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EPA Using Four Types of Persuasion Theories

Kelly Unruh

COM 334: Persuasion

Theory of Reasoned Action

The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) is a persuasion process in which the receiver

will use rational decisions to influence their actual behavior. The receiver will utilize all the

information that is provided in the message as well as what they know about the topic. The

receiver’s intentions are believed to directly correlate to their behavior . The TRA focuses

on the receiver’s attitudes and behaviors and their beliefs and evaluation of the outcome.

The subjective norm, or the receiver’s’ “perception of what others, especially referent

individuals and groups, think about the behavior in question” (Gass & Seiter, 2014, p 52).

For this assignment, TRA was used to create a print ad for the EPA directed to the White

Picket Fences segment about conserving water through installing low-flush toilets.

Headline – The headline, “Relax, it’s just water,” is persuading the segment to do

something specific, although it is the opposite of what the message is implying. The

headline should start the process to think about the message rationally and to read further.

It should start to impact their attitude towards that specific behavior.

Sub-headline – The sub-headline, “Which is why you should replace your household

toilets with low-flush toilets – now!,” is persuading the segment to take the intended action.

Now the segment has changed their attitude about the actual behavior. They are starting to

formulate their beliefs and evaluate what the actual outcome may be. In this case, it is to

purchase and install new low-flush toilets. Because this segment is mostly homeowners,

the burden to replace their conventional toilets rests on them and they do not have to have

to gain approval from a landlord. The segment may also start to think about cost at this

point.

Image – The main image of the pool is to draw a comparison to the amount of water

that is in the average 20x40’ family pool to the amount of water that the same family will

flush annually using a conventional toilet. The pool image is to reflect a similar one that

may be found in the segment’s own backyard. We know that the segment are upper-

middle-class with families and live in modest, older homes. Supporting the message, an

image of a new low-flush toilet is included to aid in recall when the segment is at the store.

To identify whom the message is from, the EPA logo is included.

Copy – The TRA needs to offer the segment specific reasons as to why they need to

replace their toilets. This theory will place the main ideas of the message in the body copy.

Here, the copy gives specific measures as to how much water is being used with

conventional toilets. The ease and cost savings of installing will appeal to the rational

decision making of the segment. The copy also highlights the subjective norm by way of

calling attention to the current drought and impact if the whole community made the

change. This segment is mindful of what others think and are motivated by what they are

also doing.

Call to action – The call to action in this advertisement is to purchase and install a

low-flush toilet. It is reinforcing that conservation is main reason why the toilet should be

replaced. The call to action also includes the social aspect in that this is something that you

can do with your neighbors. The EPA website will give the segment additional information

so that they can make a better-informed and rational decision about replacing their

conventional toilets. Lastly, the call to action ties back to the headline, stating that after

they replace their toilets to help conserve water and save a little money, then they can relax

in their pool.

Credibility

To be credible, a person or company needs to have the capability to position them as

being believable and honest with whom they are speaking to. It is up to the receiver to

determine if they believe a person or company’s credibility. Oftentimes, we see companies

utilize celebrities to endorse their product or service. Celebrity endorsements are a

lucrative business and can lead to disaster with one bad move. To be effective, the celebrity

“endorser must be a good ‘fit’ for the brand being endorsed” (Gass & Seiter, 2014, p. 76). To

the receiver, the celebrity endorser needs to have this credible fit to the product or service

in order to give a persuasive message. For this assignment, we will look at the credibility of

Kristen Bell as a celebrity endorser for EPA’s campaign targeted to the White Picket Fences

market segment to conserve water in their home.

Headline – The headline “Water is not an endless resource” is a quote taken from an

interview that Kristen Bell gave in a recent issue of Fitness Magazine (Ritterbeck, 2013,

par. 3). Using this quote as a headline will begin to show the receiver that Kristen Bell is

aware of her surroundings and could potentially be knowledgeable about an important

issue. We know that this audience is interested in what others have to say, especially if they

are a celebrity and will want to read further down the page.

Sub-headline – The sub-headline is answering the unstated question of what the

receiver can do. This market segment is college educated so they should be able to draw a

connection between the headline and sub-headline in knowing that some type of action will

need to be done on their part. The sub-headline not only tells the receiver what they can do

but how. “Making little changes” is the theme of the overall message.

