Marwell and Schmitt's Taxonomy Influence Tactics- Geico

For my final post I used a video of a compilation of Geico commercials. I have to admit that the commercials were so entertaining that I watched all forty minutes of them. By the time I finished I felt like calling Geico. If I had more time I might have. The commercials were excellent examples of many of Marwell and Schmitt’s Taxonomy Influence Tactics. I will list a few of them below.

Reward
I'll reward you if you do it. "I'll throw in a pair of speakers if you buy it today." "Thanks! I'll make certain your manager knows how helpful you were."

Many of the Geico commercials promise happiness for those people who switch to Geico. The commercials show people or animals that are doing things that make them happy. Then at the end of the commercial two men playing banjo’s say, “Jimmy, how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to Geico?” and the reply is, “Happier than a camel on Wednesday” or “Happier than Dikembe Mutombo blocking a shot”.

Punishment
I'll punish you if you don't do it. "If you don't buy it today, I won't be able to offer you this special incentive price again." "If I can't get it at that price tomorrow, then I'll take my business elsewhere."

Another Geico commercial has a man tell the audience that Geico insures all kinds of vehicles and they have great service and great rates for great rides. Then he says, “Not insuring them with Geico, well, that’s like being a race car driver with a really lazy pit crew.” Then they show a race car pulling up to the pit and his crew are sitting around being lazy. The Geico pit crew are observing and say how terrible it is. The message is that if you don’t buy Geico, you won’t get good service.

Positive Expertise
Speaking as an authority on the subject, I can tell you that rewards will occur if you do X, because of the nature of reality. "If you start working out at our gym regularly, you'll find that people are more attracted to you physically."

In every one of the Geico commercials the audience is told that if they call Geico and get a quote, they could save 15%, or more, on their car insurance. There are many of the Geico commercials that say not everyone can hit or play like a professional athlete, but they could save 15% or more on car insurance.

Moral Appeal
This tactic entails finding moral common ground, and then using the moral commitments of a person to obtain compliance. "You believe that women should get equal pay for equal work, don't you? You don't believe that men are better than women, do you? Then you ought to sign this petition! It's the right thing to do."

Some of the Geico commercials show what happens when two great things coming together. One commercial shows Boston’s famous clam chowder going together with one of Boston’s finest colleges. Another says, “We’re delighted to show you what happens when a great deal like the flower’s in LA’s flower district meets great service like at one of LA’s five star restaurants.” Then they say “Geico, where great savings and delightful service come together.” In other words, if you want great savings and delightful service like their examples, then you ought to get Geico Insurance now.

Negative Esteem of Others
Other people will think worse of you if you “You don't want people thinking that you're a drug-head loser, do you?"

In one of the commercials two cavemen are talking and one of the cavemen give another one a hard time for getting Geico insurance. He says he can’t believe he could get Geico just to save a little money. Then he says that “a little loyalty would be nice.” In other words, the caveman who got Geico is a traitor.
Geico also uses the slogan, “It’s so easy a caveman could do it” to show that anyone who is smarter than a caveman should get Geico.

Geico does a great job of using the premise of needs in most of their commercials. If you want to be smarter than a caveman and save money then you need to get a quote from Geico. Many of their commercials use the second premise of emotion. I think the commercials using cavemen especially focus on emotions. Geico also uses our attitudes in many of the commercials to persuade us that we agree with what they are saying. After all, everyone knows that “15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.” The final premise of consistency is found throughout the commercials when they make you feel like even though you already have insurance that is just fine, you really need to get Geico because it is the better, cheaper, and smarter insurance to have.

These commercials are very entertaining and very persuasive. If I had time and was in the market for insurance I would definitely call Geico to get a quote. I am smarter than a caveman and after all, everyone knows that “15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.”

Hip Pocket- Out of Class Speech

For my out of class speech and presentation I chose to speak to a group of college students. The students were all Caucasian, both male and female, and had a wide range in their ages. The audience members were from different religious and political backgrounds.

