How do we persuade people to do or buy things? In the health and medical field, we usually rely on educating them. This is the "direct" path to persuasion. Give lots of detailed information, the "customer" will scrutinize it, think hard about it, and come to a rational conclusion. Right? Wrong.

Years of research has shown that this approach usually doesn't work very well. For most people most of the time, the "indirect" path to persuasion is far more effective. On the indirect path, people are influenced by things like who the spokesperson is and what feelings are being conveyed, rather than the rational argument. They are not thinking deeply. Instead, they are relying on, say the credibility of the spokesperson, as a shortcut to making a quick decision. The upside is people are engaged. The downside is that the persuasion that does result may be shorter lived. 

I see the real win as what I would call involvement conversion. Use the indirect path to get people initially interested. Then once they are "in the door" so to speak, their positive experience should convert them to care more deeply and find the personal relevance in what you are selling. Just make it worth their while.

Note: I know, I know. There's a popular business book called the 5 Paths to Persuasion. The two paths I am touting are fundamentally based on whether people personally connect with your message or not. Think about what path you take when faced with a barrage of communications.

Without reading the copy, what would you think this ad is selling? 

This is an image from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's new PSA campaign. Here's their strategy:

We wanted to be honest and open. We wanted to create an image of a woman that a large number of women could identify with. And deliver a message that is as much about hope as it is about hard truths.

Cancer is ugly. Women are beautiful. We wanted the photograph to suggest all the strength, courage, vitality and radiance of a woman touched in some way by breast cancer. We wanted it to be timely and timeless.

Step 1 in communications is always getting attention. Using this kind of image does the job, and tastefully I think most donors would say. I admire BCRF's courage and clarity. Many health organizations prioritize being non-controversial and "safe" over being effective. What do you think about this ad?