1-2B · 阅读 Reading

Are You Buying What They're Selling? Persuasion in Media你被他们说动了吗？媒体中的说服术

广告商如何根据你的年龄、收入、兴趣“量身定制”广告，又是否总能成功？How advertisers tailor their messages to your age, income and interests — and whether it always works.

阅读约 12 分钟~12 min read 5 个练习5 exercises 4 条达标标准4 success criteria

学习目标 · Learning Goals

  • 1
    Explain how media texts suit particular purposes and audiences
    解释媒体文本如何契合特定的目的与受众
  • 2
    Evaluate the effectiveness of a text's intended purpose
    评估文本预期目的的实现效果
  • 3
    Explain how media texts prompt different responses from different audiences
    解释媒体文本如何在不同受众中引发不同反应
导入Intro

Tailoring the Message 为不同人群“量身定制”

线索 · 广告商砸钱研究受众：大一新生和退休专业人士关心的事完全不同。Cue · Advertisers invest heavily in audience research — first-year students and retired professionals care about very different things.
EN

Advertisers spend much of their time and money tailoring their advertising campaigns to different demographicdemographic 人口统计特征：按年龄、性别、收入等可量化特征划分的人群类别 groups. After all, the concerns of first-year college students are going to be different from those of retired professionals. Through the emergence of new online channels, the use of targeted advertisingtargeted advertising 定向广告：依据消费者的特征、兴趣和偏好精准投放的广告 is increasing because companies aim to minimize wasted advertising by means of information technology.

中文

广告商投入大量时间和金钱，为不同的人口群体（demographic groups）量身定制广告活动。毕竟，大一新生关心的事情，和退休的专业人士关心的截然不同。随着各种新型线上渠道的出现，定向广告（targeted advertising）的使用越来越多——因为企业希望借助信息技术，把“浪费掉的广告”降到最低（即尽量只把广告投给可能感兴趣的人）。

讲解：“minimize wasted advertising”指的是：不把广告浪费在根本不会购买的人身上，从而提高投放效率。Note: "Minimize wasted advertising" means not spending ad money on people who would never buy — making each impression count.
核心概念Key Concept

Demographics 人口统计特征

线索 · 人口统计学用一组可测量的因素来描述一群人——研究越细，因素越多。Cue · Demography describes a population through a set of measurable factors — the more focused the research, the longer the list.
EN

Advertisers spend much of their time and money attempting to tailor advertising campaigns to different demographic groups. After all, the concerns of first-year college students are different from those of retired professionals. Traditionally, demographics provide information based on factors that may include, but are not limited to:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Sexual orientation
  • Income
  • Education level
  • Occupation
  • Marital status
  • Home ownership
  • Nationality
  • Pet ownership
  • Place of residence
  • Political affiliation
  • Religious affiliation
  • Number of children

The number of factors used in demographydemography 人口统计学：研究人口特征及其分布的学科, the study of demographics, can vary greatly depending on the kind of research is being done. Therefore, this list can grow considerably, be more focused on certain factors or subsets, and/or can become much broader.

中文

广告商花费大量时间和金钱，试图为不同的人口群体定制广告活动。毕竟，大一新生与退休专业人士的关切并不相同。传统上，人口统计特征所提供的信息基于一系列因素，可能包括但不限于：

  • 年龄
  • 性别
  • 性取向
  • 收入
  • 教育程度
  • 职业
  • 婚姻状况
  • 是否拥有住房
  • 国籍
  • 是否养宠物
  • 居住地
  • 政治立场
  • 宗教信仰
  • 子女数量

人口统计学（demography）就是研究这些人口特征的学问。它所使用的因素数量因研究类型而差异很大：这份清单可以大幅扩展、聚焦于某些特定因素或子集，也可以变得更加宽泛。

讲解：注意区分：demographics（人口特征，复数名词）指数据本身；demography（人口统计学）指研究这些数据的学科。Note: Distinguish: "demographics" refers to the data itself, while "demography" is the academic study of that data.
运作机制How It Works

Targeted Commercials 定向广告

线索 · 广告无处不在，但我们学会了无视它——于是广告商靠追踪你的上网行为“夺回”注意力。Cue · Ads are everywhere, but we've learned to ignore them — so advertisers track our online activity to win attention back.
EN

Advertising is everywhere online, but we've gotten pretty good at ignoring it. To win back our attention, advertisers have adapted to our digital viewing habits by collecting information about what we read and buy online, then using this information to sell us things they think we might like. While it may sound strange, this practice, called targeted advertising, has become very common.

Targeted advertising is a form of online advertising that focuses on the specific traits, interests, and preferences of a consumer. Advertisers discover this information by tracking your activity on the Internet.

