Discuss the Ways in Which Digital Marketing Has Changed the Principles of Persuasive Advertising (Celebrities)
Introduction
Different organizations are looking to attract customers through an effective marketing process. Marketing strategies in this contemporary business era have been changed. Persuasive marketing has changed the marketing process with the time. Many techniques and principles are used to shape the marketing or advertisement strategy to make the difference. Persuasive marketing is a process to attract or persuade a customer or group of customers to buy a particular product or services in the presence of other products in the similar product category. Companies have used both traditional approaches to enhance the visibility of persuasive advertising and its impact. However, digital advertising has emerged as a key marketing tool for organizations. Principles of persuasive advertising are changing due to digital marketing.
Ways in which digital marketing has changed the principles of persuasive advertising
List of principles
- Information
- Overcoming the resistance
- Demonstration
- Campaign Consistency
- Emotional Focus
- Questions
- Price
Explanation of Principles
S # 1: Information
Most ads include two or more pieces of information, and only 16 percent include none (Armstrong, 2010, p. 27).
The prominent principle of persuasive marketing is information. It is a fact that the company wants customers to gain enough information regarding the product from different media channels such as new events to make the buying decisions. The attraction through information is an old technique or principle of the market. However, it is still active and effective due to its impact on the buying decisions of customers. It has been revealed that the company provides information regarding product quality, warranty, features, price, and many other related factors. It seems to make them assertive through providing information. Traditionally, in persuasive advertising, the firm uses a wide content for the customer, including information of all key factors regarding the product. However, in persuasive advertising, it has been seen that the message or information is overcomplicated. Without digital media, it seems tough for the company to sort out information on the traditional channel. People perceive information in different manners, and accordingly, the information strategy can be shaped by the company to increase attraction, assertiveness, and positive preferences. Streamlining the information is a complete journey now, and it is most impactful (Armstrong, 2010).
How it goes against it
Now, it is an era of digital marketing. The trend of spreading information through digital devices is quite different. Digital marketing has changed the information principle. For Instance, instead of putting comprehensive content in persuasive advertising, companies have found ways to bring creativity in the information. Most of the information is to be shaped or designed through different visuals. The principle has been changed due to the valuable content to be provided on the digital media channels. It is a fact that the heavy information in the persuasive marketing can be useless for the customer. People usually do not have time to grab the whole information. On digital channels, the firm can use different celebrities to change the brand preferences. Celebrity endorsement is a key marketing trait to enhance the attention and make customers in the market assertive.
S#1: Information
1.4: Price
State prices in the term that is meaningful and easy to understand (Armstrong, 2010, p. 62).
According to this principle, it is essential to depict the right price to the right customer. Through depicting the price of the product or service in the campaign, clients can decide and make a comparison to buying the product.
How it goes against it
In digital marketing, marketers have to visualize the detailed pricing plan for different packaged products. Interestingly, it gives a complete insight into a customer. For example, the marketer can make several segments of customers with some key benefit or features of the product. The regular product can be priced and depicted with some limited benefits. Premium products or services can be priced and demonstrated with some additional or advanced benefit. Thus, the new trend is to depict the price with a pertinent rationale, and it is workable in the presence of other substitutes in digital media channels (Firth, 2014).
S# 5: Overcoming the Resistance
5.1: Distractions, 5.2: Perspectives
Distractions for the product have neither advantages nor disadvantages (Armstrong, 2010, p. 142).
Regarding the general tactics section, the prominent principle is overcoming resistance. Overcoming the resistance has become an effective persuasive advertising principle to increase the consumer appeal. When overcoming resistance in the general tactics, the management of the company must have to involve customers. In persuasive advertising, the customer involvement can only be seen as observation, perception and making buying decisions.
How it goes against it
However, on digital marketing, the principle of customer involvement has been changed or replaced by customer engagement. Interestingly, through digital media marketing, the management is in the position to speak to customers directly and have feedback regarding the product or service. The principle of persuasive advertising is changing due to the medium. It seems a great opportunity for the management to engage customers and have a chat with them to derive some insights. For Instance, in the advertising process, the firm may face resistance due to the limitation of celebrities.
