We’ve all heard the term FOMO at some point, and it is what it says it is. Fear of missing out. Uncommonly known as Bandwagon Advertising, this is an extremely popular tool that advertisers use to create a feeling that those who are not using their product or service are missing out.
Think of McDonald’s “I’m loving it”. On the other hand, testimonial advertising creates a clear link between this fear of missing out and why no one should be left out. The use of testimonials in advertising is a great way to get people to jump on this bandwagon, and it often employs the encouragement of celebrities to persuade consumers. Let’s take a look at some reasons why advertisers use or should testimonials.
Celebrity endorsement
We live in a world that’s saturated with the impressionable lives of the rich and famous. Celebrities encapsulate a life of perfection, free of worries, that thrives on aesthetics and worldliness that is very pleasing to the beholder. Celebrity endorsements are a powerful technique that’s used to sway thought by creating an impression of the effectiveness of a product, and it inspires awe in the mind of the consumer with the thought that they too can use the same product as the celebrity.
Expert opinion
This method goes a little deeper into the technical explanation of the benefits of a product or service. The aim here is to enhance credibility, and what you would often see is a relevant expert in a particular field dressed accordingly, to create the idea that they know what they’re talking about. This technique alleviates fears about a new or unfamiliar product.
Man on the street
People love real content, and nothing gets more real than an interview with the average Joe on the street. Regular consumers identify with regular people, and this technique aims to build credibility for members of a particular target audience. The byline is usually a random person that’s stopped on the street, asked to try a product, and then attests to its effectiveness. This in turn creates a feeling of satisfaction among consumers.
Satisfied Users
These testimonials are often shared in written form and are likely to appear in printed advertisements. Loyal users of a product sing its praises and testify to a life-changing experience as a result of using the said product. This method will highlight these benefits that are often seen in terms of ease of use, money or time saving, and fast effective results.
The testimonial method of advertising ultimately involves the end-user attesting to the effectiveness of a product without the manufacturer or advertiser singing their own praises, and it can be used to target a specific audience, or with a more universal reach. It has been adapted over a wide range of media, from print, television and radio to digital and social media, and it is a brilliant technique to show the effectiveness and benefit of a product by provoking human emotion and response.
