INDIRECT PERSUAISION IN ADVERTISING

Advertising and Their Effects On College Students

Brittany L. Murray

Undergraduate Marketing Student

Savannah State University

Abstract: Indirect persuasion in advertising is a method of selling that consumers do not

recognize. Most, if not all companies use this type of advertising in order to gain consumers and

customers this way. This research is based on how indirect persuasion affects college students.

This research will also address the following questions:

How affective are the indirect persuasion ads towards college students?

What does the future holds for this type of advertising?

Keywords: Indirect, persuasion, advertising, college students

Introduction

To define indirect, it is, “deviating from a direct line or course” according to Webster’s

Dictionary. In today’s society, advertising is around us all the time; even when we least expect it.

Whether it is direct or indirect selling, ads somehow persuade people to purchase a service or

product from an advertisement. They also invite consumers to construct multilayered meanings

that are not actually given in a text (Dick, Chakravarti, and Biehal 1990; Stern 1992). It’s more

or less like a coaxing method that would not usually catch a person’s attention. Indirect

persuasion attempts thus rely on consumer inference, in the sense of going beyond what is

explicit stated in an ad (Johar 1995). In a sense it’s as if the ad has hypnotized the receiver to

become interested in the product or service. However, researchers have argued that the way a

claim is presented can heavily influence “bottom-line” persuasion results,” (MacKenize and Lutz

1989, p. 63). Not to say that all persons receiving the message will purchase what is being

advertising, but for a mere second to one minute, the ad has grabbed a person’s attention.

Companies use this method of selling to an advantage because as stated earlier, they can

coax a consumer. When creating an ad, there are three key things to keep in mind such as

metaphors, pictures, and the consumer processing. They are what are important in advertising.

But overall what does the future really hold for this method of selling? Well, right now it

is still a work in process, as with anything there is always a trial and error experience. Although

thousands if not millions of companies use it, it be probably dominate the marketing industry.

Being that it is used so much now, it just may so to speak ‘hypnotize’ the human race.

Eventually, advisement might be solicited similar to the way it is in Will Smith’s movie IRobot.

The information collected in the research paper is based off how indirect persuasion

affects college students at an HBCU; Savannah State University. The basis of the study is to find

out, how effective is indirect advertising targeted towards college students, specifically African-

American males and females. Are the ads more enticing than the average ads and how do they

make the students feel when they see the ad?

This speaks volumes of how Savannah State University students are affected by the ads

due to the changing economy. The hopes are for the research is that years from advertising

agencies will come across this particular study and see how the advertising varies at different

schools, especially at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Literature Review

Metaphors represent a type of indirect claim because they make claims in a figurative

way rather than a literal way------the advertising message is not stated outright but only implied

(Mothersbaugh, Huhmann, and Franke 2002). They keep the ad somewhat complex but rather

simple. Instead of directly saying what wants to be said, the consumer has to form their own

understanding of it without being too wordy. It also gives the consumer a reminder that anytime

they hear or see that metaphor that they will automatically think of the ad associated with it.

Figure one is a conceptual model that represents a break down between vocabulary acquisition

and text acquisition. It explains how the short term memory can pick things up by verbal &

nonverbal representation and the cognitive schema. This does not only just follow with

metaphors in general but also with rhetorical figures which are artful deviations that require

resolution and point the way to resolution (McQuarie and Mick 1996; Toncar and Munch 2001).

These figures not only help the consumer visualize the product but also associate the product

with the metaphor. Rhetorical figures of a metaphor specifically, invites the comparison of two

objects by suggesting that the one object is like another, even though they come from different

domains (Stern 1990; Ward and Gaidis 1990). It forces the consumers to create their own unique

opinion about the two items being compared.

