Analysis



In this section, you will find occasional analyses of speeches, adverts and so on.

* Aero Slogan: The subtly of a chocolate bar slogan.
* Ann Coulter on Religion: Body language of a controversial American commentator.
* Barack Obama's Victory Speech: On being elected President of the USA.
* Betty Crocker's Egg: Freudian machinations in early TV home programming.
* George Carman, QC: The life of an extraordinary advocate.
* Live 8: I was there, and saw many minds being changed.
* Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech: The power of the famous paragraph.
* McDonald's Passing By: McDonald's...subtle?
* Power Sales: The battle for selling power is reaching new depths.
* Selling Shampoo: The words on the bottle of shampoo are carefully chosen.
* Supernanny: TV show of terrorist children being tamed.
* Susan's Mother: Effective Crunchy Nut advert.
* Terrorist Bombs: From New York to Bagdad to London, how a few change the minds of millions.
* The Heist: Programmed Criminals: How ordinary people were turned into armed robbers on TV.
* Wooing Journalists: PR aimed at getting good press.
* You Could Save...: An unsubtle ad.




Terrorists and Bombs



Analysis > Terrorists and Bombs



Not long after the Live 8 concert, on 7th July 2005, London was rocked by five suicide bombers. Perchance I was out of town that day, at my daughter's graduation. I know people who came close to death, catching the train before and the train after, but thankfully not one of the four which were blown up.

Terrorism is an extreme but also effective form of changing minds (if you live to tell the tale). It grabs attention with threats and actuality of death and destruction, and a fanatic minority can hold a terrorized majority in thrall.
Suicide extremism

One of the ways that terrorist work in today's mad world is in suicide bombings, and these horrors that Israel, Iraq and others have endured are now reaching into western capitals. America and New York was sharply awoken by the uniquely effective 9/11 attacks. The bombing in Madrid changed the course of a general election. And now London has its tale to tell.

Suicide bombing is not new. The kamikaze pilots of World War II gave their lives for their country as they flew their planes into American ships. Today's bombers do it for political and religious reasons.

A frightening thing about suicide bomber is the thought that a person will willingly die to kill others. This, in itself, changes minds. If the unthinkable come true, then what else might happen? All of a sudden the rules that hold the world together are no longer valid. When we cannot predict, then we feel out of control, which is a scary place to be.

It is all the more scary that the bombers seemed so normal. One of the London bombers was a schoolteacher who was so dedicated to his children he was picked for a visit to Parliament. We look over our shoulders at the next person on the train: could they be a bomber? Am I about to die?
A stairway to heaven

Not only do the terrorized have their minds changed: the bombers also are transformed from ordinary people also have their minds changed. Many of the early methods of creating a suicide bomber may include variants on conversion techniques.

A particularly powerful method is to make dying for the cause an act of such selflessness that it automatically guarantees you an entry into heaven. This is quite an effective move, as it appeals to very basic need for survival, such that committing suicide is the best way of living forever. Seems like a good deal? Good enough, it seems.

Not only are individuals converted: whole societies can conclude that suicide in the name of a cause is a good thing. Mothers proudly send their sons and daughters to oblivion in the belief that they are helping the cause and creating saints. And mothers around the world associate with them and shiver.
Random acts of terror

It takes very few people to terrorize an awful lot more. All you need to do is make the terrorist acts terrible, and then strike when and where people least expect it. In guessing what will happen in the future, we falsely assume that the size of the act represents the size of the threat and so feel in significant danger. The London bombs killed over 50 people. Many more are killed in car accidents every day, yet we do not fear the cars speeding past us.

The random element of terror again makes things difficult to predict and so we are sent in a tailspin or fear. One of the rules for bringing up children is to be predictable in your praise and punishment. If the child does not know if and when you are going to explode, they will grow up fearful or aggressive as a way of coping.
The collaboration of the media

The dilemma for the media in terrorist events is that if they report it, then they are collaborating with the terrorists in spreading terror. Without news reports, terrorists only kill a number of people. With the support of the media, they can hold millions to hostage.