How does it work? Here's one of the most common methods: Let's say you go to Amazon to look for a new Paul McCartney CD. In order to keep track of your visit, Amazon creates a file called a cookiecookie 网络追踪文件：网站存储在用户设备上、用于记录访问行为的小型数据文件 on your computer. Later, when you're reading an article on Slate, automated advertisements read this cookie and generate ads for items related to your Amazon visit, like other Paul McCartney albums or a Beatles T-shirt.

The good thing about targeted ads is that you'll see ads for products you actually want. However, this system isn't perfect. Even if you only visit a page once, you may see ads for that particular product for quite some time. For instance, you may keep getting ads for maternity wear long after you've given birth.

Aside from cookies, advertisers also learn about you in other ways, like checking your search engine history and finding your personal information on social media.

中文

网上广告无处不在，但我们已经相当擅长无视它们了。为了夺回我们的注意力，广告商开始适应我们的数字浏览习惯：收集我们在线阅读和购买的信息，再用这些信息向我们推销他们认为我们可能喜欢的东西。听起来或许有些怪异，但这种做法——也就是定向广告——已经变得非常普遍。

定向广告是一种线上广告形式，专注于某位消费者的特定特征（traits）、兴趣和偏好。广告商通过追踪你在互联网上的活动来获取这些信息。

它是如何运作的？ 这是最常见的方法之一：假设你去亚马逊找一张新的 Paul McCartney 专辑。为了记录你的这次访问，亚马逊会在你的电脑上创建一个叫做 cookie 的文件。稍后，当你在 Slate 网站上读文章时，自动化广告会读取这个 cookie，生成与你亚马逊访问相关的商品广告，比如其他 Paul McCartney 的专辑，或一件 Beatles 的 T 恤。

定向广告的好处是：你看到的会是自己确实想要的产品广告。然而，这套系统并不完美。即使你只访问过某个页面一次，也可能在相当长的时间里一直看到那件产品的广告。例如，在你已经生完孩子很久之后，可能还在不断收到孕妇装的广告。

除了 cookie，广告商还通过其他方式了解你，比如查看你的搜索引擎历史，以及在社交媒体上找到你的个人信息。

讲解：cookie 是网站存放在你电脑上的小文件，用来“记住”你的访问；它正是跨网站追踪你、生成定向广告的关键。Note: A cookie is a small file a website stores on your computer to "remember" your visit — it is the key to tracking you across sites and generating targeted ads.
评估效果Evaluate

Is It Effective? 它真的有效吗？

线索 · 锁定了某个人群，不等于一定打动了他们——带着三个问题去看下面这则反吸烟广告。Cue · Targeting a demographic doesn't guarantee persuasion — watch the anti-smoking ad below with three questions in mind.
EN

Although advertising often attempts to target a specific demographic, it is not always effective.

Consider the following questions as you watch the following anti-smoking advertisement:

  • What was the targeted demographic? Did the commercial match the target audience?
  • What persuasive strategies (ethosethos 诉诸信誉：通过展现可信度或权威来说服受众, logoslogos 诉诸逻辑：通过事实、数据与逻辑推理来说服受众, pathospathos 诉诸情感：通过激发情感来说服受众) did the commercial use?
  • Do you think the ad effectively accomplished the intended purpose using the persuasive strategies?
中文

尽管广告常常试图锁定某个特定的人群，但它并不总是有效。

观看下面这则反吸烟广告时，请思考以下问题：

  • 它锁定的目标人群是谁？这则广告是否与目标受众相匹配？
  • 广告使用了哪些说服策略（ethos 诉诸信誉 / logos 诉诸逻辑 / pathos 诉诸情感）？
  • 你认为这则广告通过这些说服策略，有效地达成了它的预期目的吗？
讲解：ethos（信誉/权威）、logos（逻辑/事实）、pathos（情感）是经典的三大说服策略；评估广告时，先判断它主要靠哪一种打动你。Note: Ethos (credibility), logos (logic/facts), and pathos (emotion) are the three classic persuasive appeals; when evaluating an ad, identify which one it relies on most.
反吸烟广告（青少年向）——来源：Anti-smoking Commercial for Teenagers, Gurchetan Singh。观看时请对照上方三个问题：目标人群、说服策略、是否有效。

总结 / Summary

广告靠人口特征锁定受众、靠追踪数据精准投放，但“锁定”不等于“奏效”。Ads target audiences by demographics and deliver precisely via tracking — but targeting is not the same as persuading.

1

人口统计特征（demographics）用年龄、收入、职业等可测量因素描述一群人，是广告定向的基础。Demographics describe a population through measurable factors like age, income and occupation — the foundation of ad targeting.

