Chapter 8

Attitude Change and

Interactive Communications

CONSUMER
BEHAVIOR, 8e
Michael Solomon
Chapter Objectives
When you finish this chapter you should understand
why:
The communications model identifies several
important components for marketers when they try
to change consumers attitudes toward products and
services.
The consumer who processes such a message is not
necessarily the passive receiver of information
marketers once believed him to be.
Several factors influence a message sources
effectiveness.
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Chapter Objectives (cont.)
The way a marketer structures his message
determines how persuasive it will be.
Audience characteristics help to determine whether
the nature of the source or the message itself will be
relatively more effective.

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Changing Attitudes Through
Communication
Persuasion: effectiveness of marketing
communications to change attitudes
What influences people to change their minds or
comply:

Reciprocity Scarcity

Authority Consistency

Liking Consensus

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Tactical Communications Options
Who will be source of
message?
How should message be
constructed?
What media will transmit
message?
What target market
characteristics will influence
ads acceptance?

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Traditional Communication Model
Communications model: a number of elements are
necessary for communication to be achieved

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Figure 8.1 8-6

Interactive Communications
Consumers have many more choices available and
greater control to process messages
Permission marketing: marketer will be much more
successful in persuading consumers who have
agreed to let him try

Click to view
Quicktime video on Sony Metreons
interactive entertainment store

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Updated Communications Model
Consumers are now proactive in communications
process: VCRs, DVRs, video-on-demand, pay-per-
view TV, Caller ID, Internet

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Figure 8.2 8-8

New Message Formats
M-commerce (mobile commerce): marketers
promote goods and services via wireless devices
Blogging: people post messages to the Web in diary
form
New forms of blogging:
Moblogging
Video blogging (vlogging)
Podcasting
RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
Flogs (fake blogs)
Twittering
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The Source
Source effects: the same words by different people
can have very different meanings
A sourceoften a spokesperson in an admay be
chosen because s/he is expert, famous, attractive, or
a typical consumer
What makes a good source?
Source credibility: a sources perceived expertise,
objectivity, or trustworthiness
Source attractiveness: movie star, super model

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Sleeper Effect
Sometimes sources become
irritating or disliked
Sleeper effect: over time,
disliked sources can still
get a message across
effectively
We forget about negative
source while changing our
attitudes

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Source Biases
Consumer beliefs about product can be weakened
by a source perceived to be biased
Knowledge bias: sources knowledge about a topic
is not accurate
Reporting bias: source has required knowledge but
sources willingness to convey it is compromised

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Hype versus Buzz
Buzz: authentic message generated by customers
Hype: inauthentic message generated by corporate
propaganda

Hype Buzz

Advertising Word-of-mouth
Overt Covert
Corporate Grass-roots
Fake Authentic
Skepticism Credibility
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Table 8.1 8-13

Hype versus Buzz (cont.)
Stealth buzz building: marketers create buzz by
implying that they had nothing to do with the buzz
Example: Blair Witch Project

Click for
Blairwitch.com

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Source Attractiveness
Source attractiveness: perceived social value of
source
Physical appearance
Personality
Social status
Similarity

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What Is Beautiful Is Good
Halo effect: people who rank high on one
dimension are assumed to excel at other
dimensions
Example: good-looking people are thought to be
smarter, cooler, happier
Physically attractive source leads to attitude
change
Directs attention to marketing stimuli
Beauty = source of information

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Star Power
Celebrities as communications sources
Tiger Woods$62 million/year in endorsements!
Famous faces capture attention and are
processed more efficiently by the brain
Enhance company image and brand attitudes
Celebrities embody cultural and product meanings
Q-Score for celebrity endorsers
Match-up hypothesis: celebritys image and that of
product are similar

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Discussion
Many marketers use celebrity endorsers to
persuade. These spokespeople often are cool
musicians, athletes, or stars.
Who would overall be the most effective celebrity
endorser today, and why?
Who would be the least effective, and why?

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Nonhuman Endorsers
Often, celebrities motives are
suspect as endorsers of
mismatched products
Thus, marketers seek
alternative endorsers:
Cartoon characters
Mascots/animals
Avatar: cyberspace
character that can be
moved around in a virtual
world

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The Message
Positive and negative effects of elements in TV commercials
Most important feature: stressing unique product
attribute/benefit

Positive Effects Negative Effects

Showing convenience of use
Showing new product/improved
features
Casting background (i.e., people
are incidental to message)
Extensive information on
components, ingredients, nutrition
Outdoor setting (message gets
lost)
Large number of onscreen
characters

Indirect comparison to other Graphic displays

products

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Table 8.2 8-20

The Message (cont.)
Message: is it conveyed in words or pictures?
Message issues facing a marketer
How often should message be repeated?
Should it draw an explicit conclusion?
Should it show both sides of argument?
Should it explicitly compare product to
competitors?

