1. Chapter 6 Source, Message, and Channel Factors

2. Source Person involved in communicating a marketing message
Direct source - Delivers a message and/or endorses a product or service
Indirect source - Draws attention to and enhances the appearance of an ad
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on page 184 of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide can be used as part of a discussion about direct and indirect sources in ads.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to explain the term source, which refers to the person involved in communicating a marketing message, either directly or indirectly.
A direct source is a spokesperson who delivers a message and/or endorses a product or service.
An indirect source, say a model, doesn’t actually deliver a message, but draws attention to and/or enhances the appearance of the ad.
Some ads use neither a direct nor an indirect source; the source is the organization with the message to communicate.

3. Source Credibility Source Information Knowledge Knowledge Skill Skill
Expertise
Expertise
Trustworthy
Trustworthy
Information
Unbiased
Unbiased
Objective

4. Source Credibility Extent to which the recipient:
Sees the source as having relevant knowledge, skill, or experience
Trusts the source to give unbiased, objective information
Internalization: Adopting the opinion of a credible communicator and the belief that information from this source is accurate
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on page 184 of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide gives an overview of source credibility.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to discuss about source credibility and to introduce the concept of internalization. Credibility is the extent to which the recipient sees the source as having relevant knowledge, skill, or experience and trusts the source to give unbiased, objective information. There are two important dimensions to credibility, expertise and trustworthiness.
Information from a credible source influences beliefs, opinions, attitudes, and/or behavior through a process known as internalization, which occurs when the receiver adopts the opinion of the credible communicator since he or she believes information from this source is accurate.

5. Source Credibility Enhanced by: Limitations
Applying expertise and trustworthiness
Using corporate leaders as spokespeople
Limitations
High- and low-credibility sources are equally effective when arguing for a position opposing their own best interest
Sleeper effect: Persuasiveness of a message increases with the passage of time
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on page 189 of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide introduces the effectiveness of high- and low-credibility sources, and the sleeper effect, which can make a low-credibility source more credible over time.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to explain that studies have shown that a high-credibility source is not always an asset, nor is a low-credibility source always a liability. High- and low-credibility sources are equally effective when they are arguing for a position opposing their own best interest.
A low-credibility source may also be as effective as a high-credibility sources due to the sleeper effect, whereby the persuasiveness of the message increases with the passage of time. Over time, the association of the message with the source diminishes and the receiver’s attention focuses more on the favorable information in the message.
Many advertisers hesitate to count on the sleeper effect, however, since exposure to a credible source is a more reliable strategy.

6. Source Attractiveness
Attractiveness: Characteristic that encompasses similarity, familiarity, and likability
Identification: Receiver is motivated to seek some type of relationship with the source
Adopts similar beliefs, attitudes, preferences, or behavior
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on pages of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide presents source attractiveness and identification.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to explain the three basic characteristics of source attractiveness.
Similarity - Resemblance between the source and the recipient of the message. People are more likely to be influenced by a message coming from someone with whom they feel a sense of similarity (e.g. similar needs, goals, interests, lifestyles).
Familiarity - Knowledge of the source through exposure. Familiarity is enhanced through repeated or prolonged exposure.
Likeability - Affection for the source as a result of physical appearance, behavior, or other personal traits. Consumers can admire physical appearance, talent, and/or personality even if the source is not well known or a celebrity.
Marketers recognize that receivers of persuasive communications are more likely to attend to and identify with people they find likeable or similar to themselves. Therefore, they often choose individuals who are admired, such as TV and movie stars, athletes, and other popular individuals, to deliver their messages.

7. Source Attractiveness
Enhanced by:
Applying similarity
Using celebrities as spokespeople
Understanding the meaning of celebrity endorsers
Limitations of celebrities as spokespeople
Overshadow the product
Overexposure
Target audiences’ receptivity
Risk to the advertiser
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on pages of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide outlines the risks to the advertiser when utilizing a celebrity spokesperson and how source attractiveness can be enhanced.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to discuss about the factors that must be considered before deciding to use celebrities to endorse a product.
Overshadowing the product - Select a celebrity spokesperson who will attract attention and enhance the sales message, but not overshadow the brand.
Overexposure - Consumers can become skeptical when a celebrity endorses too many products or companies and becomes overexposed.
Target audiences’ receptivity - Marketers should select a celebrity endorser who matches and is well received by the target audience.
Risk to the advertiser - The advertiser needs to select an endorser who will not embarrass the company, so researching the celebrity’s personal life and background is becoming common. A prime example is Tiger Woods, who recently caused his sponsors great embarrassment.
It is important for advertisers to consider these factors in their decisions, as celebrity endorsements cost huge sums of money.