2

定向广告通过 cookie、搜索历史和社交媒体收集你的行为数据，再推送你“可能喜欢”的产品——好处是更相关，缺点是会持续追着你（如生育后仍收到孕妇装广告）。Targeted advertising gathers your behavioural data via cookies, search history and social media to push products you 'might like' — more relevant, but it can keep chasing you (e.g. maternity ads after birth).

3

评估广告效果，要看它锁定的人群是否匹配，以及它运用 ethos / logos / pathos 的说服策略是否真正达成目的。To evaluate an ad, check whether its target audience matches and whether its ethos / logos / pathos strategies actually achieve the intended purpose.

知识点清单 · Knowledge Points

demographicstargeted advertisingcookieethoslogospathos
?

随堂练习Exercises

先自己作答，再展开参考答案核对。Answer first, then reveal to check.

练习 1Q1选择题 · Multiple Choice

下列哪一项不属于传统人口统计特征（demographics）的因素？Which of the following is not a traditional demographic factor?

年龄、收入、教育程度都是文中列出的可测量人口特征；“此刻的心情”是一时的、难以量化的状态，不属于传统人口统计因素。Age, income and education level are all measurable demographic factors listed in the text; a momentary 'mood' is transient and not a traditional demographic factor.
练习 2Q2选择题 · Multiple Choice

根据课文，cookie 在定向广告中起什么作用？According to the lesson, what role does a cookie play in targeted advertising?

课文以亚马逊为例：cookie 记录你的访问，之后在别的网站（如 Slate）上，自动广告读取这个 cookie 来生成与你访问相关的商品广告。The Amazon example shows that a cookie records your visit, and later, on another site like Slate, automated ads read that cookie to generate ads related to your visit.
练习 3Q3选择题 · Multiple Choice

一则广告“锁定了正确的人群”，是否就意味着它一定有效？If an ad 'targets the right demographic,' does that mean it is necessarily effective?

课文明确指出“广告并不总是有效”。锁定人群只是定向的一步；广告能否成功，还取决于它运用 ethos/logos/pathos 等说服策略是否真正打动了受众、达成预期目的。The text states ads are 'not always effective.' Targeting is just one step; success also depends on whether the persuasive strategies (ethos/logos/pathos) genuinely move the audience and achieve the intended purpose.
练习 4Q4简答题 · Short Answer

用你自己的话解释 demographics（人口统计特征）和 demography（人口统计学）的区别。In your own words, explain the difference between demographics and demography.

参考答案

Demographics 指的是描述一群人的具体特征数据本身（如年龄、收入、职业等）；而 demography 是研究这些人口特征及其分布的学科。简单说：前者是“数据”，后者是“研究数据的学问”。

Demographics are the specific characteristic data that describe a group of people (age, income, occupation, etc.); demography is the academic study of those characteristics and their distribution. In short: one is the data, the other is the study of the data.

练习 5Q5写作题 · Writing

选一则你最近看到的广告（线上或电视均可），用 ethos、logos、pathos 三种说服策略分析它：它主要锁定哪类人群？主要靠哪种策略打动你？你认为它有效吗？为什么？（约 120–180 字）Choose an ad you have seen recently (online or on TV) and analyse it using ethos, logos and pathos: Which demographic does it target? Which strategy does it rely on most? Do you think it is effective, and why? (about 120-180 words)

参考示例

我最近常在视频网站看到一则运动手环广告。它锁定的人群是 18–30 岁、关注健康与外形的年轻人。广告主要使用 pathos（情感）：画面里年轻人晨跑、心率数据跳动，配上激励性的音乐，营造“自律又自信”的氛围；同时穿插“连续监测心率、睡眠”等功能介绍，带有一点 logos（逻辑/数据）。它几乎没有用 ethos，因为没有名人或权威背书。我认为对目标人群是有效的——情感氛围让人产生“我也想成为那样的人”的冲动，从而促成购买；但对不在意健身的人来说，说服力就会大打折扣。这正说明：广告是否有效，取决于它的策略是否击中了所锁定人群真正在意的东西。

I often see an ad for a fitness band on a video site. Its target demographic is health- and image-conscious young people aged 18-30. The ad relies mainly on pathos: shots of young people jogging at dawn, a pulsing heart-rate display and upbeat music create a mood of 'disciplined and confident,' while feature mentions like 'continuous heart-rate and sleep tracking' add a touch of logos. It uses almost no ethos, since there is no celebrity or expert endorsement. I think it is effective for its target audience — the emotional mood sparks a 'I want to be that person too' impulse that drives purchases; but for people indifferent to fitness, its persuasiveness drops sharply. This shows that an ad's effectiveness depends on whether its strategy hits what the targeted group genuinely cares about.

✓

达标标准Success Criteria

进入下一节之前，确认你已掌握以下各点。Before moving on, confirm you can do each of the following.

Self-check

勾选你已经做到的项目，进度会自动保存。Tick what you can do; progress saves automatically.