate a sample magazine ad on whether it conforms to the expected basics of advertising in terms of persuasion. The magazine ad’s message is that it is informing the readers about a seven-night Mediterranean cruise that comes along with some packages including meals and entertainment fully covered. The promotional message that the advertisement uses is giving a free bathrobe to each and every customer who will consider paying for the seven nights in the cruise. In addition, the ad insinuates the issuance of a free bottle of wine to each and every customer.
This advertisement indeed contains a brand promise. In the newspaper, there is an asterisked point that states about the inclusion of all meals and entertainment. This could serve as the brand’s major promise that every interested party could believe in. The ad is targeting tourists to a great extent as well as holiday lovers, and people who are fun-oriented. Other than tourists, a major target for this advertisement includes the young people who would love to experience the fun involved in this offer. They could form a greater percentage of the market also based on how economical it is. A customer would buy the offer based on the luxury that they will be accorded as included on the offer’s package. The promotional message and the brand promise issued out would also highly influence a person who might come across such an ad in a magazine.The customer would enjoy the advertised services in the cruise. This is because all of the advertised offers are included in the package once one pays the specified amount. Since it is a seven-day affair, they are bound to receive the offers in their seven-night stay in the cruise ship.The appealing nature of the advertisement comes about through the pictured luxury cruise ship. A sight of this by a potential customer gives the understanding that if one sends his money in paying for the services; they are assured of gaining value for their money.
The visual graphic used is relevant to what is being advertised. The Mediterranean is a sea; therefore, a visual of a large mass of water is the basic representation of the Mediterranean in this ad’s concept of luring the potential and willing customer. The costs that one would incur has also been magnified and distinguished in color from the graphic and other bits of information.
Other information that helps with the analysis
About the social and psychological contexts of advertising, the advertisement analyzed above does not seem to be of any social bias. This is because it doesn’t seem to be gender discriminative. The ad also is not offensive in any way based on the graphics and the intent of the message passed by the ad the message passed in the advertisement is open to all genders. However, there are criticisms that can be attributed to this advertisement as it tends to be too materialistic. Enjoying a seven night stay in a luxurious cruise ship cannot be categorized as a basic need. It is something that can be foregone in order to prioritize other needs. This advertisement also seems to be too much. Much emphasis has been put on what one should expect once he or she buys the offer. This advertisement can also be seen to be so manipulative. The offers portrayed by this ad may manipulate even those who cannot afford to do anything that they can just to make sure they get a chance.
In terms of relevance, the above print ad fits in the context to what is being advertised. The offers presented are relevant to the activities that would or are bound to be experienced by customers who would buy the service.Advertising managers and marketing specialists more than expectedly anticipate that people remain insensible to the essential underlying messages contained in ads and that people perceive their tasks greatly from entertainment and consumerists points of view as compared to the primary purpose of critical assessment. It is, therefore, important that customers and consumers remain aware of how advertisers and advertisements appeal to them. They ought to critically think about persuasive messages encountered to ensure that they are savvy and not only passive, but active consumers. This ad is appealing to consumers who will understand whatever they will be purchasing in the package of this advertisement. Since consumers buy products and services that they know and identify well, it is essential that they examine subtexts of advertisements such as these as well as the role played by those subtexts in the determination of the kind men and women choose to associate with their lifestyles and personal identities. Essentially, the first thing to look at in the above advertisement is oneself, the advertisers comprehend this fact hence they use it to their advantage. As a result of this, much can be learnt about a company’s target customer base through the observation of the kind of people or things featured in any given advertisement. Before buying what the print advert above is selling, questions that ought to be asked by any potential customer should revolve around the following: To what social class does one belong? How do you know? Can other people identify, by the way, one speaks, acts and dresses? By how much amount one has? By one’s level of education? By one’s occupation? In spite of the supposed ethnic ideal of social equality, major aspects such as income and education are usually employed in social classification.
This advertisement does not feature a model or any known person thus we cannot identify the expressions that would be portrayed by an individual if at all he or she would be featured. The setting of the ad as per the featured image is well configured. There is no conversation featured in this print ad; however, the language used is simple and easy to understand. There is no use of complex words or long sentences. Being a print ad, there is use of conversation bubbles. These bubbles have been extensively used to manipulate any potential buyer into purchasing the product being advertised.
In conclusion, Advertisements, though, do more than just mere entertainment (Clark, Eddie, Timothy &David, 101). They sell more than just products. They bring in standards of normalcy, coolness, happiness, and more which shape the manner in which consumers view and interpret the universe. Other than that, they also function as the profit motive interests of the businesses that create them.
As Klein explains, "Quite simply, each firm with a commanding brand is trying to develop an association with consumers that resounds so entirely with their senses that they will seek, and consent, to be serfs under these medieval brand kings" (149). Similarly, adverts are barely innocent means of buying ends and, more often than not, the only actual reflections of our senses. They are indeed a powerful force in crafting our senses. Therefore, advertisements do need a critical eye.
Works cited
"Television & Health." The Sourcebook for Teaching Science. N.p., 2007. Web. 2 February 2012. Accessed on 10th December, 2014. See http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&;health
Bovee, Courtland L. and William F. Arens. Contemporary Advertising. Fourth Edition. Boston: Irwin, 2012. Print
Clark, Eddie M., Timothy C. Brock and David W. Stewart (eds.). Attention, Attitude, and Effect in Response to Advertising. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Eribaum Associates, 2009. Print
Klein, Naomi. No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs. New York: Picador, 2009. Print.
