How Do We Process Media?

Have you ever actively thought about how you process the media that you intake? Do you take it for what it is, or do you let outside influences affect your thoughts? I know for me, I'm the latter of the two. I allow how I feel, the style of the message, and other conditions to impact me.

The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) discusses this exact phenomenon. It states that there are two routes by which information can be processed that lead to our attitudes being changed. The first route is the central route. This route is more direct where information is actively processed, and you judge it rationally.

The other route is the peripheral route. I personally tend to follow this route in my everyday manner. In this route, information is not actively processed cognitively. One relies on the peripheral cues such as the credibility of the source, one's own mood, the style of message, etc.

We can take this model into account when we want to create persuasive appeals. To understand which route will be taken, we must understand our target audience. If the audience is already knowledgeable and involved in the message's subject, they will more than likely take the central route. We also want to make sure the message is personable. This will make the message more connectable with our target audience.

Lastly, we have to realize that distractions can weaken our message and allow the peripheral cues to play a more significant role. This means that if we use a celebrity endorsement in our message, that some may be more swayed by the celebrity than the actual message. An example of this is Taylor Swift endorsing Coke products on social media and in commercials. Did I want a Coke because I was thirsty and I enjoy the drink or because one of my favorite artists suggested I drink it? Or is it both?

Sometimes people use both routes to be influenced by the message. Because of this, I suggest taking this into account and making sure your message has ways to be processed through both routes. To be the most persuasive, you should make sure your media includes personal needs for your audience, explicit content, and contain images that allow peripheral cues to come into play.