What Persuades You?

Attention-getters

    A striking color or picture or surprising expanse of white space
    Photo of a famous person
    Humor
    Bold appeal
    Music
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Appeals to logic

    Advertisers appeal to our logic or reasoning when they make claims that are supported by facts, statistics, demonstrations, examples, and research. For example, an ad recruiting the reader to enlist in a branch of the military may present a list of the benefits the reader may enjoy: training, housing, salary, health and education benefits, and opportunities for travel.

Appeals to authority

    Often ads will include testimonials of others who have tried the product or service. Because these claimants have prior experience with what is being advertised, the reader considers this as "expert testimony." Ads for diet plans and weight control products often include before-and-after photos and personal testimony of someone who has tried the product.

    Ads may also include recommendations made by professionals. Ads for feature films may cite the reviews of well know critics like Siskel and Ebert. An ad for toothpaste may claim that some percent of the nation's dentists recommend this product.

Appeals to beliefs, values, and needs

    In one way or another, all ads appeal to our beliefs, values or needs. Ads claiming a position on an issue like abortion make strong appeals to our beliefs. Ads making claims about our country, our community, our family, the environment, or money are appealing to our sense of values. These values are often entangled with our human needs. Appeals to these needs can be powerful ways to persuade us to change our attitudes or behavior.
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Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

The psychologist Abraham Maslow described our needs as a hierarchy. According to Maslow, we can't be too overly concerned about a higher order need until our more basic needs are met. Maslow's hierarchy looks something like this, beginning with our most basic needs for survival:
  1. water
  2. food
  3. shelter
  4. intimacy
  5. belonging
  6. self-esteem
  7. self-actualization
Appeals to these needs can be powerful ways to persuade us to change our attitudes or behavior.

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