Research into attitudes and means of persuasion has an obvious application to the field of advertising and marketing, both in terms of choosing effective ways to promote a product and in terms of selecting the best method for persuading consumers to purchase one’s goods. Surveys and questionnaires originally used to measure human psychology have been adapted to aid marketers in choosing the most effective means of getting their message across.
Certain tricks of the craft, such as professional endorsement or celebrity endorsement, and emotion and sex appeal, all rely on psychology. A slogan may be based on a theory or a concept or maybe an ad campaign, political agenda, or religious propaganda designed to evoke certain emotions and influence people’s behavior. In either case, the idea is conveyed through words and images, not necessarily facts. Likewise, advertising appeals to our fears and prejudices rather than our reason. And like any persuasive technique, they work best when we allow them to. Yet, on the other side of the spectrum, these methods can be utilized prosocially to evoke awareness in health, safety, and charity campaigns.
