Known as ‘The Godfather of Influence’, Dr Robert Cialdini, turns 80 this week. And his title is well-earned. 

After extensive research, including academic studies and three years undercover observing sales professionals, the psychologist developed the six principles of persuasion. This foundational research popularised the use of behaviour science techniques in marketing and communications and his approach has been credited with all manner of things; from increasing sales, winning elections and saving the NHS money.

So what are the six laws of persuasion and how might PR professionals use them in marketing campaigns and activity?

1. Social proof. Evidence shows that people are more likely to follow the behaviour of others who they perceive as similar to them, especially in situations when they are unsure of how to act. When Cialdini worked with the NHS, he succeeded in reducing the number of did not attend (DNA) appointments by 31.4%. One of his key strategies was implementing signs to communicate that '95% of patients at this practice turn up to appointments’, because who would want to be part of the 5% of DNA’s that contribute to £700 million of annual waste for the NHS? Closer to home for me is a campaign Evergreen PR developed for Tinnitus UK, which won two PRmoment awards. The Tinnitus Manifesto generated top tier media coverage, a debate in the House of Lords and questions for the Health Secretary (all of which gave our argument authority), but it was the power of social proof that saw support for our petition snowball to over 140,000 signatures and really made the Government sit up and take notice.
   
   

2. Authority. Cialdini argues that people follow the lead of credible, knowledgeable experts. This aligns with research that consistently shows doctors, scientists and nurses are among the most trusted professions, and with theories dating back thousands of years which found people with knowledge, expertise and competence are more influential. Having worked in healthcare PR for 20 years, I know  how important increasing trust is when it comes to achieving organisation priorities. Building health authority should be a key focus for all health organisations, and can be achieved by combining increased visibility, evidence of effectiveness and thought leadership that genuinely adds to the body of knowledge.
   
   

3. Commitment and consistency. Cialdini’s research uncovered that people try to be consistent with their past decisions, statements and behaviours. This principle was also applied in his successful work with the NHS, when he increased patients’ commitment to attend their appointment by introducing processes that led to them being asked to verbally repeat the date and time of the consultation and to fill in the appointment card themselves. Applying this principle to PR activity requires an increased focus on audience research in order to understand existing habits, preferences and behaviours, and more of a full funnel focus on activity, to secure small commitments that sets the person on a path to a larger commitment later.
   
   

4. Reciprocity. Often listed first in his model, the rule of reciprocity states that people are more likely to give back to others when they have received something first. The ‘Coca Cola experiment’ is a published behavioural study where a researcher found that buying someone a soft drink before starting a conversation to sell them raffle tickets increased the number of purchases. In modern marketing, free trials, free downloads and special offers all owe a debt to this particular principle but, at Evergreen PR, we also use it from a relationship perspective, paying special attention to creating distinctive value for high priority stakeholders who might then return the favour by supporting our campaign/s.
   
   

5. Scarcity. Evidence shows people want things more when those things are in short supply. It can be seen in everyday life when booking a hotel room, flight or train, when we are told that there are only a certain number of rooms or tickets left. Usually, scarcity is illustrated by demonstrating high demand (empty shelves), restricted supply (limited edition) and time-based scarcity (available until). In healthcare PR practice, it might be utilised when offering a journalist an exclusive news story if they can commit to working with you within a certain timeframe, or by devising a launch campaign where the first 100 sign-ups get free access to a new healthcare product.
   
   

6. Liking. This principle describes how people are more influenced by people they like. And his studies concluded that we are more likely to like people who are similar to us, familiar to us and who cooperate with us. That explains the power of real human case study stories in PR and marketing, the consistent use of celebrities and influencers whom the target audience might know and the power of establishing trusted relationships with key stakeholders, based on cooperation. Liking isn’t an exact science, but behaviour science takes us in the right direction towards achieving our goals.