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Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
III. Analyzing the
Communication Process
6. Source, Message, and
Channel Factors
variables are the steps a receiver goes through in being persuaded. Marketers can
choose the person or source who delivers the message, the type of message appeal
used, and the channel or medium. And although they can’t control the receiver, they
can select their target audience. The destination variable is included because the initial
message recipient may pass on information to others, such as friends or associates,
through word of mouth.
Promotional planners need to know how decisions about each independent variable
influence the stages of the response hierarchy so that they don’t enhance one stage at
the expense of another. A humorous message may gain attention but result in
decreased comprehension if consumers fail to process its content. Many ads that use
humor, sexual appeals, or celebrities capture consumers’ attention but result in poor
recall of the brand name or message. The following examples, which correspond to the
numbers in Figure 6-1, illustrate decisions that can be evaluated with the persuasion
matrix.
1. Receiver/comprehension: Can the receiver comprehend the ad? Marketers must
know their target market to make their messages clear and understandable. A less
educated person may have more difficulty interpreting a complicated message. Jargon
may be unfamiliar to some receivers. The more marketers know about the target
market, the more they see which words, symbols, and expressions their customers
understand.
2. Channel/presentation: Which media will increase presentation? A top-rated,
prime-time TV program is seen by nearly 12 million households each week. TV Guide
and Reader’s Digest reach nearly 12 million homes with each issue. But the important
point is how well they reach the marketer’s target audience. CNN’s financial show
Lou Dobbs Moneyline reaches only around a million viewers each weekday evening,
but its audience consists mostly of upscale businesspeople who are prime prospects
for expensive cars, financial services, and business-related products.
3. Message/yielding: What type of message will create favorable attitudes or
feelings? Marketers generally try to create agreeable messages that lead to positive
feelings toward the product or service. Humorous messages often put consumers in a
good mood and evoke positive feelings that may become associated with the brand
being advertised. Music adds emotion that makes consumers more receptive to the
message. Many advertisers use explicit sexual appeals designed to arouse consumers
Figure 6-1 The persuasion matrix
Dependent variables:
Steps in being
persuaded
Independent variables: The communication components
Source Message Channel
Message presentation (2)
Attention (4)
Comprehension (1)
Yielding (3)
Retention
Behavior
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
Receiver Destination
167
Chapter Six Source, Message, and Channel Factors