Chapter 6

• Source, Message, and Channel Factors

Learning Objectives

LO1 Discuss the variables in the communication system

and how they influence consumers’ processing of
promotional messages.

LO2 Identify decision factors involved in selecting a source

for a promotional message.

LO3 Compare the different types of message structures

and appeals.

LO4 Explain how different types of channels influence the

marketing communications process.

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Promotional Planning through the Persuasion Matrix 1

Persuasion Matrix
• Helps marketers see how each controllable element interacts
with consumer’s response process.
• Two sets of variables:
• Independent variables: Controllable components of the
communication process.

• Dependent variables: Steps receiver goes through in being

persuaded.

dependent.
Ind. variable variable

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Figure 6-1 The Persuasion Matrix

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Promotional Planning through the Persuasion Matrix 2

Decisions Evaluated with the Persuasion Matrix

• Receiver/comprehension:
• Can the receiver comprehend the ad?

• Channel/presentation:
• Which media vehicles should be used to present the advertising
message?

• Message/yielding: the process where individuals accept and agree

with the message being communicated.
• What type of message will create favorable attitudes or feelings?

• Source/attention.
• Who will be effective in getting consumers’ attention?

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Source Factors 1

Sources
• ( ).

• ( ) source:

• Delivers message and/or endorses product or service.

• Indirect source:

6
Figure 6-2 Source Attributes and Receiver Processing
Modes

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Source Factors 2

Source Credibility
• Credibility:
• ( ): Recipient sees source as having relevant
knowledge, skill, or experience.

• ( )Trustworthiness: Recipient trusts source to give

unbiased, objective information.

• Internalization: Adopting opinion of credible communicator and

believing information from source is accurate.

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Source Factors 3

Source Credibility continued

• Enhanced by:
• Applying expertise.

• Applying trustworthiness.

• Using corporate leaders as spokespeople.

Companies often believe that utilizing their president or CEO in ads is the
ultimate expression of commitment to quality and customer service. James
Dyson is an effective CEO spokesperson for the Dyson line of products.

Source: Dyson, Inc.

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Source Factors 4

Source Credibility continued

• Limitations of credible sources:
• High- and low-credibility sources are equally effective when arguing for a
position opposing their own best interest.

• Sleeper effect: Persuasiveness of a message increases with passage of

( ).

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Source Factors 5

Source Attractiveness
• Attractiveness: Characteristic that encompasses (
) and likability.
• Identification: Receiver motivated to seek some type of relationship
with source.
• Adopts similar beliefs, attitudes, preferences, or behavior.

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Source Factors 6

Source Attractiveness continued

• Source characteristics:
• Applying similarity.

• Communicator and receiver with(

) and lifestyles.

• Regular-looking, everyday people that customers can easily identify

with.

• Applying likability: Using celebrities.

• ( ).

• ( ): Draw attention in cluttered media

environment.

• Enhance customer’s view of product or service image or performance.

12
attractive celebrities

https://youtu.be/YZO4WbF2cjE

13
Source Factors 7

Source Attractiveness continued

• Limitations of using celebrities:
• ( ) the product.

• ( ).

• Target audiences’ receptivity.

• Risk to the advertiser.

• Return on investment must be considered.

Soccer star David Beckham has numerous endorsement deals, including

with H&M, adidas, and Tudor watches, as this ad shows. Is he at risk of
becoming overexposed?

Source: Dyson, Inc.

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Source Factors 7

Source Attractiveness continued

Overshadowing the product
• Vampire effect: Consumers may focus on the celebrity and fail to
notice or recall the brand or advertising message. It occurs when
the personality of the celebrity endorse overshadows the brand
(s)he is advertising, so is has a negative impact rather than helping
to sell it
Overexposure
• When a celebrity (
),consumers are often skeptical of endorsements.

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Source Factors 7

Source Attractiveness continued

Target audiences’ receptivity
• How well the individual(celebrity) matches with and is received by
the advertiser’s target audience.
• Consumers who are particularly knowledgeable about a product or
a service or have strongly established attitudes may be less
influenced by a celebrity.
Risk to the advertiser
• A celebrity’s behavior may pose a risk to a company.

17
 A celebrity’s risk

When Seungri, a member of Big Bang got caught up in a drug and

sexual assault scandal, a boycott took place at his ramen house

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Source Factors 8

Source Attractiveness continued

• Understanding the meaning of celebrity endorsers.
• Meaning transfer model developed by Grant McCracken.
• Celebrities’ effectiveness as endorsers depend on culturally acquired
meanings they bring to endorsement.

Tina Fey is an effective endorser for

American Express since she represents
the quintessential do-it-all woman with an
endless to-do list but who gets it all done
with the help of the Amex EveryDay Credit
Card.

Source: American Express Company

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Choosing a Celebrity Endorser 1

Celebrity Factors
• ( ).

• ( ).
• Cost.
• Trustworthiness.
• Risk.
• ( )

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 Choosing a Celebrity Endorser 2

Applying Likability Decorative Models

• Draw attention to ads with physically attractive people.
• Passive/decorative models rather than active communicators.
• Some products (for example, cosmetics) benefit since physical appearance is
relevant.

• Might not draw attention to product or message.

• Highly attractive models can have negative impact.
• Some companies use everyday people.
• E.g. The “Campaign for Real Beauty”
• Unilever’s Dove eschewed the used of supermodels in its ads and uses
everyday women and girls
• Using ordinary models can give a more innovative feel compared to using
famous and attractive advertising models.

22
 Exhibit 6-10

Dove takes a social advocacy approach in promoting its beauty products.

Since 2004, Dove has run the “Campaign for Real Beauty” which is designed to
appeal to everyday women and offer a broader, healthier, and more democratic
view of beauty.

