第1754期:What adverts do to persuade us

Adverts are designed to persuade us, but which techniques have been shown to be effective in enticing us to buy things? One way is simply to portray something as normal. Former advertising professional Dan Parker explains that 'normalisation', showing people happily eating unhealthily, can lead to higher sales of junk food as people start to see these habits as normal. This is like product placement, where products are shown or mentioned in TV shows and films. Beth Fossen, an assistant professor of marketing, tells us that product placement is most effective when it is not too obvious. We become defensive if we know that someone is trying to sell us something. It seems that a subtle approach can be more convincing.

广告旨在说服我们，但哪些技术已被证明可以有效地吸引我们购买东西？一种方法是简单地将某些事物描绘成正常的。前广告专业人士丹·帕克解释说，“正常化”，即让人们愉快地吃不健康的食物，会导致垃圾食品的销量增加，因为人们开始将这些习惯视为正常现象。这就像植入式广告，在电视节目和电影中展示或提及产品。营销学助理教授 Beth Fossen 告诉我们，植入式广告在不太明显时最有效。如果我们知道有人试图向我们推销东西，我们就会变得防御起来。似乎微妙的方法可以更有说服力。

Appealing to our emotions is another strategy that advertisers use. Some of them use fear to persuade us. Jannet Pendleton, a senior lecturer in communication studies, explains that for fear to be an effective tool, we need to believe that both the fears raised, and the possibility that our actions can make a difference are credible. Where fears are exaggerated or we feel helpless, we are likely to switch off.

吸引我们的情绪是广告商使用的另一种策略。他们中的一些人用恐惧来说服我们。传播学高级讲师珍妮特·彭德尔顿 (Jannet Pendleton) 解释说，要使恐惧成为一种有效的工具，我们需要相信所引起的恐惧以及我们的行动可能产生影响的可能性都是可信的。在恐惧被夸大或我们感到无助的地方，我们可能会关闭。

Adverts often show perfect-looking people because marketers believe that we will aspire to be like them and buy the products they endorse. However, as Karen Middleton, a senior lecturer in marketing and advertising, points out, this may not be the best strategy. The research that she mentions shows these adverts can make people feel bad and put them off products. These studies say that seeing a more human and relatable side of people can sway us into believing them. David Robson, writing for BBC Worklife, explains that endorsements from characters who admit their mistakes can often be more believable.

广告经常展示完美相貌的人，因为营销人员相信我们会渴望像他们一样并购买他们代言的产品。然而，正如市场营销和广告学高级讲师凯伦米德尔顿指出的那样，这可能不是最好的策略。她提到的研究表明，这些广告会让人们感觉不好，并让他们远离产品。这些研究表明，看到人们更人性化和更亲切的一面可以让我们相信他们。为 BBC Worklife 撰稿的大卫·罗布森 (David Robson) 解释说，承认错误的角色的认可往往更可信。

So, it seems that the secret to these persuasion techniques is that, to be most effective, they need to be used carefully. Perhaps the best technique advertisers can use to persuade people is to fully understand the people they are selling to.

因此，这些说服技巧的秘诀似乎在于，要最有效，就需要谨慎使用。也许广告商可以用来说服人们的最佳技巧是充分了解他们的销售对象。

词汇表

persuade 说服，使相信
entice 诱使，引诱
portray 描绘
advertising 广告业
normalisation 正常化，常态化
product placement 植入式广告
convincing 有说服力的
appeal to emotions 迎合（某人的）情感，投合（某人的）喜好
credible 可信的，令人信服的
exaggerate 夸张，夸大
switch off 失去兴趣，不再理睬
marketer 营销商
aspire 渴望
endorse 宣传，代言
put off 让（人）打消念头，望而却步
sway 说服
endorsement （产品）宣传，名人代言
believable 可信的