Abstract: The paper discusses the issue of changes understood as strategic objectives of advertising communication processes in social campaigns. The research problem concerns intentions in management of a message that is communicated in audiovisual advertising manifested in seeking to initiate changes in the context of a social mission. Marketing ob­jectives of communication are achieved through central and peripheral strategies of per­su­asion. Communicated messages focus on inducing changes in the system of values, mentality, convictions, attitudes or behaviour. Values and attitudes promoted in adverti­sing through certain persuasive measures are indicative of desired social changes. The research method that has been applied is a qualitative analysis of the media discourse. The subject of analysis includes exemplary non-profit campaigns and audiovisual commercial spots disseminated under such campaigns of selected non-profit organisations.

1.1.  Advertising communication in campaigns of non-profit organisations

Modern concepts of marketing management draw attention to the importance of communication in terms of an active flow of information between an organisation and the marketplace, as well as they appreciate informative and per­suasion functions used in promotion as a marketing process of developing awareness among target groups (Rydel M. 2001). A growing market position of non-profit organisations creates the need for identity management, among others, in terms of integrated marketing communication, i.e. of establishing and maintaining an effective dialogue with the external environment. Objectives of marketing communication in social campaigns are divided into direct and indirect. The direct ones shall include:

• achieving familiarity with the organisation’s brand at a level of certain percentage of recipients within a specific period of time;
• reaching awareness of the target segment of recipients with a promotional message in the course of campaign.

Whereas indirect marketing objectives of social campaigns shall include:

• arousing the need to support the campaign;
• causing a change related to the campaign’s message;
• obtaining a positive social attitude to a specific non-profit organisation;
  • maintaining good relations with the external environment.

Advertising communication under the campaign of a non-profit organisation shall serve the four primary functions:

• informative – allows becoming familiar with, helps in understanding the essence of raised issues;
• persuasive – convinces of the broadcaster’s arguments, persuades to accept certain social initiatives, undertake projects, or to change views or behaviour;
• educational – provides knowledge, teaches;
• image one – fixes good repute of a given organisation in the public opi­nion.

The marketing success of social campaigns is to a large extent decided by a selection of optimal conditions of the promotion strategy the essence of which is the accuracy of strategic decisions taken relative to the choice of:

• promotion recipients, i.e. determining target groups;
• strategic argument, i.e. the key idea of promotion (campaign’s message);
• ways of carrying promotion, i.e., among others, instruments of adverti­sing, public relations or direct promotion;
• promotion logistics, i.e. organisation and co-ordination of actions undertaken in the campaign.

As much as commercial marketing  is focused on achieving active creation of  needs (searching for previously unsatisfied expectations and preferences, crea­ting market trends and consumption models, presenting recipients the benefits connected with the possibilities of satisfying their new needs), in social marke­ting the purpose of communicating is to make recipients aware of new needs to be pursued for the benefit of other communities (sometimes narrower groups or individuals even), or for the sake of nature, ecosystems and living organisms that inhabit them.

In non-profit marketing, like in case of marketing of goods and services, caring about creation of a positive image of an organisation as a brand also becomes indispensable, as well as building and enhancing the brand’s market value.

A promotion strategy in which the tactics of informing and persuading play a decisive role is an important marketing element for non-profit organisations. The purpose of information communication in non-profit campaigns is to convey the truth about an anthropological situation of an individual in the modern society or a given community under specific civilizational conditions. Determining the truth in the information layer of a social campaign often concerns not only a di­rect situation of man, but also indirect factors, such as, for example, the condition of natural environment. By providing information broadcasters try to inte­llec­tually communicate with recipients and achieve an optimal level of under­standing of the message in the process of information exchange. To effectively pursue those intentions, broadcasters are required to formulate a message in a way that is comprehensible and easy to remember for recipients, and also that data, know­ledge, facts and opinions are presented in an objective, reliable and dependable manner. Major determinants of information communication include: sharing of knowledge, views and ideas; explaining; giving instructions. In persuasive terms of communication under non-profit campaigns the major objective is to exert an impact by broadcasters on recipients, i.e. to convince them to some arguments or to formulate (strengthening or modifying) attitudes of representatives of target groups. Persuasion in non-profit campaigns is used to influence internal states, and also a motivational process of recipients through integrating intellectual, emotional and moral factors (Szymanek K. 2004). In persuasive communica­tion broadcasters should first and foremost apply logical arguments addressed to a cognitive sphere, and as assistance – psychological factors focused on a volitive (motivational) and an affective (emotional-feeling) sphere. Communication in compliance with the truth, as well as with respect for co­mmonly recognised axioms (norms, values and assessments) is a category that decides about the effectiveness of persuasive communication. Persuasive communication is about valuation convincing manifested in encouragement to accept and adopt certain judgements about values (Korolko M. 1990).

