CHAPTER1
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
This chapter consists of the introduction part of this dissertation. It will emphasise on the background to the study, a review of the area being researched, current information surrounding the issue, previous studies on the issue, and relevant history on the issue. The significance of the study will also be specified. Here, one will also get to know about the aim and objectives of this research. The problem statement will be illustrated from which the research question will be derived.
1.1 Background to the study
Fear appeal is a persuasive message that is used in many advertisements; mostly in sensitisation campaigns. The purpose of a fear appeal is to attract the audience toward the goal set by the advertiser. They are frequently applied in many types of marketing communications, e.g., the marketing of social causes, products, ideas and services. The message behind the fear used in adverts is basically “if you don’t do this (buy, vote, believe, support, learn, etc.), some
…show more content…
“Fear appeals are one of the most frequently used motivators to get people to help themselves” (Bagozzi and Moore, 1994, 56). In fact, fear appeals have grown in popularity because advertisers have found them to increase ad interest and persuasiveness (LaTour, Snipes, and Bliss, 1996). Evidence also suggests that individuals “better remember and more frequently recall ads that portray fear than they do warm or upbeat ads or ads with no emotional content” (Snipes, LaTour, and Bliss, 1999, 273). It is to be noted that “fear appeals are commonly applied in social marketing, mostly to discourage dangerous behaviour, such as smoking, reckless driving, drink-driving, unsafe sexual practices, and alcohol abuse” (Hastings et al., 2004; de Meyrick, 2001; Smith & Stutts, 2003; Timmers & van der Wijst,
Since 1877, American politics and society have been influenced by fear. This fear came from a lot of ways, for example: foreign culture and also from American. After the Reconstruction of the south of America, after slavery, the northern and the Southern became more and more close. By the United States unification, America met a lot of events that made people felt fear when America society had development and became strong, like Communism power, effect of atomic weapons.
In many different as and commercials they use scare tactics to prevent people from doing the horrible things in the picture or screen. The creators use scare tactics so that the people will be so frightened of becoming the thing on screen or have the mindset of changing that outcome in their own life. Without using scare tactics many commercials such as anti-smoking ads would have no effect on people watching because they would not be scared and try to protect themselves from the future of their health. This type of propaganda also uses plain folks to demonstrate that the people on the commercial are just like the people watching. Plain folks creates a connection between the actors and the audience. For example, an anti-abortion commercial aims to connect the actress portraying a mother to the actual mother of a child who has not made up her mind, or has towards abortion so that they will choose to not kill their
Imagine this: You are home and flipping through the channels on your television one late night. Every channel you flip through, there is a commercial. One commercial is for food, the next commercial is for the latest phone. What do all these advertisements have in common? They want to sell as much as possible to the consumer. But how do these advertisements persuade an average consumer to purchase their product or services? Advertisers use an abundance of techniques to unconsciously motivate consumers to purchase or share information about the advertisement’s goods or services. What language and techniques do three different commercials contain and how do these elements affect an audience? In the end, it is important to remember that commercials
One of the most controversial topics of the century hinges on one simple question: What makes the world go round? Most will jump to say money. Some will argue in favor of their religion. Others will point out scientific facts. The truth is, none are correct. One emotion, one aspect of life shines above the others, extending its light on merely half of our beloved globe, leaving the other semi-circle to deal with pitch black: fear. To understand its impact, society’s definition of fear must be perceived. Fear is officially defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something dangerous will harm him/her. However, with his classic novel, Alan Paton shows that it extends far beyond that. An old man by the name of Stephen Kumalo leaves the comfort of his tribe in Ndotsheni, and embarks on a
In response to the question set, I will go into detail of the study, consisting of the background, main hypotheses, as well the aims, procedure and results gathered from the study; explaining the four research methods chosen to investigate, furthering into the three methods actually tested.
This study sought to answer three research questions. Although the questions have been presented in previous chapters, they are worth presenting again.
emotions. Sut Jhally describes ads as "the dream life of our culture" and explains the persuasive
In the words of Bertrand Russell, “Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom” (Russell). Fear causes many problems in our lives. Fear influences many of a person’s actions and decisions. However, people usually regret the decisions or actions they made out of fear. Also, these actions and decisions can cause problems for those people in their future. Fear is a harmful emotion, for it clouds people’s judgement, disables them from taking action, and causes them to make decisions that they will regret later.
This article hasn’t provided an introduction; however a lengthy summary of the study which identifies the problem, purpose and rationale for the research study has been provided in the background. The introduction should give the reader a general sense of what the document is about, and preferably persuade the reader to continue reading. This prepares the reader for reading the rest of the document (Burns & Grove, 2001 p.636; Nieswiadomy, 2008 p.380; Stockhausen and Conrick, 2002).
Today, we are bombarded by messages; not just text messages, or electronic messages, but marketing messages. With modern technological advances, advertisers are competing for the consumer’s attention. When we are crowded by these images, we no longer recognize them and fall into their carefully designed traps. This behavior leads to more extreme tactics deployed by the mass media to catch the attention of its demographic. Eventually, the companies are producing and promoting propaganda. This trend is pointed out in the non-fiction book, Age of Propaganda: The Use and Abuse of Persuasion by Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson. The two authors explain how the media and advertisers use a calculated formula to convince viewers and consumers to buy their product. The way advertisers do this so effectively is through using the “four stratagems of influence,” as coined by Pratkanis and Aronson. These stratagems are as follows: pre-persuasion, source credibility, message and emotions. Each section is a complicated and yet applicable device to influence and dupe consumers.
Commercials serve many purposes for their audience. Whether it be to influence someone to purchase a product, or to advertise for a new movie release, commercials serve to persuade someone to do something. Advertisers are able to persuade and extend to a greater audience with the right amount of ethos, logos, and pathos, making the commercial more effective. Commercials are able to persuade the audience to the argument being presented by using pathos to apply to one’s emotions, logos to show evidence, and ethos to show credibility. In the BC SPCA End Animal Cruelty campaign, the commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan and “Angel” uses all three appeals to persuade the audience to support animals in distress and protect them further abuse.
Mental Afflictions Fear Any creature with consciousness is born with an emotion of fear. Even babies have instinctive fear. For example, a sudden loud noise makes them shudder and cry. Everyone has a fear about something or the other, be it a fear of failure, rejection or of death.
This advertisement makes people aware of the effects of smoking and persuades them to
Fear is a human emotion everyone dislikes. Fear is in every person with no exception. It can be difficult problem to solve. We can overcome our fears by challenging ourselves by analyzing fear and developing a growth mindset.
Advertisers and corporations are liable for using modern and sophisticated forms of mind control to the extent level of brainwashing consumers, in order to manipulate their choices and their spending habits. Our society is being negatively impacted, by becoming a consumer driven society constantly distracted by overwhelming persuasive advertisements, as opposed to ideal informative advertisements. The most vulnerable and negatively impacted targets of persuasive advertising are the younger, less mature, and/or less knowledgeable and self-directed consumers. Ironically, it was once said “An advertising agency is 85 percent confusion and 15% commission” (Allen). It is quite clear that social benefits are not part of this equation. The harm and severe social related costs far outweigh any economic growth and benefits deemed necessary for advertising and marketing companies.