For weeks after the London bombs, newspapers and TV reports kept bringing back to us the horror of the day. Interviews with victims and bystanders help us all relive in detail the terror. In 9/11, US television kept showing the two towers collapsing until children across the nation thought that buildings were falling down everywhere.

It is an unholy alliance, as the media themselves are persuaded by financial and cultural rules. It is a sad fact, but bad news sells newspapers. When people are uncertain and fearful, they seek more information -- and the papers are happy to sell it to them. Culturally, as well, many editors would argue that it would be wrong for them not to print news.
Reaping the seeds of meddling

Many would say that we are reaping the seeds of our own past meddling. Many terrorist groups have their roots in fighting regimes that other governments did not like. The secret services (and sometimes the not so secret ones) found it easier to fight those undesirable governments by covertly encouraging the subversives. My enemy's enemy is my friend, as they say.

In developments that ripple down from World War II resistance and the cold war, the insurgents were taught to wreak havoc with few resources. And then the dog decided to bite the feeding hand: those who fought people in power turned their attention to the more powerful governments. Their minds had been changed, but not so much as to become puppets.

And this is, perhaps, a salutary lesson for those who seek to change minds for immoral reasons. Those who we seek control will, eventually understand what is happening. People who are attracted to cults leave and become their biggest detractors. When we try to control our children's lives too much, they leave, never to return. Battered wives suffer in silence for years and then sometimes kill their cruel husbands. Remember the caveat: What you sow, so also will you reap.
Coda: déja vu

I wrote most of the above this morning, on the train into London. Today is 21st July, 2005, when there was another bombing attempt (two weeks to the day after the first bombings). Curiously, only the detonators went off and nobody was hurt -- not even the bombers, it seems.

It seems that explosives age and the surprised bombers lived to bomb another day. According to one report, one of the bombers looked rather annoyed when there was only a small bang. Perhaps he felt his first-class ticket to heaven had been cancelled. (A later story, when they had been identified, was that one bomber told a neighbor that not only would he go to heaven, but that there would be 80 virgins awaiting him there. I wonder who told him that. For an impressionable young man, one might understand how it could change his mind.)

So what were they saying this time? The underlying message was 'We can do this any time'. By repeating the pattern (three on underground trains and one on a bus), they were cocking a snoot at the police, showing that, despite increased security, there was nothing that could stop them bombing wherever they chose.

The local effect was also interesting. My officemates seemed more irritated than worried (my family was more concerned, as they had heard only vague news).

The effect on potential tourists will be interesting. One bombing seems like a one-off, but two indicates a continuing threat. And this is no doubt a deliberate part of the message.
Coda to the coda: shoot to kill

The next day, a Brazilian electrician who lived in the block of flats where bombers lived went to the station and then ran away from armed police and leaped onto a train (his visa was just out of date). Guessing he was a bomber, the police shot him dead. The government and police supported the action, as did everyone I spoke to. More minds changed. Police killing of innocent people (albeit in extraordinary circumstances) now has public support. And so the terrorists win again.
And again: Police recovery

Still in July 2005, the police have arrested all four of the would-be second set of bombers in an impressively massive show of detection and force. The pervasiveness of closed-circuit television cameras has proved immensely useful in capturing the movements of the terrorists, as has modern forensic methods and collaboration across police forces (the last bomber was caught in Rome).

Confidence in the police and in London has been also recovered by a massive show of force. Every tube station in central London had police at every entrance. When I arrived at Waterloo on Thursday this week, I stood in one spot and counted 18 police (and that was the ones in uniform). This included 2 in full body armor, helmets and automatic weapons. And I was pleased to see them. And so my mind is changed again.





Selling Shampoo



Analysis > Selling Shampoo



With a family of four of us, how many bottles, tubes and other containers of shampoo would you expect to find in the bathroom? Two males, two females. Four? Six? One? Twelve? Well, I just counted and there were twenty seven. I use only one so goodness knows who uses the rest. Still, it's good for a quick poll of the words they use to get us good consumers to use (or at least buy) more shampoo.