In social campaigns the following persuasion tactics are, among others, app­lied:

• convincing recipients to the manner that is consistent with the broadcaster’s intent;
• encouraging recipients to actions expected by the broadcaster;
• inducing to support specific views or proposals of actions;
• persuading recipients to accept the message;
• modifying attitudes, views, opinions, a system of values, and behaviour of target groups;
• exerting influence on assessment and activities of others;
• winning acceptance for proposed views, taken decisions, ways of acting;
• establishing relations with other people, connections with groups of people;
• activating others to co-operate and participate joint projects;
• proposing a joint model of assessing, valuing and interpreting the reality;
• providing recipients with reasonable grounds for actions;
• arousing and directing activities of recipients (O’Keefe D. 1990, Jowett G. S., O’Donell V. 1992, Simons H. W. 2001, Benoit W., Benoit P. 2007).

An objective of information and persuasion communication in non-profit campaigns is to produce two-fold changes:

• anthropological (of situation of a modern man, changes of his life style for the better, improvement of the individual’s situation within a community, enhancement of the civilizational level of social groups);
• axiological (of transfer of ideas and values).

1.2.  Anthropological and axiological changes as strategic objectives of communication in social campaigns

1.2.1. Non-profit advertising – instrument of a socio-cultural change

Advertising communication in non-profit campaigns stems from an idea of change management in a social environment and culture it creates. Communication intents are based on a sense of anthropological potential, and especially on a conviction about the possibilities of creating the social reality and initiating be­ne­ficial cultural changes. Advertising that is a media communiqué disseminating campaign messages creates an anthropological environment of forming man’s relation with a specific community, developing the representatives of tar­get groups within the aspect of a system of values and sensitivity to social issues. Culture-forming social changes comprise spheres such as:

• arousing awareness of factors deciding about the future of the planet and humankind;
• deepening general knowledge about social issues;
• making people more sensitive to injustice;
• creating an empathic atmosphere of other people’s problems;
• encouraging civic activities and involvement in problem solving;
• warning against civilizational threats and modern looming developments;
• arousing courage to fight superstitions and stereotypes;
  • eliminating socio-cultural crisis (Bogunia-Borowska M. 2004).

1.2.2. Anthropology of social advertising

Audiovisual advertising as a promotional instrument is used for the follo­wing purposes of identity management by social organisations: notifying the tar­get groups about their existence, acquainting recipients with the profile of ope­ra­tions (objectives), promoting an image of a socially committed brand. Au­diovi­sual spots in social campaigns promote an anthropological model of chan­ges in social awareness in line with the modern pattern of manhood the determinants of which, among others, include:

• respect for dignity of humankind;
• openness to changes and new experiences;
  • readiness to early acceptance of novelties and approval of social changes;
  • cognitive involvement;
  • anthropological awareness of unity in diversity of humankind;
  • ability of adopting a responsible position towards problems of modernity;
  • focusing attention on the present day and caring about the future;
  • conviction about the possibility of effective actions pursued both indivi­dually, and through interpersonal relations;
  • trust in the potential of personality development;
  • seeking self-realization through education;
  • planning of personal and professional life;
  • conviction about the power of lawful actions;
  • recognition for technological achievements;
  • understanding of production processes (Inkeles A., Smith D. H. 1974).

Audiovisual advertising as promotional instruments in social campaigns refers to two types of anthropological experience:

• agatological – advertising makes recipients of spots aware that there are harmful occurrences in the modern world present; all evil that should not be there (such experience reveals negative aspects of the reality surrounding man, indicates reasons for the human life’s tragic fate);
• axiological – advertising convinces target groups that the world is subject to changes directed by man; the present reality may be modified, changed for the better based on positive values (such experience projects: what should be done, what just course of actions should be followed, who should be helped, who should be saved).

An audiovisual spot by MONAR used in a campaign launched under the slogan of “Drugs – best way to waste your life” may be an example of an agatological anthropological experience in social advertising, the marketing purpose of which consists in making recipients aware of the tragic fate of choices made by modern man. Seeking strong feelings and uncommon experiences the main protagonist of advertising gets to the Extraordinary Services Office at night. When asked by a customer service staff what assistance he expected, the teenager explains that he would wish to “waste his life”. As an offer he gets a proposal of drugs as a reliable way to ruin one’s own existence. Satisfied with a vision of self-destruction character signs a contract for the offered service (http://www.you­tube.com/watch?v=R3y2mEYp2fM&NR=1).

