This document discusses different types of credibility that can be leveraged in persuasive writing. It provides 20 examples of credibility variations including factual, confidence, technical, visual, convention, identity, logical, authoritative style, social, emotional, rejection, aspirational, comparative, liking, position, expertise, and assignment credibility. The document suggests using two or three credibility variations together for maximum effectiveness and provides advertising examples for Crest toothpaste that demonstrate different credibility approaches.

1. CREDIBILITY IN WRITING
MCM-241,Writing for PR and Advertising
Fall, 2017
John Couper

2. THE IMPORTANCE OF CREDIBILITY
• Almost every statement we make, especially persuasive, depends on the credibility
of
• the product and company of an ad
• the character and connections for PR
• the conclusions and information of news
• our letters, requests, etc.
• If the audience doesn’t believe in us and our information, they won’t believe in our
claims
• And therefore their attitudes and actions won’t be influenced

3. CREDIBILITY VARIATIONS
• Communication has many goals, so we need to understand and control the many
kinds of credibility – when and how to use them
• Almost always, credibility will increase if you use two or three kinds instead of one
• “For 42 years, everyone has known that Crest Toothpaste is the best to prevent tooth
decay.”
• Factual, social, and aspirational

4. FACTUAL CREDIBILITY
• People tend to believe facts, so numbers and charts add a sense of reality
• “Use Crest because it is recommended by 85% of dentists”

5. CONFIDENCE
• Any argument expressed forcefully is more likely to seem credible
• “without doubt, Crest Toothpaste is the best you’ll ever try.”

6. TECHNICAL
• Bad spelling, grammar, usage, etc. almost instantly distracts the reader and destroys
the credibility of a message
• “Crest Toothpaste will insure a romantic evening.”

7. VISUAL
• Humans tends to imagine that what they see is more real, so showing what you are
suggesting and want them to believe will often work

8. CONVENTION
• Most people tend to believe whatever the group believes
• “Crest toothpaste has been the leader for 42 years”

9. IDENTITY
• People usually believe a claim when its source and reference remind them of their
“identity group.”
• “Crest Toothpaste was the first and remains the favorite toothpaste in Kuwait.”

10. LOGIC
• Referring to logic, such as “if – then” can increase credibility
• “if you want the best toothpaste, try Crest.”

11. AUTHORITATIVE STYLE
• Not only the words and images, but the when they are presented, can increase
credibility
• Height, age and a low voice suggests authority
• Announcer in warm but respectable style:“try Crest – you’ll love it.”

12. SOCIAL
• Related to Identity, Social Credibility “leverages”the desire for social acceptance to
strengthen belief
• “your boyfriend will thank you for using Crest Toothpaste.”

13. EMOTIONAL
• Emotions are also powerful tools that, when connected to credibility, can influence
attitudes
• “the fresh taste of Crest will make you feel happy all morning.”

14. REJECTION
• Not only what we want, but what we don’t want, can increase belief and credibility
• “Hate going to the dentist? Use Crest!”

15. ASPIRATION
• Our hopes can be influencers of our beliefs
• “If he wants to ace that job interview, make sure your breath is minty fresh.”

16. COMPARISON
• A tricky but effective way to increase credibility is comparing your subject to an
alternative
• “Crest last twice as long as Close-up.”

17. LIKING
• We tend to believe people we like, so codes of likability can increase credibility
• “You know,” (big smile and tilted head) “I just bet Crest will be your favorite toothpaste.”

18. POSITION
• Respect for the position, not only the individual, can be transferred to credibility and
attitude change
• “As a Dentist of 42 years, I found that Crest works best.”

19. EXPERTISE
• Codes that suggest special knowledge, intelligence, skill, etc. increase credibility
• “All my research shows that Crest has the strongest anti-carie effectiveness.”

20. ASSIGNMENT
• Assume you have been hired to write copy that will encourage young Kuwaitis to
enroll at GUST.
• Choose any 10 of the previous types of credibility, mention which one you have
chosen, then write one persuasive sentence that shows that type of credibility
• Only for this assignment, you can invent any “facts” or other information