Today our products are about the name stamped on them. Are you drinking drinking Tropicana or Minuet Maid, Coke or Pepsi? Do you prefer Banana Republic or J.Crew? Everything we eat, sleep, and do is about the brand. This is much different from when marketing was in its younger stages. The original focus was on the product itself. If the product was food, marketers would focus was on the taste and smell, if it was a radio the focus was on its sound and clarity. Now, the focus is much different, marketers now are focusing on the feeling one gets from using a product. Car commercials, one of the most frequent advertisements on TV, are always belting out adjectives about how their car makes you feel. Sleek, trendy, smooth, sporty, smart, these are words that cannot only be applied to an object, but a person. Markers now are gaining consumers by not only selling the product, but also by selling the personality that goes with the product, a culture.
Businesses seem to have it down to a science, they know how people tick, and they use it to their advantage. It explains why many marketers have college minors, and second majors in psychology. Employers want their advertisers and public relations professionals to know how people work, because the more they understand, the easier it is to come up with strategies and tactics that can relate to target publics. Think about walking down the hall of a mall looking for an outfit for a night out. Where are you going that night? How do you describe your style? These are all thoughts running a persons mind as they decide which stores to shop at. Marketers are thinking this too, but in a different way. What is this brands style? What is the intention of this brand? How does this brand make one feel? This would not of been the tactics of advertisers in the early stages. In the past it was how can we bring the product to the people, today it is, how can we bring the people to the product.
Marketers do this through two ways of persuasion, the first is the central route, which focuses on an argument or product being presented, why is it better than another. Going back to the scenario of walking in the mall, when looking at a store of interest, is it the big red sale sign that brings you into the store, or is it the mannequin styled nicely next to the sign? If these things appeal to you enough a person is more than likely to walk into the store, if not then the person will go on to the next.
Once a person is in the store the form of persuasion changes. The central route is no longer needed because the shopper has already been convinced enough to walk in. Now the tactic is the peripheral route. This direction is a little different then central persuasion; this creates a focus on quick reactions that cause instant acceptance of an idea (in the shoppers case this would be buying the product). These signals can be anything from a red number on a price tag indicating a sale or the music playing in the background, letting the shopper get feel of the brand. If the persuasion works then the shopper will more than likely buy the product without thinking. The marketing world likes to call this an “impulse buy”. If it does not work then it means the consumer was not fully convinced in the first place. Persuasion of attractiveness and liking also works into this situation. Many times sales associates are hired for their outgoing and relatable personalities. This is not done by accident; retail companies want their associates to be able to relate to customer’s make them feel at ease, creating a higher vulnerability for impulse buys.
Persuasion is not just used by markers, but even more by public relations professionals, in fact, the whole industry is based upon managing and communicating an organizations image to the public. These professionals must know how to grasp the public in the light they want to be seen. This is especially important during a company crisis. Public Relations professionals must decide how they will approach their stakeholders. Will they take the blame? Will they blame outside sources? Will they play dumb? A decision must be made quickly, efficiently and persuasion needs to be strong, or the audience will not bite. Both central and peripheral routes must be taken.
The strategies and tactics involved in marketing and public relations are easy to create, but challenging to implement. Each move by a company must be seriously considered before any money is invested. The target audience must be chosen and the right type of persuasion needs to be put into action. Without social persuasion, marketing and PR would be non-existent, and in our world it is essential in order for society to thrive.
Source : Myers, David G. Social Psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.
So when it comes time to sit down with the boss, before walking into the office, take a moment and think. “Have I gotten the most out of my college experience?” If yes, then take the leap into the professional world and don’t look back. However, if there is still something inside saying, “there are still memories I need to make.” Walk into the big mans office, and respectively say. “ I would love to take the opportunity to further my career with “Blank” organization, but after graduation. Chances are, the decision will be respected. 