I chose to speak about a topic that I myself have spent hours researching and one that I thought might benefit a student on their path to a career. I chose to speak about finding your life’s purpose. My attention getter was a story about a 25 year class reunion and the discovery the classmates made about how 80% of them were unhappy. I shared how successful they all were and yet how unhappy and unfulfilled their lives were. I also shared that the difference between the 80% of unhappy classmates and the 20% who were happy was that the 20% had a purpose to their life and they knew what it was. I shared statistics and facts about happy people.

The first part of the speech walked the audience through a series of questions that they can answer that will help them find their life purpose. The next part of the speech showed how those who chose to serve others and focus outward were the people who were more happy and satisfied with their careers. I shared that those who are working for money or position or power for themselves are not as happy as those who do work that benefits others. Serving and helping others gives people a sense of purpose. When you know that what you do helps others and changes others you are happier. I used emotion to help the audience feel like they wanted to be happier so they should try and choose to do something that will serve others.

This venue was laid back and not as stressful as our classroom speeches. I was able to share some information that I had learned with my audience in hopes that it would benefit them as it had benefitted me. I was still nervous and knew that I was not an expert on this topic, but I felt like that helped me be more relatable and persuasive to the audience. I was able to tell them that I had been looking for purpose in my life and that I found this information helpful. I tried to persuade them to use this information to try and find their life purpose or at least come a step closer to finding it.

I handed out a 7 point Likert Scale survey (See Below) for the audience to complete. It had ten questions having to do with items on the rubric as well as areas I felt weak in and wanted specific feedback for. Overall, the responses were positive. I was happy to get comments on the survey so I would know specific areas I need to improve on. I lost my place with the slides one time and had to self-check to get back on track. I used the word “so” too often. Someone mentioned that I had great eye contact and connected well with the audience. Someone else said that I talk with my hands a lot but that they did not find it distracting.

Overall, I thought the speech went well. I felt like my practice speeches went smoother though. I tend to forget things that I want to say when I get in front of an audience. I function much better and speak smoother with notes. I have plenty of things to improve on, but the feedback I received will help me with the delivery on my final speech.

Speaker: Gina Gottfredson 

Please rate the following statements on a scale from 1 to 7. Circle your response.

1. The speaker's topic was relevant to me.

1 Strongly agree

2 agree

3 slightly agree

4 neither agree nor disagree

5 slightly disagree

6 disagree

7 Strongly disagree

2. The speaker did a good job getting my attention and keeping me interested throughout the presentation.

1 Strongly agree

2 agree

3 slightly agree

4 neither agree nor disagree

5 slightly disagree

6 disagree

7 Strongly disagree

           

3. The speaker did a good job of using slides to add to the presentation.      

1 Strongly agree

2 agree

3 slightly agree

4 neither agree nor disagree

5 slightly disagree

6 disagree

7 Strongly disagree

4. The speaker was easy to hear and understand.

1 Strongly agree

2 agree

3 slightly agree

4 neither agree nor disagree

5 slightly disagree

6 disagree

7 Strongly disagree

           

5. The speaker avoided using the words "um" and "like" or other repetitive phases.

1 Strongly agree

2 agree

3 slightly agree

4 neither agree nor disagree

5 slightly disagree

6 disagree

7 Strongly disagree

6. The speaker kept self-checking to a minimum.         

1 Strongly agree

2 agree

3 slightly agree

4 neither agree nor disagree

5 slightly disagree

6 disagree

7 Strongly disagree

7. The speaker seemed comfortable and relaxed when she was speaking.

1 Strongly agree

2 agree

3 slightly agree

4 neither agree nor disagree

5 slightly disagree

6 disagree

7 Strongly disagree

8. The speaker did a good job of moving and used appropriate non-verbal communication.

1 Strongly agree

2 agree

3 slightly agree

4 neither agree nor disagree

5 slightly disagree

6 disagree

7 Strongly disagree

           

9. The speaker did a good job maintaining eye contact with and speaking to the entire audience.

1 Strongly agree

2 agree

3 slightly agree

4 neither agree nor disagree

5 slightly disagree

6 disagree

7 Strongly disagree

           

10. The speaker did a good job of persuading me to make changes in my life or take action on the information she shared.

1 Strongly agree

2 agree

3 slightly agree

4 neither agree nor disagree

5 slightly disagree

6 disagree

7 Strongly disagree

President Obama Honors Nelson Mandela's Legacy

When choosing a speech to watch for Reich’s Cultural Parables I wanted to do something positive and uplifting so I chose to find a speech about the Triumphant Individual. President Barack Obama gave a speech at the memorial service of Nelson Mandela which I think fit this parable perfectly.

