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Persuasion, Propaganda,
And Marketing
Andre Rus
Persuasion, propaganda, and marketing are all based on influence. But differ.
Introduction and History
Persuasion
Persuasion: A general term for provoking a change in beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors
Persuasion
Propaganda
Propaganda: A systematic and intentional attempt to manipulate public opinion using biased or misleading information.
Propaganda
Marketing
Marketing: Promoting and selling products/services to consumers. Usually a combo of persuasion and propaganda techniques. The goal of marketing is to increase sales and revenue for the company.
Marketing
Takeaways
Takeaways
While there are positive and negative examples of all, for simplicity sake:
- Persuasion will focus on the ‘positive’ or ‘correct’ ways to influence someone
- Propaganda will focus on ‘negative’ or ‘incorrect’ uses of influence
- Marketing lies somewhere in the middle
Persuasion
Persuasion
Rhetorical Triangle
Overview
Overview
- Created by Aristotle in the 4th century BCE
- Are a set of three persuasive strategies employed when attempting to convince someone.
Ethos - Credibility
- Means 'character' in Ancient Greek
- Includes establishing personal credentials, authority, and gaining an audience's trust.
- Ex: Highlighting extensive research, experience, and education on a topic
Pathos - Emotion
- Means ' experience' or ' suffering' in Ancient Greek
- Working to invoke an emotional response
- Ex: Sharing a personal story about a family struggling with medical bills, emphasizing the human impact of the healthcare issue under discussion.
Logos - Logic
- Means 'word' or 'reason'
- Grounding an argument on reason and fact, getting the audience to think
- Ex: Presenting statistical evidence and logical reasoning to support a claim
Kairos - Timing
- Means 'timeliness' in Ancient Greek
- Applying the three strategies at an appropriate time
- Ex: Charity advertisements around Christmas
Kairos
Logical Fallacies
Logical Fallacies
Straw Man:
- Definition: Misrepresenting or exaggerating someone's argument to make it easier to attack.
- Example: "Opponents of the new law want chaos; they don't care about order."
Circular Reasoning:
- Definition: Using the conclusion of an argument as one of its premises.
- Example: "The software is reliable because the company says it's trustworthy."
False Dichotomy (Either/Or):
- Definition: Presenting a situation as if only two alternatives exist, when more options are possible.
- Example: "Either we implement this new policy, or the company will go bankrupt."
https://www.logicalfallacies.org/
Logical Fallacies
Propaganda
Definition, and Characteristics
A systematic effort to manipulate a public opinion, often conveyed through mass media.
Specifically beliefs, attitudes, or actions through:
Words, gestures, banners, music, clothing, insignias, etc.
An emphasis on manipulation distinguish propaganda from free speech.
Definition, and Characteristics
Propagandists also have a specified set of goals. To achieve them they:
- Deliberately select arguments that present them in favorable ways.
- May omit facts or lie, and repeatedly expose 'reactors' (the people they are trying to convince) to their propaganda.
Psychological Tactics
A.k.a Demonization, Scare tactics
Invloves exploiting Ethos (appleaing to emotions) by inciting fear into the public. Includes:
- Frightening people into supporting a particular cause
- Innacuratly or exaggerting an 'enemy' or 'other' group as a threatening, evil aggressor with destructive objectives.
Fear Appeal
A.k.a Plain-folk tactic, Group-Think
Uses peer pressure to convince people of the validity of an idea. May also take form of:
- The Plain Folks tactic. Where, “If regular people like something, then it must be good"
- Encourages group thinking, or believing something without proper reasearch, due to group influence. Paired with fear tactics, in extreme cases, may incite violence against the 'outside crowd.
Bandwagon Effect
A.k.a False Statistics, Card Stacking
Manipulating Information
Distorting or misrepresenting facts in favour of an idea - undermining and sacrificing the truth to push an agenda.
- Only using info that is favorable to the person or thing being promoted.
- Includes making false promises. Ex: A candiate vowing to end homelessness
Historical and Modern Examples
War on Terror Narratives
Manufactring Militarism
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After 9/11, the US government employed propoganda-like messaging to justify intervention in the Middle East
- Fear Appeal - Stressing potential threats and dire consequences, creating a sense of fear-inspired urgency.
- Demonizing The Enemy - Claiming that Al-Qaeda possesed, "weapons of mass destruction," implying an urgent and global level threat.
- News stories ran frequently by media
Digital Age Propoganda Machines - Social Media
In an age of enhanced interconnectedness, information, both real and false, spreads faster than ever.
- Social Media Echo Chambers - Isolated communities that reinforce particular reinforcing perspectives..
- Microtargeting - Tailored messages to specific demographics for maximum impact.
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International Psycological Warfare
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0:17 - 3:30
Mini-Activity
Analyze propoganda tactics seen in this poster
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Marketing
What is marketing?
0:15 - 2:35
PPPP
Product
Related to the product itself. Includes product design, features, branding, and packaging. All is optimized to fit a certain demographic of niche
Product
Price
The pricing component involves determining the cost of the product or service, considering market demand, competitor pricing, and perceived value. Finding a balance is key.
Price
Place
A.k.a distribution. Involves making the product available to the target market. Accessibility is key to reaching the intended audience.
Place
Promotion
Communication strategies used to inform, persuade, and remind customers about the product or service. Includes
- Advertising
- Public Relations
- Sales
Promotion
Examples
"9/10 Dentists Recommend"
Companies conduct independent research and phrase their question in a subtly manipulative way
- "Which toothpaste brand would you reccommend?"
- "Would you recommend Colgate toothpate?"
Toothpaste
Television car advertisements often show a 'regular' family enjoying a trip. Further, some manufacters may show off their safety features with a family to evoke emotion.
Cars
Summary
Questions
Now aware of various PPM tactics, can you think back to times when when you were exposed to them (Ethos, Logos, Pathos, Cognative Biases, etc)?
What were times you inadvertently or purposfully used manipulation tactics? What was the effect?
What limits should exist against PPM? What is the future of PPM, and what are the ethical considerations?
(Ex: Technology, Youth, etc)