Anthropological axiological experience is shown in advertising by WWF-Australia under the “Ticked Box” campaign, the direct marketing purpose of which was to encourage donations of AUD 25 each to the organisation’s account thus contributing to the protection of habitats of endangered species, for example: kangaroos, terrapins or cockatoos. An indirect marketing objective of the cam­paign was to break up a stereotyped conviction that an individual does not have a major impact on saving natural environment. In the audiovisual advertising under review creators from Leo Burnett Sydney using the slogan of “A little su­pport goes a long way” persuade that even an individual commitment to help in environmental protection gives tangible results. Applied in the spot the persuasive technique consists in the recipients’ identifying themselves with attitudes of advertising characters that fill in the questionnaire with statements like: “I am concerned for the future of the environment”, “I will take action”, “I will support WWF” (http://www.kampaniespoleczne.pl/kampa­nie.php?kampa­nia_id=551&ac­tion=szczegoly).

As a way of informative and persuasive communication in marketing, social advertising has an axiological nature. Persuasion in commercial advertising concerns encouragement to use the presented offer, whereas persuasion of social advertising motivates to accept certain values. It thus initiates preferential axiological thinking of target groups. Social advertising tackles an axiological issue of valuing, classifying occurrences in the categories of good and evil. Values are a component of culture. They are representative for ideologies of certain co­mmunities and are recognised by specific social groups as duties.

With the help of persuasion broadcasters use social advertising to influence attitudes previously affected by cultural tradition, and especially by values che­rished in a given community (Maison D., Maliszewski N. 2002). Representatives of social circles adjust their own attitudes to specific values. There is a mu­tual agreement between values, attitudes and behaviour. A change in values re­sults in a change in related beliefs and attitudes. Values understood as cultural beliefs determine social needs (Misztal M. 1980).

In social advertising the recipient’s skills are brought down to axiological comprehension, i.e. understanding norms, values and assessments recognised within specific socio-cultural circles (Dudziak A. 2009). In the view of Józef Tischner: “To be able to behave in this little world of ours, we must be able to read values. […] Undoubtedly, our present world is a world of some values, and we are creatures that read such values in it” (Tischner J. 2000).

1.3.  Advertising persuasive strategies in promoting the need of changes as advertising objectives of social campaigns

1.3.1. Central persuasion strategy

There are two types of influence distinguished in persuasion: the so-called central way and peripheral way. “Central persuasion” consists in appealing to rea­son, using rational arguments, reasonable and dependable justification of pre­sented views and disseminated opinions. In “peripheral persuasion”, however, there is an appeal to feelings, emotional arguments are used that take into con­sideration recommendations relating to customary and moral habits (Acewicz M. 2002).

An example of central persuasion is an audiovisual spot broadcasted in the “Save the Coral Sea” campaign by the ecological organisation WWF-Australia. The advertising is dominated by an information message containing arguments presented in the form of a text against the background shots of sea: „The Coral Sea. 780.000 square kilometres of marine wonderland. A wonderland, threatened by unsustainable fishing, oil and gas exploration. Now, WWF is fighting for its protection. Voices around the word have joined our campaign. In just 24 hours, the world’s media was hooked. […] New Idea magazine took the campaign into Australian homes. And the campaign has just begun…”. Apart from the text the spot used scans of newspaper publications and bits from news services (among others: CNN News, BBC News, SBT Brazil, BBC News online, ABC News, Voice of America, Daily Telegraph UK, New Zealand Herald, South China Morning Post) that tackled the issue of the crisis of the Great Barrier Reef and threats to species living there, as well as utterances of persons such as: Peter Garrett (Shadow Environment Minister), Richard Leck (World Wildlife Fund), Mimi McPherson (World Wide Fund for Nature), Andy Ridley (WWF-Australia), Robyn Foyster (Editor – New Idea). Shots of people making their statements in the spot were used as a vehicle for a stylistic and persuasive epistemic authority. A composition of the spot was ended with a shot of a blackboard with a persuasive appeal in white lettering addressed to the recipients: „Help us protect the Coral Sea for future generations wwf.org.au/co­ralsea” (http://www.you­tube.com/watch?v=Ad_dCSWQXAA).

The discussed advertising is an example of exclusion of peripheral persuasion from marketing communication. Naturally, complete exclusion of such per­suasion from social advertising is not possible. Therefore, in the said spot, there are some incidental elements such as: moody classical music, visually attractive (in terms of composition, dramatization and colouring) shots of the underwater world – used as in an emotional and aesthetic function affecting recipients. The persuasion technique used in the reviewed advertising consists in the application of a four-part rhetoric disposition:

• Introduction – presentation of the campaign’s marketing slogan and the so­cial organisation’s logotype;
• Presentation of the issue – making recipients of the advertising acquainted with an ecological need for change;
• Credential – referring to arguments in the form of media publications, the use of an epistemic authority function (utterances of persons involved in the campaign);
• Ending – the logotype is again presented, so is the persuasion appeal, and the address of organisation’s web site.

