Strategies of Persuasion Preview Questions

Persuasion Strategies

There are many different strategies of argumentation, and all of them could be considered a tool for persuasion since they are primarily used in advertisements which want you to buy a product.

The most persuasive strategies in my opinion are:

1. Comparison-contrast, compares one product to its competitor.

2. Example, shows how a product can impact a person's life if they buy it.

3. Cause and effect, shows the benefits of using the product.

Logos, Pathos, Ethos

If an argument was backed with nothing but words, most of us would shrug it off and think it was a waste of time. That is why ad agencies and even individuals use the power of logos, pathos, and ethos in order to persuade others to support their opinions. These rhetorical appeals are meant to attract the attention of the viewer. For example, if the argument was coming from the United States President then we would stop and listen to his support because of his influence and standing in our nation (ethos). The SPCA commercials that feature Sara McLachlan's "Angel" are appealing to your emotions in order persuade you to adopt an animal and lets face it we all want to cry when we see it(pathos). Finally, Dove's Self-esteem campaign attempts to support the natural beauty of women in order to show the ethics and beliefs of their company but do so using a logical argument (logos).

Exaggerating these appeals tends to actually work against the argument itself. If a company says it will kill a bunny if you don't buy their products, then most people will brush the company's message to the side because of the obvious "pathos blackmail".

Context

Context is very important when building an argument. The more you know about both sides of the argument the better, because it is easier to support your argument when you know the context of both sides. Dove's Evolution is a perfect example of this idea. Everyday, we see magazines portray the perfect woman as skinny and flawless. Dove shows its audience how this "perfect" woman is actually is made, in photoshop.

I can incorporate these ideas into my own writing by making sure that I do research on both sides of any argument I am addressing. This way I am able to speak in a tone which gives me some logos credibility by citing information I researched. I can also make an emotional appeal if the subject calls for it, such as a patriotic themed subject.