Source: Unilever
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Choosing a Celebrity Endorser 3

Source Power
• When (
) to receiver.
• Depends on source’s perceived control, perceived concern, and
perceived scrutiny.
• ( ): Receiver accepts source’s persuasive influence
and acquiesces to source’s position.
• To obtain favorable reaction or avoid punishment.

• Difficult to apply in advertising; more likely in personal communication.

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Message Factors 1

Message Structure
• Order of presentation:
• Strongest arguments presented early or late in message but not in the
middle.

• ( ) effect: Information presented first is most effective.

• ( ) effect: Arguments presented last are most

persuasive.

• Where to place depends on:

• Target audience’s receptivity to message.

• Length of message.

• Medium used to communicate message.

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Figure 6-4 Ad Message Recall as a Function of Order of
Presentation

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Message Factors 2

Message Structure continued

• Conclusion drawing:
• Messages should either explicitly draw a firm conclusion or allow receivers
to draw own conclusions.

• Messages with ( ) are more easily

understood and effective in influencing attitudes.

• Depends on:

• Target audience.

• Type of issue or topic.

• Nature of the situation.

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Message Factors 3

Message Structure continued

• Message sidedness:
• One-sided message: Mentions ( ) or
benefits, effective if target audience:

• Effective when the target audience already holds a favorable opinion

about the topic

• Works better with a less educated audience.

• Two-sided message: Presents ( ),

effective when target audience:
• Effective when the target audience holds an opposing opinion
• Works better with a ( )audience

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Exhibit 6-13

Domino’s two-sided message

strategy was a very effective way to
introduce its reformulated pizza. As
part of its “Oh Yes We Did”
campaign Domino’s used
commercials showing the chain’s
new CEO in front of the camera
admitting that he had heard what
the focus groups had to say and
that it took it to heart.

Source: Domino’s IP Holder LLC

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Message Factors 4

Message Structure continued

• Refutation:
• Refutational appeal: a special type of two-
sided message, where the communicator
presents both sides of an issue and then refutes
the opposing viewpoint.

• - useful when marketers wish to build attitudes

that resist change and must defend against
attacks or criticism of their products or their
company.

A refutational appeal was used by SeaWorld to defend

itself against criticism by PETA and other animal
activist groups.

Source: SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. 30

Message Factors 5

Message Structure continued

• Verbal versus visual messages:
• Pictures commonly used to (

This ad for Arrowhead Mountain Spring

Water uses a beautiful visual image of the
mountains to communicate the key product
attribute of purity.

Source: Arrowhead by Nestle Waters

North America

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Message Factors 6

Message Appeals
• Comparative advertising:
• Directly or indirectly naming competitors in an ad and comparing one or
more attributes.

BodyArmor uses comparative advertising to challenge

Gatorade in the sports drink market.
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Message Factors 7

Message Appeals
• Comparative advertising: continued
• So common, their attention-getting value has declined.

• Consider how comparative messages affect credibility.

• Often used to:

• Position new brands against market leaders.

• Differentiate high-profile brands in a competitive marketplace.

• Show candidate differences in political advertising.

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Message Factors 7

Message Appeals
• Comparative Advertising
• Directly or indirectly naming competitors in an ad and comparing one or
more attributes

Pepsi vs Coke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8yMV1Se5oE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCx9oWhNzzk

34
Message Factors 8

Message Appeals continued

• Fear appeals:
• (

• Stress physical danger. (if using illegal

drugs).

• Threaten disapproval or social

rejection. (if not using mouthwash).

The Ad Council uses a fear appeal to discourage

buzzed driving.

Source: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration and Ad Council
35
Message Factors 8

Message Appeals continued

• Fear appeals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxXDGgMhLbQ

Stop smoking campaign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OIwR-
_kjC0

Stop drunk driving campaign

36
Message Factors 9

Message Appeals continued

• How fear operates:
• Curvilinear: Message acceptance increases as amount of fear used
rises—but only to a point. Beyond that point, acceptance decreases as the
level of fear rises

• Have both facilitating and inhibiting effects.

• More effective when recipient is:

• Self-confident and prefers to cope with dangers.

• A nonuser.

• Higher levels of fear result in greater persuasion.

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Message Factors 10

Message Appeals continued

• Humor appeals:
• ( ).

• Put consumers in a positive mood.

• Increase liking of ad and feelings toward product.

• ( ) against the message.

• Prevent critical thinking

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Message Factors 11

Message Appeals continued

• Humor appeals: continued
• Distract from brand and its attributes.

• Difficult to produce and may be too subtle.

• May experience wearout:

• Tendency to lose effectiveness when seen or heard repeatedly.

• Counter by creating “pool-outs.”

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 Message Factors 12

Message Appeals continued

• Humor appeals: continued
• Must consider type of product or service and audience characteristics.

• More effective when (

) low.

This clever ad is an example of how humor can be

executed in a print ad. The ad pokes fun at the
preacher’s bad breath, which drives everyone to the
back of the church.

Source: J. Walter Thompson Sydney

Advertising Agency

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 Channel Factors 1

Personal versus Nonpersonal Channels

• Information received from personal channels is more persuasive than
from mass media.

Effects of Alternative Mass Media

• Differences in information processing:
• Self-paced—Readers process ad at own rate and study it as long as they
desire.

• Newspapers, magazines, direct mail, and Internet.

• Externally paced—Transmission rate is controlled by the medium.

• Radio and television.

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Channel Factors 3

Clutter
• Amount of advertising in a medium.
• All the nonprogram material that appears in broadcast environment.

• Major concern among television advertisers.

• Difficult for commercials to attract and hold viewers’ attention and to
communicate effectively.

• Increases in nonprogram time and trend toward shorter commercials.

• Some networks reducing advertising time.

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