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Rachel Sy // Jake Szymanski // MKF2111 Consumer Behavior 2009 // 2pm Tutorial

A marketer must decide whether to incorporate
rational or emotional appeals in its
communications strategy. Which conditions are
more favourable to using one or the other?
persuasive ¦pər swāsiv; -ziv¦ communication ¦kə myoōnə kā sh ən¦
(Stiff 2003)

"...any message that is intended to shape, reinforce, or change the responses of another, or
others.”
This definition limits persuasive activity to intentional behavior.

DERIVATIVES
persuasively ¦pər swe s1vli¦ ¦pər swe z1vli¦ adverb
persuasiveness ¦pər swe s vn1s¦ ¦pər swe z vn1s¦ noun

ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from French persuasif, -ive or medieval Latin persuasivus, from persuas- ‘convinced by
reasoning,’ from the verb persuadere (see persuade ).

DERIVATIVES
communicational ¦- kā sh ənl¦ ¦kə mjunə ke ʃənl¦ ¦kə mjunə ke ʃnəl¦ adjective

ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French comunicacion, from Latin communicatio(n-), from the verb communicare
‘to share’ (see communicate ).
Response Alteration
The goal of persuasive communication in
advertising is to alter the response of the
consumer in a manner favorable to the
brand.

(Stiff 2003)
Response Alteration
• Response Shaping - Creating new brand perception. Ex: Obama Campaign

• Response Reinforcing - Maintaining brand loyalty. Ex: Zappos

• Response Changing - Significantly altering consumer’s responses from one position to another. Ex: GM

(Stiff 2003)
RATIO
NAL
Rational Persuasion
Seeks to shape, reinforce, or change consumer
response by through a logical argument.

• Listing Product Benefits - To use this method effectively, the advertisement must underscore
consumer benefits rather than product features.

• Convincing Proof - This approach is based upon the premise, "Seeing is believing." Ads or
commercials take the form of a product demonstration.

(Stiff 2003)
Volkswagen -Funeral
Response Shaping and Changing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpWgs98iBGk
Emotional
 “Emotional appeals attempt to stir up either negative or positive
emotions that can motivate purchase. These include fear, guilt and
shame appeals that get people to do things they should or stop
doing things they shouldn't ... communicators also use positive
emotional appeals such as love, humour, pride and joy”
(Kotler & Armstrong, 1994, as cited in Albers-Miller & Stafford, 1999).

They rely on feelings for effectiveness.

Emotional Appeals

Fear
Humour
Agony
Abrasive
Sex
Volkswagen - Like
Fear

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtaXjzQQGE8
Volkswagen - Break Up
Humour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=OWhO3sAOnGc
Volkswagen - The Fight
Cannes Lions Advertiser of the Year

Response Reinforcing

http://www.ddblondon.com/the-fight/?
ddb_cat=work&ddb_division=ddb
“Advertisers can achieve success with both rational and
emotional appeals. Each has its place in the marketing
toolbox. The challenge is to know which is right for
your product or service.”
(Orwig)
References
Albers-Miller, N.D., & Stafford, M.R. (1999). An international analysis of emotional and rational appeals in services vs goods advertising. The
Journal of Consumer Marketing, 16 (1), 42.

Morton, L.P. (n.d). How to use emotional and rational advertising appeals. Retrieved September 5, 2009, from http://
www.strategicmarketsegmentation.com/blog/how-to-use-emotional-and-rational-advertising-appeals/

Morton, L.P. (n.d). Types of advertising appeals. Retrieved September 5, 2009, from http://www.strategicmarketsegmentation.com/blog/types-
of-advertising-appeals-1/

Orwig, K. Rational Appeals vs. Emotional Appeals in Advertising and Marketing Communication. http://www.orwig.net/articles/
rational_emotl/rational_emotl.html

Schiffman, L., Bednall, D., O’Cass, A., Paladino, A., Ward, S. Kanuk, L. (2008). Consumer behaviour (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson
Education.

Stiff, J., Mongeau, P. (2003). Persuasive Communication. (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press, NY.

Trout, J. (2007, November 27). The Emotional Trap. http://www.forbes.com/2007/11/26/trout-marketing-emotions-oped-cx_jt_1127trout.html

Williams, M. (2009, May 13). Volkswagen named Cannes Lions Advertiser of the Year. http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/905599/
Volkswagen-named-Cannes-Lions-Advertiser-Year/