This document outlines key concepts in communication and consumer behavior including: - The basic communication model involves a message initiator, sender, receiver, medium, message, target audience, and feedback. - Source credibility is important, and comes from informal sources like word of mouth, formal sources like companies, and spokespeople/endorsers. - When designing persuasive communications, marketers must consider objectives, target audiences through segmentation, and message strategies involving framing, comparisons, and order effects. - Different media like magazines and television each have strengths and limitations for delivering marketing messages. Emotional appeals and humor can also impact message effectiveness depending on the audience and product.

1. 9 - 1
Chapter 9
Communication &
Consumer Behavior
Prepared By:
Mr. Nishant Agrawal

2. 9 - 2
Chapter Outline
• Components of Communication
• The Communication Process
• Designing Persuasive Communications

3. 9 - 3
Basic Communication Model
Figure 9.1

4. 9 - 4
The Communications Process
• The Message Initiator (the Source)
• The Sender
• The Receiver
• The Medium
• The Message
• The Target Audience (the Receivers)
• Feedback - the Receiver’s Response

5. 9 - 5
The Message Initiator (source)
• Credibility of
Informal Sources
• Credibility of
Formal Sources
• Credibility of
Spokespersons
and Endorsers
• Message Credibility
• Includes word of mouth
• These sources also called
opinion leaders
• Casual sources may not
always be credible
Issues with Credibility

6. 9 - 6
The Credibility and Dynamics of Informal
Source and WOM
• Opinion leadership is process by which one person
informally influence the action or attitude of others who
may be opinion seekers
– They often base their product comments on firsthand
experience, their advice reduces the opinion receivers
perceived risk
– They tend to category specific that is opinion leaders often
specialize in certain product category about which they
offer information and advice.

7. 9 - 7
Discussion Question
• How have informal sources affected your decision
as a consumer?
• Which informal sources are the most powerful?
Why? When?

8. 9 - 8
The Message Initiator (source)
• Credibility of
Informal Sources
• Credibility of
Formal Sources
• Credibility of
Spokespersons
and Endorsers
• Message Credibility
• Source credibility judged on
past performance, reputation,
service, quality, spokesperson
image, retailers, social
responsibility
Issues with Credibility

9. 9 - 9
The Message Initiator (source)
• Credibility of
Informal Sources
• Credibility of
Formal Sources
• Credibility of
Spokespersons
and Endorsers
• Message Credibility
• Effectiveness related to:
– The message itself
– Interaction between endorser
and type of product
– Demographic
– Corporate credibility
Issues with Credibility

10. 9 - 10
Discussion Question
• Who do you consider credible spokespeople?
• Why?
• Can you think of certain ads with credible
spokespeople?
• Ads with spokespeople who are NOT credible?

11. 9 - 11
The Message Initiator (source)
• Credibility of
Informal Sources
• Credibility of
Formal Sources
• Credibility of
Spokespersons
and Endorsers
• Message Credibility
• Credibility of retailers
• Reputation of the medium that
carries the ad
• Consumer’s previous
experience with product
Issues with Credibility

12. 9 - 12
Sleeper
Effect /
source
amnesia
The idea that both
positive and negative
sincerity effects tend
to disappear after a
period of time.

13. 9 - 13
The Target Audience (receivers)
• Personal characteristics and understanding
• Involvement and congruency / agreement
– How much attention is paid to the message and how carefully it is
decided.
• Mood (cheerfulness or unhappiness )
• Barriers to communication
– Selective experience to messages
– Psychological noise

14. 9 - 14
Opinion Leader as Thought Leaders
• Opinion leadership is process by which one person
informally influence the action or attitude of others who may
be opinion seekers.
• Why is Opinion Leader Topical / Relevant?
– Opinion leadership is becoming a high priority strategy for brands.
Buzz or word-of-mouth consumer referrals and viral marketing are
some of the strategies strongly linked to opinion leadership.
– Opinion leadership provides the credibility that support consumer
confidence in brands.
– Opinion leadership involves the informal communication of one
consumer (leader) to another consumer (opinion seeker).

15. 9 - 15
Targeting Consumers Through New Media
1. Addressable
– Customized and addressed to particular receiver
1. Interactive
– Receivers can interact with sender during its transmission
1. Response measurable
– Receiver’s response to a promotional message Can be measured
more precisely
– Online and mobile media

16. 9 - 16
Designing Persuasive
Communications
• Communications strategy
– Must include objectives
– Includes cognitive models
– Newer models include perception, experience, and
memory

17. 9 - 17
Designing Persuasive
Communications
• Target Audience
– Segmentation is key
• Media Strategy
– Consumer profile
– Audience profiles

18. 9 - 18
Excerpts from Table 9.1 Persuasive Capabilities and
Limitations of Major Media (Magazines)
• Highly selective
• Selective binding
possible
• High quality
production
• High credibility
• Long message life
• High pass-along rate
• Long lead time
• High clutter
• Delayed and indirect
feedback
• Rates vary based on
circulation and
selectivity

19. 9 - 19
Excerpts from Table 9.1 Persuasive
Capabilities and Limitations of Major
Media (Television)
• Low costs per contact
• Long lead time
• High clutter
• Short message life
• Viewers can avoid
exposure with zapping,
etc.
• Day-after recall tests for
feedback
• Large audiences
possible
• Appeals to many
senses
• Emotion and attention
possible
• Demonstration possible
• Very high costs overall

20. 9 - 20
Designing Persuasive Communications
• Message Strategy
– Involvement theory
• Central and peripheral routes

21. 9 - 21
Designing Persuasive
Communications
• Resonance
• Message framing
• Comparative
advertising
• Order effects
• Used to create a double
meaning when used
with a relevant picture
Message Structure and Presentation

22. 9 - 22
Designing Persuasive
Communications
• Resonance
• Message framing
• Comparative
advertising
• Order effects
• Positive framing
• Negative framing
• One-sided vs. two-sided
Message Structure and Presentation

23. This ad uses
negative
framing.

24. 9 - 24
Designing Persuasive
Communications
• Resonance
• Message framing
• Comparative
advertising
• Order effects
• Marketer claims product
superiority over another
brand
• Useful for positioning
Message Structure and Presentation

25. A
comparative
ad

26. 9 - 26
Discussion Question
You are a marketer for your college/university.
• How could you use comparative
advertising?
• Do you think it would be effective?

27. 9 - 27
Designing Persuasive
Communications
• Resonance
• Message framing
• Comparative
advertising
• Order effects
• Order of benefits
– Primacy
• First Product greater effect
– Recency
• Last product greater effect
Message Structure and Presentation

28. 9 - 28
Emotional Advertising Appeals
Fear
Humor
Abrasive advertising
Audience participation
Celebrities

29. 9 - 29
Table 9.2 Impact of Humor on
Advertising
•Humor attracts attention.
•Humor does not harm comprehension.
•Humor is not more effective at increasing persuasion.
•Humor does not enhance source credibility.
•Humor enhances liking.
•Humor that is relevant to the product is superior to humor that is
unrelated to the product.
•Audience demographic factors affect the response to humorous
advertising appeals.
•The nature of the product affects the appropriateness of a humorous
treatment.
•Humor is more effective with existing products than with new
products.
•Humor is more appropriate for low-involvement products and feeling-
oriented products than for high-involvement products.

30. 9 - 30
End of Session
“Success is walking from
failure to failure with no loss of
enthusiasm”