S#6: Acceptance
6.2: Demonstration
It is 1893, and you have just developed a new product that you called an automobile. How do you advertise it? (Armstrong, 2010, p. 144).
Another principle of persuasive advertising is acceptance. The firm may demonstrate the product through pertinent content and images of the product. The demonstration is imperative for the company to let customers view and accept the product. Only content or information in persuasive marketing is not enough. The product demonstration can facilitate customers create the perception and accept the design of the product.
How it goes against it
However, the principle has been changed by digital marketing. Now, persuasive marketing depicts the principle of visualization instead of just acceptance or demonstration. For Instance, on different social media channels, the firm visualizes the product and information with the help of technology. Several digital tools have helped the company to make different data and product segments. Traditionally, in persuasive advertising, the company demonstrates the product in the form of images. Now, due to several analytical tools, the data can be visualized logically and attractively. It can be said systematically visualizing the product data is a remarkable approach that justifies the objective of the persuasive advertising. The demonstration is a key principle of persuasive advertising, only depicts numbers. On digital media, data is to be visualized through different variables. It gives some meaningful insights to customers. Now, on social media or any other digital channels, there is a need to come up with two-sided arguments. Celebrities can get a chance on digital channels to interact with customers (Armstrong, 2010).
S#8: Attention
8.2: Campaign Consistency
By the 1920s, the military and political concept of a campaign had worked its way into advertising (Armstrong, 2010, p. 219).
In general tactics, persuasive advertising contains the principle of campaign consistency. For instance, on different traditional media channels, the firm usually sets the frequency of the Ad. However, it has been seen that the ad frequency is not aligned with the frequency of motion graphics. For Instance, the same speed for the same arguments is not workable. It seems better to use slow speech for strong arguments to make the Ad consistent and acceptable. Celebrities can use these motion traits to explain products and features.
How it goes against it
However, digital marketing is emerging. The principle of the campaign consistency is changed or replaced by morphing in the digital motion graphics. Traditionally, firms usually take control of the advertisement process just through using the same faces, designs or shapes. Celebrities use technology and highlight main arguments by changing image and designs. The purpose is to boost the clear understanding of digital media channels. Changing colors, faces, shapes, and design according to the speech and the message is a modern trend. Moreover, trends of motions and typography with celebrity endorsement Ads are also in the limelight in the digital advertising world. The biggest benefit of these trends is that the customer cannot be frustrated. They will have to see a celebrity with such amazing motions with great attraction.
S#3: Emotion
3.1: Emotional Focus
Within any given ad, a combination or rational and emotional content will probably not work (Armstrong, 2010, p. 85).
The emotional focus triggers persuasive marketing. It is a key principle that increases customer attraction and makes them assertive in showing their preferences. Containing emotional and sentimental attachments with customers is a key marketing strategy on both traditional and modern media channels. This principle of persuasive advertising depicts some cultural integration to attract people and compel them to buy it in the presence of the substitutes. It is impactful and leads towards rational decision making, as far as the buying process of the customer is concerned Celebrity endorsement lacks credibility. It has been revealed that celebrity testimonials are often below average. It means celebrities often fail to contain emotional and sentimental attachments with customers (Armstrong, 2010).
How it goes against it
Now, in affiliate marketing, celebrities and people have enough time to interact and get more insights. Interacting on digital media channels is in the comfort zone of any celebrity, and it can justify the emotional focus. Interestingly, it can be replaced in affiliate marketing. The user can earn enough through affiliate marketing. However, beyond earnings and commissions, the most important thing for the user is to understand the product and its rationale. It is a fact that marketers are using the emotional angle to get some predictable outcomes. For example, social proof and loss aversion are two powerful elements in affiliate marketing. Promoting the product to people with social proof can work in favor of the promoter. Thus, the principle of the emotional focus on the traditional media channels seems way behind than the affiliate marketing in the digital media (Gudema, 2017).