Figure 1A: Analog Mental Model

When using rhetorical figures or pictures in ads, it creates more competition. Actually,

attempts in ad pictures have increased even more rapidly than their use in ad words (Phillips and

McQuarrie 2003). When one company does something to grab consumers attention, its

competition may either mimic the ad or take the idea a step further. It is also well established that

pictorial elements in ads, such as color and layout, can influence a variety of advertising

outcomes (e.g., Finn 1988; Rossiter, and Percy 1983). An advertisement can have the strongest

power when a consumer even down to the smallest details of a picture such as alterations, color,

size, and what surrounds it. In the 1990s, (Leigh 1994) it was found that 74% of the magazine

ads used figures in their headlines. Imagine how that percentage of magazines using figures has

risen. Just as well did Phillips and McQuarrie (2003) find that from the period of 1954 to 1999

did figurative pictures in ads practically doubled. Not to mention that in some situations,

pictures in ads can be more memorable than words (e.g., Childers and Houston 1984).

To tie metaphors and rhetorical figures i.e. pictures together in an advertisement, it

invites the comparison of two objects by suggesting that the one object is like another, even

though they come from different domains. This forces the consumers to create their own opinion

based upon color[s] layout, alterations, color, size, and environment as well (e.g., Finn 1988;

Rossiter, and Percy 1983). Below is a conceptual model that is similar that gives a comparison

between imagery (pictures) and verbal (metaphors) being placed in ads. Within the research it

was found to be that Finn, Rossister & Percy’s believe in an ‘imagery’ theory while

Mothersbaugh, Huhmann, and Franke’s believe in a ‘verbal’ theory.

Figure 1B: Metaphor vs. Pictures

But some researchers have hypothesized that metaphors do not occur at the surface level

of representation (i.e. pictures versus words), but rather at the level of cognitive thought

(Forceville 1996; Hitchon 1997). However, ads can be more effective with just the location of

where the ad is being shown. In other words, pictures and words don’t always have the biggest

effect on how a consumer perceives an ad; it’s all about their perception and understanding of the

advertisement. Either way, the end result is that a message is being providing on why the product

or service should be purchased. Similar inferences were found (nonmetaphorical) visuals and

verbal claims (Smith 1991) to support the idea. However, other researchers contest those

inferences and suggest that ad messages presented in pictures are more “open” to multiple

interpretations than similar messages presented in words because the visual message is entirely

implicit (Eco 1976; Marchland 1985). Essentially, consumers are more than likely to make a

claim about an advertisement because there are pictures to describe and associate the product or

service with. Several researchers have speculated that advertisers purposefully use images to

imply messages that cannot be legally verbalized (Pollay 1991; Rossiter and Percy 1983: White

1981).

Take for example alcoholic beverage companies; most if not all use more pictures and

metaphors. Some companies may market a particular product towards college students who are

legally of age to drink. Whereas, other companies do not. The design and wording of the

advertisement gives students the idea that it’s a product worth purchasing due to how and when

they buy it. But within their advertising the companies do not state in order to be in the ‘in

crowd’ like celebrities or feel like a celebrity you must drink our beverage. Companies cannot

legally promote underage drinking. But in some print and television ads, there are a lot of young

people or even celebrities who promote the product in ads to sway their audience to believe that

drinking is not just for a certain type of people but for all people of all ages.

Below is an advertisement for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs newest alcohol beverage Cîroc

flavor. In the background there a lot of young party-goers, (mostly women) who are probably

college students or recently graduated students. There are some that probably purchased a

particular flavor who believe its taste is the better compared to another flavor of its brand. This is

all due to how it is promoted and advertised. In all, the audience it is appealing to does not

realize how effective the ad can be. Consumers may feel or think the drink is better than another

beverage they have seen advertised or tasted because of the party-goers body language or colors

used in the ad.

Figure 2 Cognitive Thought

The ad above coincides with how consumers process the indirect persuasion; there will

always be different ideas and theories on how the human mind translates what is being

advertised. Consumer processing is how a purchase decision is made based upon the

information gathered in the ad and their own opinion. This is the advantage part for companies

because the consumer must self-generate the implicitly stated claim (Karde 1993). These claims

are known to be more accessible and less subject to counterarguing (Lee and Olshavsky 1995).