Image – The image of a celebrity endorser should reflect the type of message being

given. This image used of Kristen Bell is casual and friendly, like the girl next door, is an

example of the sociability dimension of credibility. The receiver knows that she can be red

carpet glamorous, however being depicted as more down to earth makes her more

relatable to the receiver. To enhance her credibility on the topic of water conservation, she

needs to look like she is offering something that is attainable to anyone and not exclusive to

only celebrities. Additionally, including the EPA, Nature Conservancy and Neutrogena

Naturals logos provides additional expert credibility to the message. Lastly, the three icons

create visual cues to the three water conservation tips provided.

Copy – The two paragraphs of body copy play an important part to the message. The

first paragraph reminds the receiver who is Kristen Bell. For the celebrity to be deemed

credible, it must be made known at the beginning of the message who they are and what

their qualifications on the matter are. Otherwise, the message will have very little effect on

the receiver. This paragraph also includes tips on how the receiver can conserve water, just

like Kristen Bell. The last sentence of the first paragraph empowers the receiver to make a

difference and that you do not have to be a celebrity to make an impact.

The second sentence reinforces the credibility of Kristen Bell and why she was

chosen to be the endorser for this message. The receiver will be familiar with who she is as

an actress. They were avid watchers of her show, Veronica Mars and now their kids cannot

get enough of her as Anna in Frozen. The copy ties back to the headline in that she is

concerned for domestic water issues. Her partnership with the EPA, Nature Conservancy

and Neutrogena Naturals help support the message. The receiver should also be aware of

all three entities and what they stand for.

Call to action – The receiver is most likely not doing all that they can to conserve

water in their home. They have a low involvement with the issue thus will focus more on

the sources of the message than the message itself. Increasingly, 30-day challenges have

been gaining popularity in any range of actions. The idea of a 30-day water conservation

challenge is keeping with current social trends that the receiver will want to participate in,

increasing their involvement on the issue. They will also find it fun to take an action that a

celebrity like Kristen Bell is also participating in. Including the EPA’s website will enable

the receiver to go online to take the challenge, interact with others who have also taken the

challenge and research for other water conserving tips. Again, the message of taking little

changes is reinforced.

Social Cognitive Theory

Being a tween or teen is a difficult time in one’s life. They are constantly looking to

belong and be accepted by their peers. Tweens and teens are very impressionable at this

stage. Media and entertainment find ways to persuade tweens and teens through modeling

behaviors in social situations. These behaviors are then imitated in real life situations.

Oftentimes these behaviors are “risky, unsafe or violent” (Gass & Seiter, 2014, p. 319).

However, there are other behaviors that are more positive in nature. So cial cognitive

theory defines these behaviors as “people learn by watching others,” especially “those

whom they identify” with (“Definition of social cognitive theory,” 2014, par. 1). For this

installment of the EPA’s water conservation campaign, the message will target the tweens

and teens of the White Picket Fences demographic. We know that this demographic is

willing to help but they need to be asked, will help in areas that will be beneficial to them in

the long run, fit it into their already busy schedules and will rely on peer influence to take

action (Peskin, 2013).

Headline – The headline “Water conservation starts with you!” takes the first steps

at directly speaking to the tweens and teens. They like to be addressed directly and this is

telling them what to do in a casual manner. The font is used to reflect the casualness of the

age group.

Sub-headline – The sub-headline identifies the peer group that is already conserving

water. It is a bit taunting, reminding this group that they are already falling behind

compared to their peer groups. This is starting to persuade through modeling behaviors.

Image – The main image of the group of teens is used to reflect the target audience

and their own set of friends. It is building on their own personal friendships and need to be

persuaded by their peers to be involved. The other images are to show their peers taking

water conservation actions. By viewing these images, the target audience will then imitate

these actions in their own daily lives. The overall layout is to have a collage feel to it,

something that you may find a tween or teen may have made with their own photos.

Copy – The target audience excels in their studies and extra curricular activities.

They are aware of their global surroundings and understand that it is possible that many

resources we have now may not be available later in their futures. The first paragraph

outlines that we are currently in a water crisis and that actions need to be taken now. The

paragraph also reinforces the behaviors of their peers in conserving water.

The second paragraph offers three tips that the target audience can do to conserve

water in their home, school and community. Using vivid words such as “urge,” “petition,”

“become active,” and “encourage” is persuading the target audience to take specific actions.

Call to action – The call to action ties into the social behaviors of joining other

tweens and teens to take action in conserving water. The website is used as a starting point

for this tech savvy group to find more ways to become involved and make a difference.

Once they become active, they will become aware of they ways they will be rewarded for

good behaviors.

