A shampoo manufacturer may use persuasive advertising to indicate that its product’s ingredients are ideal for nourishing certain types of hair.
Statistics, celebrity endorsements, and product placement are persuasive advertising techniques. The use of statistics, however vague, can convince viewers that one product is better than another. Celebrity endorsements or even random paid actor endorsements can help generate interest in a product. Product placement is often subtly persuasive, but studies indicate that people may remember and trust product placement ads more than TV commercials. In addition, before and after photos are also effective, although they are not always entirely true.
Some persuasive advertising techniques use statistics to attract consumers. Depending on local laws, statistics quoted in advertisements may be required to be true, but the obligation to tell the truth sometimes does not prevent companies from framing statistics in a strange or misleading way. For example, a commercial might state, “This cleaning product is 20% more effective than the leading brand.” This statement can be convincing because the product appears to be the best in its class. In reality, the leading brand is not necessarily the best product available, and the added efficacy may be negligible overall.
It is also common to use celebrities or paid actors who provide product testimonials. Sometimes celebrities or actors claim that the product has changed their lives for the better. These persuasive advertising techniques help to associate the product with someone famous and admired, or at least with a person with whom the viewer can identify. In some cases, the person providing the testimonial may have used the product only on the day the ad was shot or would not normally use the product.
Product placement is another type of marketing that is mostly used in TV shows and movies. When it comes to persuasive advertising techniques, it is often one of the most subtle. Companies pay to have their products appear on a show, and often pay even more for a main character to interact with the product. Sometimes product placement is subtle, like seeing a beverage brand in the background. Other times, product placement can be so obvious that viewers complain, which has happened with some big-budget movies where the main characters speak directly about the product.
Before and after photos are among the most popular persuasive advertising techniques used in weight loss ads and can be very effective. Studies have found that reported achievements are generally not standard for everyone. In fact, many commercials include a disclaimer on before and after photos stating that the results are not typical. The results shown in the before and after photos were obtained by someone and may be obtained by a random consumer, but are generally not realistic expectations.