Here's a selection of names and promotional statements and a few thoughts about what they mean and their effect.
Names

* Original Source : Tangerine and Bergamot
* Original Source: Almond and Coconut
* Original Source: Lime and Guarana
* Pantene: Brunette Expressions
* Sunsilk: Care and Repair

One style of naming is with food. It's not important whether the oils or whatever make any difference, but an effect that it does have is that when you think of the food, you think of how it smells and tastes. If that is a nice gustatory experience, then you feel good -- and of course transfer those good feelings to the shampoo. This will be emphasized by the smell of the shampoo (again, this nothing to do with what it does to your hair).

Another naming trick is to indicate what it looks like, as with 'Brunette Expressions', triggering mirror experiences where you see yourself (presumably like the model on the bottle or box). 'Care and Repair' is simple naming by function, making the choice clear and simple by telling you what it does.

The basic brand names are interesting too: 'Original Source' implies some level of exclusivity, coupled with being not a copy and perhaps arising from some magical natural spring. 'Pantene' goes for the pseudo-science approach, using a made-up name that implies they know what they are doing (so you don't need to ask). 'Sunsilk' is a sensory-based word, combining the warmth and light of the sun with the tactile experience of stroking silk (which of course will be just like stroking your hair afterwards).
Promotional statements

The bottles of shampoo all had wonderful and, when you think about it, perhaps rather bizarre and meaningless promotional statements. Here are just a few:

* Strengthens and nourishes every day
* Intense nourishment for your hair
* Fuller, thicker looking hair
* Refreshes and invigorates
* Clean, long-lasting freshness
* Glowing, velvety brunette
* Shine release, natural balancing
* Pro-vitality B5, with healthy volume
* Builds body and fullness for weightless, healthy volume
* Classic clean
* New

Using the description of 'nourishment' is using a metaphor of shampoo as food. What comes along with this metaphor is that feeding is a regular thing -- you don't just eat once and that's it. This is hammered home with the 'every day' rider that tells you that you should be using this shampoo daily.

The food metaphor is extended with notions of health. How hair is 'healthy' and has 'vitality' is an interesting philosophical question, but it appears that hair can also have 'body' and 'fullness', so perhaps it is something separate from you that has a life of its own.

Note the sensory language, with words such as 'shine', 'weightless' and 'strengthens'. Sensory language triggers sensory experience. 'Shine release' implies that the shine was already in your hair, perhaps being covered up with the grime that the shampoo washes away.

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Overall, these things may seem trite and foolish to many of us, but to those who carve and agree the words it is an anguished process, no less than the sculptor who creates a great work of art. If they get it right and sell just 0.1% more shampoo, then their salary and fees will be well worth their effort as the shampoo company laughs its way to the bank whilst its customers feel somehow enriched by using their amazing product!
See also

Use of Language




Sensory Language



Techniques > Use of language > Persuasive Language > Sensory Language

Sense and non-sense | Senses in language | Sense preferences | The power of sensory language | See also


Sense and non-sense

When talking or writing, it is possible to make use of our five senses. It is also possible to exclude the senses from the what is said, leading to a more objective way of speaking.

Sensory language references and stimulates the senses, thus:

The cool morning sun cast long fingers of shadow and light across the green field as our visitors tramped across rough and the dewy grass.

Objective language seeks to engage the logical mind, but not the senses, which are considered too emotional. It is thus common in such as legal, scientific and business writing.

Morning came and the people arrived.
Senses in language

Language can make reference to any or all senses by deliberate use of appropriate sensory words. Note that these can be both direct description and also sensory metaphors.
Sight

The visual sense is referenced by talking about light and dark, shades and hues, visible shape and appearance.

Her brilliant red blouse fitted her slim figure like a glove.
Sound

Auditory senses are triggered by reference to loudness, timbre, actual words spoken, and so on.