Pregiving

Sequential persuasion is a popular form of persuasion, oftentimes used by

salespeople and those looking for charitable contributions. The tactics used are intending

for the receiver “to behave in a particular way” after the persuader has said or took some

type of action “before actually making their request” (Gass & Seiter, 2014, p. 217).

Pregiving, “trying to get someone to comply by acting nice or doing favors for him or her in

advance,” is a common tactic used (Gass & Seiter, 2014, p. 217). This tactic typically begins

with the persuader giving the receiver some item in return for a favor . In this

advertisement, the EPA is offering a dollar bill to the target audience in exchange for their

pledge to conserve water. The target audience will have to physically mail in the form or

log online to the website to take the pledge. The target audience in this case is the moms of

the White Picket Fences demographic.

Headline – The headline in this example is telling the target audience to take the

dollar bill to buy a bottle of water. Most single serve bottles of water cost a dollar.

Everyone should have a bottle of water with them at all times, especially busy moms. Not

only will it come in handy if she or her kids are thirsty but can aid in cleaning up any spills

that may occur along the way. The request is kind yet straight forward.

Sub-headline – The sub-headline is the favor request. It does not get into why the

favor is needed though. The sub-headline is asking for two specific actions – fill out the

pledge and mail it back in. It is a seemingly simple request, one that a mom will tear out

and intend to send back. After all, they did just receive a dollar bill to purchase a bottle of

water. The busy mom is feeling a sense of gratitude at someone thinking of her for a

change. This is an example of the gratitude explanation.

Image – The image of the water guy is to evoke a sense of desire or romance with

the target audience. He is to represent a Fabio like character, willing to sweep her off her

feet. Having an attractive character will help persuade the target audience to accept the

dollar and in return fill out the pledge. The dollar bill will be an actual dollar bill affixed to

the ad, similar to how various organizations send a dime along with address labels to entice

the target audience to donate to their cause. The arrows are used to show dire ction and the

path to take in the request. The image of the bottle of water reinforces how much the target

audience needs a bottle of water right now. The icons add visuals to the ways to conserve

water.

Copy – The first paragraph of copy has the target audience think about the water

that they are drinking. How it was sourced, bottled and distributed. As well as how easy it

was for them to run to the store and grab a bottle. This copy is used to illustrate that there

is a lot involved with getting some water to drink.

The second paragraph begins to invoke feelings of guilt by asking if they have been

wasting water. It has been documented “that feelings of guilt made people more likely to

comply with a subsequent request” (Gass & Seiter, 2014, p. 290). By this time, the target

audience has enjoyed their free water, given to them by a very attractive male while

becoming aware of the process to bottle drinking water and their own wastefulness. The

target audience begins to feel some internal conflict; they do no t want to come off looking

like a freeloader, accepting the dollar in exchange for no action on their part. However, now

they are aware of the water crisis and want to make sure that they are doing their part to

conserve so that their social circles do not look down upon them.

The copy in the pledge form is a simple way to get the target audience to actively be

aware of their own water conservation habits and to start talking about it with others. By

adding their email and address, this is valuable information for the EPA to conduct post

analysis research on the effectiveness of the campaign compared to actual water usage. It

also allows the EPA to send periodic newsletters and other information to the target

audience about relevant topics.

Call to action – The call to action, although a bit long, reminds the target audience

that we are in a drought and that they need to conserve water. The call to action is asking

them to take the pledge by filling out and returning the form in the advertisement or to join

via the website. The pledge form itself also includes the mailing address. To tie it all back

together, the water man is asking the target audience to return the pledge knowing that he

could count on them to help conserve water.

References

“Definition of social cognitive theory.” (2014). Chegg.com. Retrieved from

http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/definitions/social-cognitive-theory-13

Gass, R.H., & Seiter, J.S. (2014). Persuasion: Social influence and compliance gaining (5th ed.).

Boston: Pearson.

Peskin, J. (2013 October 7). Millennials are ready and willing to volunteer – we just need to

be asked. MSLGroup.com. Retrieved from

http://northamerica.mslgroup.com/network/conversations/2013/10/07/millenni

als-are-ready-and-willing-to-volunteer-we-just-need-to-be-asked/

Ritterbeck, M. (2013 October 14). Kristen Bell on conserving water, being a new mom and

beauty on the go. FitnessMagazine. Retrieved from

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/blogs/beauty/2013/10/14/kristen-bell-on-

conserving-water-being-a-new-mom-and-beauty-on-the-go/