8. Source Attractiveness
Resemblance between the source and recipient of the message
Similarity
Similarity
Familiarity
Knowledge of the source through repeated or prolonged exposure
Familiarity
Affection for the source resulting from physical appearance, behavior, or other personal traits
Likeability

9. Choosing a Celebrity Endorser
Match w/audience
Match w/product
Image
Cost/ROI
Trust
Risk
Familiarity
Likability
Factors
Relation to Text This slide relates to page 194 of the text.
Summary Overview This slide presents a list of factors that marketers should consider before spending the company’s money to sign a celebrity endorser.
Use of this Slide Use this slide to discuss the many factors that marketers consider when choosing a celebrity to serve as an advertising spokesperson. Among the most important are (1) the celebrity’s match with the target audience and the product/service or brand, (2) the overall image of the celebrity, (3) the cost of acquiring the celebrity, (4) trustworthiness, (5) the risk of controversy, and (6) the celebrity’s familiarity and likability among the target audience.
They also consider “Q-scores,” which are commercially available ratings developed by Marketing Evaluations, Inc. Q-scores are explained on the next slide.

10. Risks of Using Celebrities
The celebrity may overshadow the product being endorsed
The celebrity may overshadow the product being endorsed
The celebrity may be overexposed, reducing his or her credibility
The celebrity may be overexposed, reducing his or her credibility .
The target audience may not be receptive to celebrity endorsers
The target audience may not be receptive to celebrity endorsers
The celebrity’s behavior may pose a risk to the company

11. Message Factors Message structure Message appeals
Order of presentation
Conclusion drawing
Message sidedness
Refutation
Verbal versus visual messages
Message structure
Comparative advertising
Fear appeals
Humor appeals
Message appeals
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on pages of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide presents the message factors—message structure and message appeals.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to have a discussion on the message factors that determine the effectiveness of the marketing communications.

12. Message Structure
Order of presentation - Strongest arguments should be presented early or late in the message but never in the middle
Primacy effect: Information presented first is most effective
Recency effect: Last arguments presented are most persuasive
Depends on:
Target audience’s receptivity to the message
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on pages of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide presents message structure in detail.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to have a discussion on the best way to communicate the message points and overcome any opposing viewpoints audience members may hold.

13. Message Structure
Length of the message
Medium used to communicate the message
Conclusion drawing - Messages with explicit conclusions are more easily understood and effective in influencing attitudes
Depends on:
Target audience
Type of issue or topic
Nature of the situation
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on page 202 of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide is a continuation of the previous slide and discusses about message structure.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to have a discussion on whether communicators’ messages should explicitly draw a firm conclusion or allow receivers to draw their
own conclusions.

14. Message Structure
One-sided message: Mentions only positive attributes or benefits, effective if target audience:
Already holds a favorable opinion about the topic
Is less educated
Two-sided message: Presents both good and bad points, effective when the target audience:
Holds an opposing opinion
Is highly educated
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on page 202 of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide provides the explanation of one-sided message and two-sided message.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to introduce one-sided message and two-sided message. A one-sided message mentions only positive attributes or benefits. A two-sided message presents both good and bad points.

15. Message Structure
Refutational appeal: Communicator presents both sides of an issue and then refutes the opposing viewpoint
Verbal versus visual messages - When verbal information is:
Low in imagery value, use of pictures increase immediate and delayed recall
High in imagery value, addition of pictures do not increase recall
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on pages of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide introduces the topic of refutation and presents content on verbal versus visual messages.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to have a discussion on refutational appeal, a special type of two-sided message, where the communicator presents both sides of an issue and then refutes the opposing viewpoint. Refutational messages are useful when marketers wish to build attitudes that resist change and must defend against attacks or criticism of their products or their company.
This slide can also be used to discuss how ads use pictures to affect the way consumers process the accompanying copy. Some advertisers design ads in which the visual portion is incongruent with, or contradicts, the verbal information presented. The logic behind this strategy is that the use of an unexpected picture or visual will grab the consumer’s attention and get him/her to engage in a more effortful or elaborative processing.
Studies show that using a visual that in inconsistent with the verbal content leads to more recall and greater processing of the information presented.

