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Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
III. Analyzing the
Communication Process
tronics used the company to help with the selection of
a celebrity to promote high-definition, wide-screen
televisions. The Fame Index identified director Martin
Scorsese as a film preservationist who supports the
wide-screen format, and Hollywood-Madison helped
broker a deal with him to participate in a public education
campaign supporting the introduction of Philips
new line of wide-screen HDTV.
As more and more companies court celebrities to
endorse their products or businesses, appear at
6. Source, Message, and
Channel Factors
determine whether compliance actually occurs. An indirect way of using power is by
using an individual with an authoritative personality as a spokesperson. Actor Charles
Bronson, who typifies this image, has appeared in public service campaigns commanding
people not to pollute or damage our natural parks (Exhibit 6-8).
The use of source power applies more in situations involving personal communication
and influence. For example, in a personal selling situation, the sales rep may have
some power over a buyer if the latter anticipates receiving special rewards or favors for
complying with the salesperson. Some companies provide their sales reps with large
expense accounts to spend on customers for this very purpose. Representatives of companies
whose product demand exceeds supply are often in a position of power; buyers
may comply with their requests to ensure an adequate supply of the product. Sales reps
must be very careful in their use of a power position, since abusing a power base to
maximize short-term gains can damage long-term relationships with customers.
The way marketing communications are presented is very important in determining
their effectiveness. Promotional managers must consider not only the
content of their persuasive messages but also how this information will be structured
for presentation and what type of message appeal will be used. Advertising, in
all media except radio, relies heavily on visual as well as verbal information. Many
options are available with respect to the design and presentation of a message. This
section examines the structure of messages and considers the effects of different types
of appeals used in advertising.
Message Structure
Marketing communications usually consist of a number of message points that the
communicator wants to get across. An important aspect of message strategy is knowing
the best way to communicate these points and overcome any opposing viewpoints
audience members may hold. Extensive research has been conducted on how the
structure of a persuasive message can influence its effectiveness, including order of
presentation, conclusion drawing, message sidedness, refutation, and verbal versus
visual message characteristics.
Order of Presentation A basic consideration in the design of a persuasive
message is the arguments’ order of presentation. Should the most important message
points be placed at the beginning of the message, in the middle, or at the end?
Research on learning and memory generally indicates that items presented first and
last are remembered better than those presented in the middle (see Figure 6-4). 38 This
suggests that a communicator’s strongest arguments should be presented early or late
in the message but never in the middle.
Presenting the strongest arguments at the beginning of the message assumes a primacy
effect is operating, whereby information presented first is most effective.
Putting the strong points at the end assumes a recency effect, whereby the last arguments
presented are most persuasive.
Whether to place the strongest selling points at the beginning or the end of the message
depends on several factors. If the target audience is opposed to the communicator’s
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
events, or support causes, they no longer are relying
solely on intuition or brainstorming sessions to
select such spokespersons. Companies such as Marketing
Evaluations/TVQ and Hollywood-Madison are
providing information that helps them find the ideal
candidate.
Sources: Marketing Evaluations/TVQ, Inc., www.qscores.com;
Kristina Saurwein, “Finding the Right Pitch,” Los Angeles Times,
July 30, 2001, p. B3; www.hollywood-madison.com.
Message Factors
Exhibit 6-8 Actor Charles
Bronson’s authoritative
image makes him an
effective source
179
Chapter Six Source, Message, and Channel Factors