As a socially conscious doctor who hates injustice, I particularly enjoyed my academic training in Psychology that focused on how big brands communicate their message to the world. One paper I had to write was on “The Elaboration-Likelihood Model” or ELM.
In ELM, there are two types of audiences you must consider:
Type 1: People who are moved by superficial information and fail to evaluate the content.
Type 2: People who are truly mindful of the message and consider the details.
Educational messages delivered in person, on a website, in books, brochures, or through social media are most impactful when the producer knows if those in receipt of the information are going to by Type 1: superficially and unconsciously considering it or Type 2: take a captive, focused approach.
The concept of ELM details the behavior of both Peripheral and Central audiences.
- Peripheral Type: The peripheral audience is focused on the periphery; the superficial, easy-to-process data and the features of a message, rather than its deeper meaning. In this case, they are primarily on auto pilot and not thinking through it. Consequently, they may just take the data at face value simply because the source is considered an expert, is well known, or is a trusted leader in the space. Peripherally focused individuals rely on cues that tip to popularity, like how many followers, views, or likes on social media something has, or the conventional acceptability of the information because it is the way it has always been done, rather than giving it much thought.
- Central Type: The central audience is that which intentionally thinks through and evaluates the content of a message. They do not make a quick, gut, or blink decision, but rather utilize their training and experiences to determine whether or not the persuasive message is compelling and whether or not they should change their perspective based on the given information.
If you have a positive, world-changing message, you must master ELM because those with negative messages we do not like have. This issue is incredibly relevant in promotion and persuasive messaging. It is mission-critical that promoters determine whether or not those they are attempting to reach are apt to make a decision based simply on rules of thumb or if they are going to thoughtfully comb through the information in an effort to learn and draw a logical, well thought-out conclusion.
How organizations like Susan G. Komen and the pink campaign use ELM, central and peripheral routes, to gain massive conversion.
The pink campaign has gained enormous attention and momentum over the previous decades, above and beyond other very similar promotions. Nearly every major industry, celebrity, and politician goes pink in October. Therefore, the Komen promotional model, regardless of what you think about the movement itself, has been studied very carefully.
In assessing ELM and its effectiveness in the Susan G. Komen campaign to fight breast cancer, researchers have found that the campaign clearly makes efforts to talk to both the central and peripheral audiences at their level.
They reach the peripheral people perhaps better than any pitch in history. They use messaging that revolves around the pink, the color alone now influences people to trust in their brand and support it. Their website and materials utilize very high-level facts and figures that do not necessarily hold up or tell the whole story. As an example, the costs related to cancer are projected to increase dramatically in the future, but Komen statistics say otherwise. If closely investigated, it is easy to see that gains in this area of health are slim, but on the surface, they provide a version of the data necessary for their target audience to believe that supporting organizations like theirs is working to eliminate the disease in the future.
In today’s social media, People magazine, reality television star, click-bait society, where the Komen example of ELM really shines is in the use of corporate and celebrity partnering. The entire month of October is the pink month and sports teams, corporations, and shopping malls turn their clothing, accessories, and materials pink to represent this brand. To build peripheral credibility, their website features corporate partners like Ford, New Balance, American Airlines, the NCAA, and the NFL. Celebrities like Bob Saget, Julianne Moore, Ellen DeGeneres, James Woods, George W. Bush, and Trisha Yearwood all associate themselves with the campaigns, further encouraging the public to simply take any messaging at face value.
For their central people, they employ multiple components related to learning the intricacies of breast cancer and related issues and G Komen organization has them covered. The detail begins with resources that outline anatomy and continues to trace steps throughout the maturation process of breast development from puberty through menopause. Specifics related benign and malignant breast cancer and how to know the difference are offered in a very centralized, detailed manner. They fall under headings like “Warning signs,” “Did you know,” and “Survival rates,” in order to give people the full weight of the statistics being shared.
The biology, stats, statistics, and related scare tactics are tremendously effective for those motivated by central concepts and give depth to the campaign.
It’s the combination of peripheral and central at the right time and providing them both all of the time, that works to not only convert people to the mission, but keeps them there. Potential and current customers who get a heavy dose of both consistently and at the right time convert and they stay. If your corporate colors are turquoise or lavender, the goal is a turquoise or lavender world, and ELM can take you there.
There is quite a bit more to building a powerful, global brand understanding ELM. If you do not like the world being pink-washed in October or are unhappy with any other messages that are out there, learn how to get the right message out there. We need it! Let us know if you need help.
Have fun saving the world!
Dr. Ben