S#6: Acceptance
6.12: Questions
I was sitting in a lecture and struggling to stay awake. Then the lecturer asked a question (Armstrong, 2010, p. 166).
In persuasive marketing, it seems necessary for the company to give answers to all questions. Customers usually have questions to know more about the product, and some dedicated employees are needed in the marketing and customer service teams. It is a process of attraction that can give a lead to the firm increasing sales. However, traditionally, it has been done manually. Interestingly, it looks logical to find people and train them to interact with customers and give answers (Armstrong, 2010).
How it goes against it
Remarkably, artificial intelligence is the best digital marketing technique, used by digital marketers. Due to the artificial intelligence on social media and many other digital channels, digital marketers can create some programmed bots to provide answers to customer queries automatically. Of course, it is to be done without dedicated employees in the company. The company, triggered by the brick & Mortar business model, can have a customer service or marketing team to increase customer interaction. Now, the principle is changed due to the replacement of humans (Usatoday.com, 2018).
Discussion
Persuasive advertising is a positive initiative by the management. It is triggered by some key principle, which is to be executed effectively. The big difference between the persuasive advertising principles and digital marketing is the improvisation. Marketers on digital media channels are improvising to get more customer insights and interacting with them in a meaningful manner. By navigating all these principles, it is observed that persuasive advertising is impersonal as compared to the digital marketing process. Normally, the firm has to create the ad to grip the large group of customers. Most of the customers may not see the advertisement (Zemni, 2013). There is a lack of customization in these principles, and obviously, the digital process of marketing is quite relevant to modern business or marketing needs. It is also revealed that implementing or executing principles of persuasive advertising at the same time is impossible for the marketer. It often leads to false advertisements on media channels. Companies are falsifying products or services to take benefits (Firth, 2014). However, digital media is a prominent barrier in this regard. It can be said that digital media contains some new trends such as celebrity endorsement. These trends have helped the management of companies to replace some traditional persuasive advertising principles with some new principles (Firth, 2014). Therefore, based on the analysis of persuasive advertisement principles and traits of digital media marketing, shifting or embracing digital media marketing techniques is highly recommended to be relevant, impactful, sustainable, and lucrative in the competitive landscape (Cialdini, 2012).
Conclusion
In the end, it is to conclude that persuasive advertising is still a better approach. However, principles have changed, and it should be shifted to the digital media channels. Both small and large organizations have to alter their marketing strategies and adopt some new principles, which are triggered by digital marketing. In this comprehensive analysis, the focus was on the evolvement of digital marketing and its impact on persuasive marketing along with its principles. Regarding the marketing process, it is a better time to move on and embrace lucrative digital trends to make a difference. Persuasive advertising principles have been replaced by adopting some new celebrity endorsement trends on different digital media channels. It makes digital media advertising more attractive and lucrative.
References
Armstrong, J. S. (2010). Persuasive Advertising: Evidence-based Principles. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Cialdini, R. (2012, September 12). Brand Marketing: The Six Principles Of Persuasion. Retrieved from https://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2012/09/brand-marketing-the-six-principles-of-persuasion.html
Firth, C. (2014, June 19). What is Digital Marketing? Retrieved from http://blog.istorm.ca/marketing/content-marketing/13-principles-digital-marketing/
Gudema, L. (2017, December 7). 7 Principles of Digital Marketing. Retrieved from http://revenueassociates.biz/7-principles-digital-marketing/
Usatoday.com. (2018, March 19). The Basic Principles Of Digital Marketing For Small Businesses. Retrieved from http://classifieds.usatoday.com/blog/business/basic-principles-digital-marketing-small-businesses/
Zemni, H. (2013, October 17). 6 Principles Of Persuasive Marketing: How To Influence People. Retrieved from https://www.insites-consulting.com/6-principles-of-persuasive-marketing-how-to-influence-people/
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