The other example of using central persuasion is in social advertising, the marketing objective of which relates to a change in the life style concerning quitting smoking, drugs and alcohol. Recipients of the sport are shown the text in which statistical data were quoted to serve as a persuasive argument: “Every eight seconds, someone dies from tobacco use”. Next, there goes a series of pho­tographs of persons smoking tobacco, after them there is a woman dying of cancer shown. Ano­ther text: “More than 750000 deaths are caused by alcohol consumption each year” was illustrated with photographs of persons being unconscious because of alcoholic intoxication. The next argument relating to statistical forecasts: “By 2030, if current trends continue, cocaine and marijuana will kill one in six people” was made more credential with pictures of persons using intoxicating substances. The advertising closes with a blackboard with a text in the form of a rhetorical question: “Are you still thinking?” and a persuasive appeal: “Think again!” (http://www.you­tube.com/watch?v=1guM9Ydjbac).

Yet another example of a persuasive strategy by means of a central way is advertising that achieves its marketing objective by an attempt of convincing employers to hire handicapped persons. The spot does not use peripheral affective influence. Instead of emotional stimuli the voice over (in “off” commentary) was used to present the text that contained persuasive listing of rational arguments, presented in the form of rhetorical questions: “If you are to choose, do the looks matter most for you? The handicapped have allowances and underestimated privileges, such as: reimbursement of employment costs, reimbursement of expenses for equipping their places of work, co-financing of their remuneration. The handicapped are only different in their looks. The quality of performance will be the same, and a choice of such employee valuable. Can you choose?” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnIpa61ITRc).

1.3.2. Peripheral persuasion strategy

A qualitative review of social advertising in YouTube allows discerning trends of resorting to a persuasive influence by means of peripheral way in spots appealing to change a life style in terms of giving up dangerous moto­ring habits or customs that threaten other users of the traffic system, such as, for example: carelessness, ignoring threats, showing disrespect for other users of the traffic system and pedestrians, speeding, lack of concentration, showing off with dange­rous driving, treating car driving as a risky play, or driving under influence. Example of social advertising that uses a peripheral strategy of persuasion is an audiovisual spot from the campaign staged under the slogan of „Slow down boys”, in which a young driver, trying to make an impression on his peers with reckless driving on a narrow road, causes an accident and becomes a cripple moving about in the wheelchair (http://www.you­tube.com/watch?v=P_Xmgpq0Xa0).

Another example of peripheral persuasion in social advertising is a warning against consequences of the lack of imagination and drivers’ speeding. Instead of using rational argumentation typical for central persuasion the spot resorted to an iconic and phonic sequence that exerted a strong emotional effect. There is a road accident shown caused by a young driver who had lost control over the car because of speeding. In individual shots the advertising shows in sequence: the horror of accompanying witnesses to that event when they observed death of participants of the road pile-up, a piercing scream of the girl suffering from pain and terrified with an agony of her partner crashed by the perpetrator’s car; tragic moments of parents looking at the dead body of their son accidentally killed, the accident’s perpetrator receiving a court sentence and a girl in the wheelchair who visits the grave of her partner killed in the accident. The audiovisual message is accompanied by voice-over and the text: “The faster the speed, the bigger the mess” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6xTQjk-T0o&feature=related).

The means of peripheral persuasion, i.e. strong stimuli focused on the affective sphere of recipients, was used also in social advertising under the slogan of „Save a Life” launched by Texas Department of Transportation as well as Texas Department of Public Safety under the campaign that was meant to make aware of consequences of drunk driving. In the spot there is a woman character that covers her face with her photograph. She explains the history of her personal tragedy: „My name’s Jacqueline […]. This is a picture of me before I was hit by a drunk driver, before the car got fire, before two of my friends died, before I need that more than four operations. This is me, when my life was just like anyone else in college. This is me after being hit by a drunk driver”. The character is then shown as a person who as a result of car fire and burns became a cripple, among others, losing her right hand, left hand fingers, an eye, and the nose. The advertising ends with voice-over that uttered a persuasive appeal: „Don’t drink and drive! Ever” (http://www.you­tube.com/watch?v=hKiNO9ZIiTA&NR=1).

1.4.  Summary

Social advertising campaigns are examples of marketing communication by non‑profit organisations concerning change management. That change relates to agatological (opposing evil) and axiological (promoting goodness) issues. Audiovisual social advertising constitutes a marketing instrument of initiating socio-cultural changes. Selection of the persuasive strategy for advertising depends on the type of issues tackled in non-profit campaigns. Persuasion by the so-called central way, i.e. an intellectual appeal to recipients, is chosen by advertising broadcasters in cases that require informing and logically reliable arguments. In case of communicating sensitive issues (concerning, for example, threats to human life, socially disturbing issues, violence etc.) creators of social advertising would more often resort to persuasion by the so-called peripheral way, i.e. influencing emotions and feelings of target groups.

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