Nelson Mandela was born during World War I and was the son of a cattle farmer. By all accounts he was an unknown individual who was uncompromising in his ideals. He had to work very hard and take risks that could have cost him his life. He was a self-made man who showed that with enough drive and guts a person can be true to their ideals even if it means standing alone and going against what people think you should believe. Mandela was the leader of a movement that fought for an ideal Democracy and freedom for every South African based on core principles that bind the human spirit. Mandela said, “It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve but if needs be it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

President Obama compared Nelson Mandela to Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., saying he was, “a giant of history who moved a nation toward justice, and in the process moved billions around the world.” He also said Mandela was like Abraham Lincoln who held his country together when it was threatened and like America’s founding fathers he would erect a constitutional order to protect freedom for future generations. He said that Mandela was the last great liberator of the 20th Century.

Obama said that we will remember him as an icon, but reminded us that Mandela resisted being known as that and instead he shared his doubts and fears with us all. Mandela said, “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as one who keeps on trying.” Obama reminded us that we can learn from him still, if we remember that he was a man who earned his place in history through struggle and shrewdness, persistence and faith. Mandela taught us what is possible in our own lives as well, if we will discipline our anger and accept the consequences of our actions.

He told the people of South Africa, “The world thanks you for sharing Nelson Mandela with us. His struggle was your struggle; his triumph was your triumph. Your freedom, your democracy, are his cherished legacy.” He spoke of Mandela having to endure a brutal imprisonment and his willingness to step down from power after only one term. He said that Mandela was shaped in a dark and solitary cell. He changed laws, but he also changed hearts. He showed us the power of action and the power of ideas. Mandela inspired people around the globe to act on justice and truth and remember that ““It always seems impossible until it is done!”

Obama and his speech writer do a great job of constructing the premises in this tribute speech. Obama speaks of our need to remember Mandela and all that he stood for. We need to do some self-reflection and ask ourselves how well we have applied the lessons Mandela has taught us in our own lives. Obama says we need to stop sitting on the sidelines and act on justice and truth.

The second premise appeals to our emotions which are involved as Obama speaks about the struggle that Mandela had to get out of prison and to do so while holding onto his ideals and the core principles that he held. He helps us feel happy about all that Mandela overcame and accomplished. He reminds us that Mandela makes us want to be better because he speaks to what’s best inside us. Obama persuades us to search for Mandela’s strength and his largeness of spirit inside ourselves.

The third process premise of attitudes is easy to see when you pay attention to how Obama frames Mandela’s life. He believes that Mandela is the great liberator of the 20th Century and we will never see the likes of Nelson Mandela again. He shares his opinion that we should not only study those we agree with but also our oppressor’s as Mandela did. He helps persuade us that no matter our beliefs and opinions we are bound together and we need to make Mandela’s life work our own.

The final premise is consistency. Obama points out that we cannot allow our progress to cloud the fact that our struggle is not done. He speaks of the progress Mandela made through the power of action and the power of ideas, but reminds us that we too must act on justice and truth. He recalled being motivated as a college student by Mandela’s fight against apartheid. “While I will always fall short of Madiba’s example, he makes me want to be better,” Obama said. Obama’s simple suggestions and the way he presents his message compel and move us to want to get off of the sidelines and help make the changes that still need to be made.

Once again this speech is a great example of using the premises to persuade an audience to change and take action. Even though this is a memorial speech which is meant as a tribute to Nelson Mandela, it persuades and motivates me to be a better person.