The Power of Advertising

No one wants to believe that advertising has any influence over his or her behavior. The fact of the matter is that all of us will gravitate towards people, products and services with which we are most familiar. And advertising is the most cost effective means of building familiarity with your brand across a wide market of potential users.

The person who articulates the power of persuasion best is a psychologist who spoke at the MFE Conference years ago. His name is Robert Cialdini and he is a professor at Arizona State University.

Here are his 6 principles that can apply to all forms of persuasion:

· Reciprocation. People are more willing to comply with requests (for favors, services, information, concessions, etc.) from those who have provided such things first.
· Commitment/Consistency. People are more willing to be moved in a particular direction if they see it as consistent with an existing commitment.
· Authority. People are more willing to follow the directions or recommendations of a communicator to whom they attribute relevant authority or expertise.
· Social Validation. People are more willing to take a recommended action if they see evidence that many others, especially similar others, are taking it.
· Scarcity. People find objects and opportunities more attractive to the degree that they are scarce, rare, or dwindling in availability.
· Liking/Friendship. People prefer to say yes to those they know and like.

If you are a consultant, and happy with your current base of clients, then advertising is probably not going to be an investment that makes much sense for you.

If you are a business with a valued service looking to GROW share of market in a specific industry, then advertising of some variety should be part of your strategy. Advertising will build the value of your brand, help sales people get appointments and lower your cost of sales.

When planning your messaging keep the 6 principles above in mind. And remember that the key to advertising is consistency. Consistency builds familiarity and trust.