Emotional, not factual, ads win skeptical consumers

[HuckleB]

Emotional, not factual, ads win skeptical consumers, study shows

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=29174

"Consumers who are very skeptical about the truth of advertising claims are more responsive to emotionally appealing ads than ones peppered with information, according to a new study.

The finding comes from work by researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle University, and Washington State University who examined consumers' responses to advertising, including brand beliefs, responses to informational and emotional appeals, efforts to avoid advertising, attention to ads and reliance on ads versus other information sources.

As part of the study, researchers showed consumers eight television commercials, half of which were defined as emotional, half as informational. For example, an emotional ad for Ernest and Julio Gallo wine emphasized a familial atmosphere at the winery and surrounding vineyards, while an informational ad for Joy dishwashing liquid showed how effectively the product removed baked-on foods.

Emotional ads are characterized as providing an emotional experience that is relevant to the use of the brand; informational ads predominantly provide clear brand data. All four of the emotional ads rated lower in providing viewers product information than the four informational ads. Surprisingly, said the researchers, consumers who considered themselves highly skeptical of all ads were persuaded less by informational ads than they were by emotional ads like the wine commercial. Also, they found that non-skeptics were more responsive to informational advertising.

..."


I can't say that I'm surprised. For many, "skepticism" is more a religion than a use of their cognitive facilities. Still, true skepticism is healthy, IMHO.

[bpilgrim]

1. and thats why naral's ad SUCKED!

http://www.naral.org :evilgrin:

peace

[meganmonkey]

4. Naughty!

:spank:

[displacedtexan]

2. The state of Illinois requires a semester of Consumer Ed...

to graduate.

How to analyze persuasive advertising is part of the curriculum.

I don't know how many other states require the course, but it's a goo thing!

[HuckleB]

6. That's a start.

But how does one teach critical thinking skills when most of the curriculum ignores them throughout today's school careers?

[K-W]

3. And if people think all politicians are liars... EOM

[booksenkatz]

5. They're just following Junior's stellar example

He governs on his emotions, never on facts. He has stated as much. And it's brought us to the brink of hell.

[patcox2]

7. There's less to be sceptical of in an emotional appeal.

If I say to you "these sneakers will make you run faster and jump higher," and you are sceptical, you will say "thats crap." If I say to you "remember your first pair of keds; now its your kids turn, buy keds, a family tradition," whats to be sceptical of? There was no factual assertion to doubt.

Note also that the study cannot measure the level of presuasiveness, it can only compare whether the emotional ad or the factual ad is the more persuasive. It is still possible, and not clear from the study, that the sceptical people were overall less pursuaded by both emotional and factual ads than the non-sceptical people, even though they were more persuaded by the emotional ads than the factual ads.

[HuckleB]

8. Which emotion?

[msmcghee]

9. All human decisions are driven by . .

. . an emotional calculation that we will feel better and not worse as a result - regardless of any logical calculation. That includes everything from deciding to brush your teeth to buying a car to voting for president.

Even very logical people only use reason to provide hopefully better data to more accurately predict how they will feel as a result of their decisions.

But each decision we make is made based on a prediction of how we will feel as a result.

Humans instinctively understand that reason is often faulty and we discount it accordingly. Framing is all about finding the best emotional buttons to push - the buttons hard-wired to our most powerful emotions. I believe that some Republican pols understand this much better than most Dems.

This principle has dominated Republican electoral politics since Gingrich rose to power and has allowed them to crush Dem opposition who continue to pathetically believe that if we just educate the voters enough, if we give them enough good information, we will win. Unfortunately, that's based on an innacurate view of how humans operate.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. To me, the take-away from this as it relates to politics is .......

...... avoid issues and talk to people's emotions. If you look at most election winners (on both sides), they sell the sizzle while holding back the steak.

Reserve the issues talk for the informed congniscenti ..... for the masses .... just the smile and the spark.

[msmcghee]

11. Good observation. n/t

[onager]

12. Old news. Religion has known this for thousands of years.

Even in ancient Babylon, or so I've read, the customers complained about priests making extravagant promises, then delivering shoddy goods: unanswered prayers, temporary miracle healings, etc.

But as I'm fond of posting in R&T, religion is the only business where the customer always blames himself for product failure.