16. Message Appeal Options
Comparative
Ads
Comparative
Ads
Fear
Appeals
Fear
Appeals
Humor
Appeals
May be especially useful for new brands
Often used for brands with small market share
Frequently use in political advertising
May stress physical danger or threats to health
May identify social threats: disapproval or rejection
May backfire if the level of threat is too high
They can attract and hold attention
They are often the best remembered
They put the consumer in a positive mood

17. Message Appeals
Comparative advertising: Directly or indirectly naming competitors in an ad and comparing one or more attributes
Fear appeals: Evoke an emotional response to a threat and arouse individuals to take steps to remove the threat
Effective when the recipient is:
Self-confident and prefers to cope with dangers
A nonuser of the product
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on pages of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide presents two of advertising message appeal options.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to discuss various advertising appeal options that are available.
Comparative ads - Directly or indirectly naming competitors in an ad and comparing one or more specific attributes
FTC advocated this type of advertising in 1972 to give consumers a more rational basis for making purchase decisions.
Helps get new brands into the evoked set of the consumer
Often used for brands with small market share
Used frequently for political advertising
Fear appeals - Evokes an emotional response of danger and arouses individuals to take steps to remove the threat
May stress physical danger (illegal drugs) or social rejection (mouthwash)
Has both facilitating and inhibiting effects

18. Message Appeals Humor appeals - Humorous ads:
Attract and hold consumers’ attention
Put consumers in a positive mood
Increase consumers' liking of the ad and their feeling toward the product
Distract the consumer from counter arguing against the message
May wear out faster than serious appeals
Wearout: Tendency of a commercial to lose effectiveness when seen or heard repeatedly
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on page 210 of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide presents humor appeal of the advertising message appeals.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to introduce and discuss the humor appeal and the effects of humorous ads on the consumers.

19. Humor Appeals Advantages and Disadvantages
Aid with awareness and attention
Aid name and simple copy registration
Aid retention
Aid persuasion to switch brands
Create a positive mood that enhances persuasion
Disadvantages
Harm recall and comprehension
Harm complex copy registration
Do not aid persuasion in general
Do not aid source credibility
Not very effective in bringing about sales
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on page 211 of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide summarizes the pros and cons of using humor in advertising.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to show that although humorous ads are some of the best known and most memorable of all advertising messages, not every product or every marketing situation lends itself to humor. Advertisers should consider these pros/cons before deciding to use humor to attract attention and gain awareness for their products.

20. Channel Factors
Personal versus nonpersonal channels - Information received from personal channels is more persuasive than that received from the mass media
Effects of alternative mass media
Differences in information processing
Self-paced - Readers process the ad at their own rate and study it as long as they desire
Externally paced - Transmission rate is controlled by the medium
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on page 211 of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide summarizes the personal versus nonpersonal channels and presents some of the effects of alternative mass media.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to discuss about the final controllable variable of the communications process—the channel or medium used to deliver the message to the target audience. These channels fall into two broad media categories, personal and non-personal.
This slide can also be used to discuss the effects of alternative mass media.

21. Self versus External Paced Media
Self-Paced
Media
Self-Paced
Media
Externally Paced
Media
Newspapers
Magazines
Direct Mail
Internet
Radio
Television .
vs.

22. Channel Factors Effects of context and environment
Qualitative media effect: Influence the medium has on a message
Image of the media vehicle affect reactions to the message
Clutter: Amount of advertising in a medium
All the nonprogram material that appears in the broadcast environment
Relation to text: This slide relates to content found on page 211 of the text.
Summary Overview: This slide presents some of the effects of context and environment and the problem of clutter.
Use of this slide: This slide can be used to discuss the effects of context and environment and the problem of clutter. Clutter has been defined as the amount of advertising in
a medium. For television, clutter includes all the nonprogram material that appears in the broadcast environment—commercials, promotional messages for shows, public service announcements (PSAs), and the like.
Clutter is of increasing concern to advertisers because there are so many messages competing for the consumer’s attention. A viewer watching three hours of prime-time programming on the major networks could be subjected to as many as 100 commercial messages. The problem is not likely to go away, so advertisers must continue to look for ways to break through the clutter, such as using humor, celebrity spokespeople, or novel, creative approaches.