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Sending the Message
Visual versus verbal communication of message
Visual images: big emotional impact
Verbal message: high-involvement situations
Factual information
More effective when reinforced by a framed
picture
Require more frequent exposures (due to decay)

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Dual Component of Brand Attitudes

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Figure 8.3 8-23

Vividness
Powerful
description/graphics
command attention and are
strongly embedded in
memory
Concrete discussion of
product attribute

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Repetition and the Two-Factor Theory
Two-factor theory: fine line between familiarity and
boredom

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Figure 8.4 8-25

One- versus Two-Sided Arguments
One-sided: supportive arguments
Two-sided: both positive and negative information
Refutational argument: negative issue is raised,
then dismissed
Positive attributes should refute presented
negative attributes
Effective with well-educated and not-yet-loyal
audiences

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Comparative Advertising

Comparative advertising: message compares two+

recognizable brands on specific attributes
Unlike McDonalds, all of Arby's chicken
sandwiches are made with 100% all-natural
chicken
But, confrontational approach can result in source
derogation
An ad for a new product should not:
Merely, say it is better than leading brand
Compare itself to an obviously superior
competitor

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Emotional versus Rational Appeals
Appeal to the head or to the heart?
Many companies use an emotional strategy when
consumers do not find differences among brands
Especially brands in well-established, mature
categories (e.g., cars and greeting cards)
Recall of ad contents tends to be better for
thinking ads
Although conventional ad effectiveness measures
may not be entirely valid to assess emotional ads

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Sex Appeals
Sexual appeals vary by country
Nude models generate negative feelings/tension
among same-sex consumers
Erotic ads draw attention, but strong sexual
imagery may make consumers less likely to:
Buy a product (unless product is related to sex)
Process and recall ads content

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Discussion
Name ads that rely on sex appeal to sell products
What benefits are communicated in the ad?
Is the message implicit or explicit? How?

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Humorous Appeals
Different cultures have different senses of humor
Humorous ads get attention
Theyre a source of distraction
They inhibit counterarguing, thus increasing
message acceptance

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Humorous Appeals (cont.)
Humor is more effective when it:
Doesnt swamp message of clearly defined brand
Doesnt make fun of potential consumer
Is appropriate to products image

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Fear Appeals
Emphasize negative consequences that can occur
unless consumer changes behavior/attitude
Fear is common in social marketing
Most effective when:
Threat is moderate
Solution to problem is presented
Source is highly credible
The strongest threats are not always the most
persuasive

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Message As Art Form
Advertisers use literary elements to communicate
benefits and meaning
Allegory: story about an abstract concept
personified in a fictional character
Metaphor: two dissimilar objects in a close
relationship (A is B)
Simile: compares two objects (A is like B)
Resonance: play on words with pictures

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Examples of Advertising Resonance
Product Headline Visual

Embassy Suites This Year, Were Unwrapping Chocolate kisses with hotel
Suites by the Dozen names underneath each

Toyota auto parts Out Lifetime Guarantee May Man holding a shock absorber
Come as a Shock

Bucks filter Herd of These? Cigarette pack with a picture of

cigarettes a stag

Bounce fabric Is There Something Creeping Womans dress bunched up on

softener Up Behind You? her back due to static

Pepsi This Year, Hit the Beach Pepsi bottle cap lying on the
Topless sand

ASICS athletic We Believe Women Should Woman jogging in a rural

shoes Be Running the Country setting

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Table 8.3 8-35

Forms of Story Presentation
Lecture: speech in which
the source speaks directly
to the audience
Attempts to
persuade Drama: story that draws
Cognitive viewers into the action
responses may Characters
occur indirectly address
the audience
Interact with each
other in an
imaginary setting
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Discussion
Sell the steak or the sizzle?
Whats more important in an advertisement:
What is said? or
Who says it?
Give examples of ads that use one strategy versus
the other. What types of ads are more effective for
each strategy?

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Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of
Persuasion
ELM: assumes that once consumers receive
message, they begin to process it

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Figure 8.5 8-38

Support for the ELM
Variables crucial to the ELM:
Message-processing involvement
Argument strength
Source characteristics
High-involvement consumers are swayed by
powerful arguments
Low-involvement consumers are swayed by source
attractiveness

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