Mass Communications Applying Mass Communication Theories What

Mass Communications

Applying Mass Communication Theories

What traps should communicators avoid in using fear appeals in their messages?

Fear is an emotion and messages that appeal to emotions must tread not so much lightly, but rather, quite meticulously, especially when calling upon an emotion such as fear. Successful marketing campaigns of the 21st century often use the approach of marketing more than a brand; they brand a lifestyle choice and/or a personality. (Who's wearing the trousers?, 2001) Communicators should avoid marketing lifestyles or personalities that are intensely fearful. Therefore, when communicators use fear appeals in their messages, they should avoid a lack of specificity. Fear is an irrational emotion and has the potential to spread rapidly. If communicators utilize fear appeals in their messages, they should articulate the object of fear and the quality of the fear quite specifically. Use of the ego-defensive function and the value-expressive function proves effective. (Chapter 13) The ego-defensive function acts as protection of the consumer from threats or perceptions of threats. (Chapter 13) When using fear appeals in communications for such products and services as insurance, hygiene, security systems, etc., communicators must strike a balance between use of the fear appeal that influences or causes consumers to buy, and between going overboard, inciting excessive anxiety or panic.

Communicators may choose to avoid the trap of using fear appeals in their messages at all. True, there are cases where fear acts as a great motivator and influence over behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions. Fear is not the most effective motivator and requires a great deal of effort to sustain. Though more marketers shift toward branding lifestyle or personality rather than simply a product, marketers struggle to engineer, create, and sustain feelings for the brands in consumers. (Who's wearing the trousers?, 2001) Fear is an unstable emotion inherently. Marketers struggle to create and sustain the intended feelings in consumers; thus, using fear appeals in messages should be avoided when possible and at least approach with gravity and awareness.

2. Suggest an event or experience in your country that has influenced your society's reality.

The advent of motion pictures and the cinema is an event that has created experiences that influence my society's reality. There are those artists, critics, theorists, philosophers, scientists, market analysts, moguls, and fans that argue that without the cinema, there would be no television, and television is a fundamental aspect to American and world cultures. Motion pictures, films, movies, the cinema -- whichever term one chooses -- this experience and event has changed human culture and the human experience of reality in ways still evident today. The film industry and institutions within it such as Hollywood are parts of history. Before the cinema, there was no comparable medium that communicated messages to large audiences visually.

Movies changed the ways in which people imagine themselves, imagine their lives, and how they perceive the world. Soundtracks and sound effects as part of movies, as well as radio and television, engage audiences' minds influencing their experience of reality as well. In the 21st century, many people around the world plug headphones or earbuds into their mobile devices, listening to music, books, language learning, and more while they move through their days. The cinematic experience occurs within the confines of the theater and implants itself into the psyches of consumers. Consumers process the experience of the media representation (film). Consumers consciously or unconsciously perceive a film as a mediated experience (as opposed to a real experience) and as a representation of reality (as opposed to actual reality). They live their lives perceiving reality as the cinematic experience, either as audience members or as protagonists in their own life stories. This is one affect in a multitude that the cinematic experience has upon human perception, human culture, and human experience. The cinematic experience used to be an unfamiliar and exhilarating experience unifying and stimulating sensory inputs in ways that humans had yet to experience in our history. Now, the cinematic experience is fundamental to many cultures including American, and this experience has spread to and inspired other forms of media such as video games, the Internet, virtual reality, augmented reality, as well as propelled the ongoing evolution of the film industry itself.

3. Comment on the ethical dilemmas that may be created by influencing a consumer's desired state.

Ethical dilemmas created by influences consumers' desired states begin with the ethics of those who behind the influence, such as advertisers, marketing firms, brands, and executives of the companies of the products or services in question. Ethical dilemmas created by influencing consumers' desired states also stem from the ethics of the people who produce and distribute the media. Thus, the people behind the products & brands, the people behind the process of media & communication production, and the executives in all relevant parties create or at least have the great potential to initiate ethical dilemmas regarding the influence of consumers' desired states. If the ethics of those behind the scenes are compromised, which inherently will be true at some point during the process as a function of human nature, then the ethics of the media and/or communication produced will be compromised.

Media, communication, and information influence the behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions of consumers. There is a temptation to abuse the great power of media for financial, personal, or other gains. Mass media and other forms of communication are effective means of influence over vast quantities of consumers. (Chapter 10 - Public Relations) If those who seek to influence consumers have compromised ethics or a lack of ethics, a dilemma they may face is how to moderate the influence over consumers, when enough is enough, or at least financially prudent, and when to stop exerting influence.