He shouted harsh approval at the sound of her pure warbling Italian soprano.
Feeling

Tactile feeling and emotional feeling are closely connected, as we sense our emotions as tensions and other physical bodily experiences.

His heart thumped as he grasped the meaning of her smile.
Taste and smell

Our gustatory senses are closely linked and are often used in the metaphoric sense.

She could stomach his words no longer and smelled a bitter rat in his intent.

Smell in particularly is powerfully evocative sense and can easily trigger early memories.
Sense preferences

Whilst we can detect five senses, we tend to have a preference for some rather than others. Whilst some of us might be evenly balanced, many of us have a significant preference for visual or auditory information.

Sense preferences can be detected in the language that people use. If I am a 'pictures person' then I will use more visual words, including visual metaphor. On the other hand, if I pay particular attention to sounds, then I might use more sound-base metaphors. Likewise I might use tactile language.
The power of sensory language
The power of stimulation

Sense language is more powerful at engaging others simply because it triggers our senses rather than requiring the cognitive effort that more abstract or objective talk needs.

If you paint pictures, sounds and sensations with words, you will immediately gain attention and greater understanding, and hence be better able to communicate effectively and persuade others to your cause.
Reflecting the sense preference

As with any communication, if you reflect back to a person those things that they prefer, then they will pay even more attention to these things than others.

Using their preferred sense channel will also make you appear to be more like them and hence create a bond with them and consequently gain their trust.

Using Body Language



Techniques > Using Body Language

Message clusters | Core patterns | Parts-of-body language | Other notes | See also



Body language is an important part of communication which can constitute 50% or more of what we are communicating. If you wish to communicate well, then it makes sense to understand how you can (and cannot) use your body to say what you mean.
Message clusters

Body language comes in clusters of signals and postures, depending on the internal emotions and mental states. Recognizing a whole cluster is thus far more reliable than trying to interpret individual elements.

* Aggressive body language: Showing physical threat.
* Attentive body language: Showing real interest.
* Bored body language: Just not being interested.
* Closed body language: Many reasons are closed.
* Deceptive body language: Seeking to cover up lying or other deception.
* Defensive body language: Protecting self from attack.
* Dominant body language: Dominating others.
* Emotional body language: Identifying feelings.
* Evaluating body language: Judging and deciding about something.
* Greeting body language: Meeting rituals.
* Open body language: Many reasons for being open.
* Power body language: Demonstrating one's power.
* Ready body language: Wanting to act and waiting for the trigger.
* Relaxed body language: Comfortable and unstressed.
* Romantic body language: Showing attraction to others.
* Sales Body Language: Using your body to sell.
* Submissive body language: Showing you are prepared to give in.

Core patterns

A number of core patterns can be identified that include clusters of body movements:

* Crossing, Expanding, Moving away, Moving forward, Opening, Preening, Repeating, Shaping, Striking and Touching

Parts-of-the-body language

You can send signals with individual parts of the body as well as in concert. Here's details of the contributions of each part of the body.

* Head: Face, Cheek, Chin, Mouth, Lips, Teeth, Tongue, Nose, Eyes, Eyebrow, Forehead, Hair
* Arm: Elbow, Hand, Finger
* Torso: Neck, Shoulder, Chest, Back, Belly, Bottom, Hips
* Legs: Thigh, Knee, Foot

Other notes

Remember that body language varies greatly with people and especially with international cultures (so be very careful when applying Western understanding to Eastern non-verbal language).

* Body as Cue, Evidence, Persuasion: How we shape changes how we feel.
* Body language caveat: You can't control all of your muscles. So why bother?
* Emphasis with body language: Adding emphasis to what you are saying.
* Social distances: The space between us.
* Satir's Five Positions: Speaking positions.
* Touching: Using physical touch.
* Hugging: Close comfort and affection.

There are about 70 pages of information in total in this section on body language.
See also

Non-Verbal Behavior, Understanding body language, Using Your Body