Thursday, March 3, 2011
Social Validation Principle
The social validation principle can be defined as the perceived validity or acceptance of an idea as the number of people supporting the idea increase. In simple terms this principle states that if we perceive others as liking or promotion something we believe it to be better.
The social validation principle is something that can be seen frequently in advertisements and marketing strategies. Advertisers often try to create the image that their product or service is widely accepted or wanted by others. This image given to the consumer then creates the idea that if others like or enjoy the product being advertised then they as the consumer might like it to.
The FOX news channel print ad demonstrates how the social validation principle is used in advertising. The ad uses language such as “more Americans trust Fox News than any other news network” which gives the perception that most people watch the network. By giving off this perception to news viewer’s people might consider that if they are “the most trusted” then Fox must be a credible source. Although there is no factual data in the ad that states that Fox is the best network consumers are still influenced by the language.
Consumers are more likely to use the social validation principle if they are unsure, feel pressure to conform, or if they are presented with an ambiguous situation. For example in the Fox ad, news viewers would be more heavily influenced if they were unaware of what news channel to watch. If a consumer is not familiar with Fox news they will be more likely to take the language of the ad literally and watch the network until they can form their own opinion about the network. By stating that Fox is the “most trusted name in news” consumers are more likely to develop the perception that a lot of people watch the channel.
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