Unfortunately consumers are at a disadvantage with Karde’s formulation because they are more

rather than less involved with the advertising message (Kardes 1988) for the fact being only

involved consumers will make the inference. Figure three is based upon Karde’s theory and it

breaks down the factors that tie into a purchase decision in which are the key things an ad most

have to sway its target audience.

Figure 3 Consumer Processing

However, linguists Sperber and Wilson (1986) explain a different method of how the

indirect claims are processed by consumers. They believe there are two types of inferences that

can be drawn in response to a message: (1) strong implications, and (2) weak implications

(Sperber and Wilson 1986). Strong implications are in terms of to be chosen as the most relevant

tends to vary little across listeners. Weak implications generated by a consumer familiar with the

genre of advertising will typically take the form of favorable claims about the brand, or more

exactly, hypotheses about the specific favorable claim the advertiser intended (Tanka 1996).

They are also less likely to function as distracting thoughts (cf. Edell and Staelin 1983). Another

claim is that consumers who are exposed to related but distinct attribute claims for a product are

more likely to rate a general claim as true than consumers who are exposed to one attribute claim

repeatedly (Hawkins, Hoch, and Meyers-Levy 2001). Below, figure four is a reflection of

Sperber and Wilson’s theory in which seven factors play key roles into whether the ad is either a

strong or weak implication.

Figure 4 Seven Factors of Processing

Overall, when you bring all the main points of ad together; metaphors, pictures and

consumer processing, they create a bigger picture. Each point has its small elements that make

that make a difference. The ultimate goal is for the consumer to purchase the service or product.

.

Figure 5: New Conceptual Model

Metaphors Pictures

Consumer

Processing

Attitude Location Incentive Time Appeal

Purchase

Decision

Discussion

Compared to all the conceptual models that have been reviewed within this paper, the

newest conceptual model is more accurate. Just about every single advertisement that is created

has some type of metaphor whether it’s verbal, pictorial, or both. In some way or another, the

outcome of whether someone will try the product or service is solely based on consumer

processing. The five key factors listed in the model makes a huge difference in someone’s

buying decision.

However, the previous models do take some part in creating this new model. Although

the previous ones are more in-depth with details, they still provide guidance. They also deliver a

breakdown in content for each particular point. Each theorist specified their beliefs more than the

newest model.

Just to review a bit, we’ll start off with figure 1A, vocabulary acquisition and text

comprehension. When a company creates an ad, this is important because whomever they are

targeting for the product or service has to be able to understand the message. In this world, there

are some people whom are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners; the same can be applied

with the types of consumers. A company has to be able to reach out to its target market in the

best way they can relate to them once the ad is printed and distributed. With that being said,

cognitive thought comes in handy. Once consumers have looked at the ad, they now have to

determine or ‘process’ the information they just received.

While grasping the concept, Sperber and Wilson’s theory on consumer processing

becomes important: strong implications and weak implications. A multitude of factors take part

for both inferences. These minor but exclusive details are heavily dependent upon how the

consumer prioritizes them. All these objectives take a particular position in the processing stage.

Conclusion

Indirect advertising is more than just what it can be defined. Within this type of selling,

there are numerous layers to it. It goes from just metaphors all the way down to the location and

timing of an ad. As stated in the introduction, advertising is around us all the time and it

persuades people to pay attention to something even when we least expect it. Whether it is a

picture or verbal, consumers are bound to obtain the message.

Nevertheless, companies are still carrying out trial and run investigations as they generate

new ideas. They have to differentiate their consumers in the categories of visual, auditory, and

kinesthetic persons. Not to mention, of those consumers, they have to determine how to capture

their interest and how to keep. Of those they have to determine how they can improve their form

of communication. In which this why there is such a thing called indirect persuasion.

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