• Message Content

• Message Content

The communicator has to figure out an appeal or theme that will produce the desired response. There are three types of appeal: rational, emotional and moral

rational appeals Rational appeals relate to the audience's self­interest. They emphasize the func­ Message appeals that

tional benefits — better performance, higher quality, outstanding economy or relate to the audience's

value ­ of the product. Thus, in its ads, Mercedes offers automobiles that are 'en­ self­interest and show

gineered like no other car in the world', stressing engineering design, performance and that the product will

safety. One Volvo ad gives 'a whole stack of reasons' for buying the car ­ it has a prodiice the claimed

rigid passenger safety cage, front and rear absorbing crumple zones, a catalytic benefits; examples are

appeals of product converter that always works at peak efficiency, and many more reasons stressing

quality, economy, value design, safety and economy. When pitching computer systems to business users, IBM

or performance. salespeople talk about quality, performance, reliability and improved productivity. Rational appeals are particularly appropriate in industrial buying situations and

for the purchase of expensive consumer durable products.

emotional appeals Emotional appeals attempt to stir up either negative or positive emotions Message appeals that

that can motivate purchase. These include fear, guilt and shame appeals that get attempt to stir up

people to do things they should (brush their teeth, buy new tyres) or to stop doing negative or positive

things they shouldn't (smoke, drink too much, eat fatty foods). For example, a emotions that isill

recent Crest ad invoked mild fear when it claimed, 'There are some things you motivate purchase;

just can't afford to gamble with* (cavities). So did Michelin tyre ads that featured examples are fear, guilt,

shame, love, humour, cute babies and suggested 'Because so much is riding on your tyres'.

pride and joy appeals. Communicators of industrial goods can also use emotional appeals, as in the case of Alcatel, which played on managers' fear of investing in technology that could become obsolete rapidly. Its ad says: 'Before you invest in the latest technology make sure it has a future.'

Advertisers also use positive emotional appeals such as love, humour, pride, promise of success and joy. Thus some ad themes, such as British Telecom's'Make someone happy with a phone call', stir a bundle of strong emotions. Ad campaigns for Haagen­Dazs in the United Kingdom equated iee cream with pleasure (fore­ play, to be more precise). 'It is the intense flavour of the finest ingredients combined with fresh cream that is essentially Ilaagen­Dazs', followed by the strapline: 'Now it's on everybody's lips'. The firm claimed that the ad was a success. During the three months it advertised in newspapers and their supple­ ments, brand awareness doubled while sales in big outlets rose by a third. Over the year, the campaign had boosted sales by 59 per cent.' Advertisers also use positive emotional appeals such as love, humour, pride, promise of success and joy. Thus some ad themes, such as British Telecom's'Make someone happy with a phone call', stir a bundle of strong emotions. Ad campaigns for Haagen­Dazs in the United Kingdom equated iee cream with pleasure (fore­ play, to be more precise). 'It is the intense flavour of the finest ingredients combined with fresh cream that is essentially Ilaagen­Dazs', followed by the strapline: 'Now it's on everybody's lips'. The firm claimed that the ad was a success. During the three months it advertised in newspapers and their supple­ ments, brand awareness doubled while sales in big outlets rose by a third. Over the year, the campaign had boosted sales by 59 per cent.'

Moral appeals are directed to the audience's sense of what is 'right' and moral appeals 'proper'. They are often used to urge people to support social causes such as a

Message appeals that cleaner environment, butter race relations, equal rights for women and aid to the

are directed to the pisadvantaged. An example of a moral appeal is a Financial Times and Salomon

audience's sense of what Brothers ad drawing attention to a family festival and fun run in aid of the

is right and proper. Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for

Disabled People. The ad informs viewers of the date and time of a fun/entertain­ ment event. Runners taking part in a three­mile competitive run and a one­mile fun run eaeh donate a sum of money to the charities. The ad stresses that the two charities count on the generosity of sponsors to continue their vital work ­ in the United Kingdom alone, about 2.6 million people are severely disabled; cancer is a

disease which affects one in three people and kills one in four. If readers want more information and an entry form, they are invited to complete the reply coupon at the end of the ad or to telephone the event hot line. The advertisement

also uses an emotional appeal ­ concern and sympathy for sufferers ­ to convey its cause to the target audience.