Persuasion Techniques for Public Service Announcements

Persuasion Techniques for Public Service Announcements (and Advertisements)

1) EVERYDAY PEOPLE/SLICE OF LIFE: The people in the PSA or advertisement seem to be average people, like your friends, family or neighbors. Incorporates every day life into promoting an idea. Takes a boring task like doing dishes and tries to get the consumer excited about the product.

2) TESTIMONIAL: The people in the PSA or commercial know they are being taped. They might be actors or average people. They make talk about the value of the product or state the importance of the cause being promoted. They speak in the first person. (or it is written in the first person.)

3) ANNOUNCER/ANOMYMOUS WRITER: Direct promoting approach. An actor/actress (TV) or anonymous writer (print) gives facts, and talks about the benefits of the concept or product being promoted. This differs from a testimonial in that the actor/actress may not be directly connected with the service being promoted.

4) EXPERT: Uses someone knowledgeable in the related field to promote idea.

5) BANDWAGON: Gives the idea that many people are doing, using or buying it, so you should too. Join the crowd.

6) FAMOUS PERSON: Uses a celebrity to sell product or promote idea.

7) HEARTSTRINGS: Uses an emotional appeal to promote idea or sell product.

8) IMAGE ADVERTISING: The sell here is the lifestyle. Sometimes the product is not even featured. Makes the product seem appealing because it is cool, sophisticated, trendy, etc.

9) FANTASY: uses animation or fantasy to make the product desirable, an escape from reality. This is often used to reach kids.

10) NAME CALLING: Makes a competitor look bad in order to make the product being sold look better or to show why the cause is important. This is often used in political ads.

11) HUMOR: Uses comedy to sell the product or idea.

12) SEX: Uses sexy images to sell product or promote idea.

13) SHOCK VALUE: Uses an image or statement to shock the viewer to pay attention and support cause or buy product.

14) LOGO or MASCOT: Creates and uses repeatedly a recognizable symbol on their products, commercials or PSA Ad Campaigns, like the Nike swoosh or Smokey the Bear.