Pier Paolo Pedrini

Who I am

Consultant, Professor of Communication and Persuasion Techniques, Researcher. Member of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) as well as of the International Society for Humour Studies.
Education:
Ph.D. in Marketing, Department of Science of Communication, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano.
Post-graduate Master in Marketing Communication Sales Management, Milan.
Certificate in Comparative Literature, University of Florence.

For your personal and professional growth

Planning and management of courses aimed at the development of the communicative competences, (communication skills) both interpersonal and professional.

Communication

Narrative of your product history. Creative ideas for choosing the positioning / and production of the content of the internal and external communication messages (texts, photos, videos, newsletter).

“Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle.” Elmer Wheeler

Consulting

Support in different marketing sectors in order to identify the most effective strategy for achieving the objectives. Copywriter and text editing.

“You don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.” Anonymous

Professional Training

Seminars and courses ad hoc in the Field of Communication (institutional, corporate and interpersonal), Persuasion and Negotiation.

“You never get a second chance to give the first impression.” Oscar Wilde

Master Award, Milan 1993

Ph.D., USI Lugano 2005

Conference, USI Lugano 2017

Conference, University of Zurich 2017

Conference, St.John's University, New York 2018

Publication

I have written books and several articles that have been published on international reviews, scientific and popularizing magazines such as Focus Extra (Mondadori), Micro&Macro Marketing (Il Mulino), Il Moderno (Milan), Acta Prosperitatis (Turiba University, Riga), Swiss Journal of Psychology (Neuchâtel), Humor (Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin), Studies in Communication Sciences (USI, Lugano), Marketing und Kommunikation (Offizielles Publikationsorgan der Schweizer Werbewirtschaft, Zürich), Society Register (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan).

L'umorismo in pubblicità (Humor in Advertising)

Ed. Peter Lang, 2006

The motivations that encourage communication with humor are analyzed, as well as its effects produced. How do we justify its use at company level? It outlines where, how and when it is most useful to choose it as well as for what products, means and targets are most suitable; the strategic objectives pursued and its advantages and disadvantages. Finally the results of a research carried out in Switzerland on the use of humor in social campaigns against smoking are presented.

I manifesti nella Grande Guerra

Ed. Carocci, 2016

Modern persuasion techniques, both political and commercial, were already used by the propagandists of the Great War to motivate enlistment and financial support to build a «factory of consensus». They manipulated the public, guiding their thoughts and actions according to the wishes of those in power and were therefore the forerunners of spin doctors and marketing and advertising professionals. In the discourse of this strategy, we find storytelling, humour, satire and fear, but also the language of gestures, recognized as important for the completeness of messages. Were the propagandists «hidden persuaders» who knew the features of the human mind? We don’t know for certain. However, their posters have a personal and consistent motivation that the book intends to demonstrate.

Propaganda, Persuasion & the Great War

Ed. Routledge, 2017

How to persuade citizens to enlist ? How to convince them to fight in a war that was, for many, distant in terms of kilometres and interest as well ? How to build the «factory of consensus» ? The book is a deepening examination of «I manifesti nella Grande Guerra» because it analyses with major intensity the nature of propaganda and its similarities with the techniques of advertising. For many aspects the propagandists are the precursors of modern spin doctors and professionals in sales and advertising.

The book has been selected by the book evaluation team of “Web of Science” for inclusion in their selective citation index.

G.Forti, A.Provera

La grande guerra (Storie e parole di giustizia)

Ed. Vita e pensiero, 2018

Us vs them: Talking about ourselves and about the enemy with the labelling technique. Propaganda’s first and foremost goal is to change people’s perceptions, beliefs and attitudes by a systematic usage of persuasive and manipulative techniques, which mainly act upon emotions. Its strategies instil a way of thinking into the enemy, into his actions and into war: all responsibilities are the other’s and even today we declare war in order to defend our civilization and democracy against the other’s threat. The stories of the enemy’s atrocities forge the identity of a nation and create insuperable separations with the enemy, who becomes the obstacle to our values. The quality of our judgments is thus profoundly biased by the reference points which we possess and look for.

E.Sedina, Y.Simkin

Allena e sviluppa la mente scacchistica

Ed. Messaggerie scacchistiche, 2013

In my introductory essay to Sedina’ book, I discuss the main aspects that intervene in the decision making process, applying them to the game of chess. Even in this area of interest the primacy of reason is questioned and scholars acknowledge the influence of emotions, of peculiar unconscious and intuitive factors, and of behavioral and contextual factors as well. Emotion and reason are two communicative systems that influence together human behavior. Even during a game of chess.

P.Harris, A.Bitonti, C.S.Fleisher, A.Skorkjær Binderkrantz

The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs

link.springer.com

In my essay «War Public Affairs: Nature and Narrative» written for the Palgrave Encyclopedia (2020) I demonstrate that war public affairs have a lot in common with commercial advertising. Propagandists have always used these techniques to package their messages and their persuasive discourses to influence the people’s opinions and actions, in order to obtain public approval. Both strategies include the repetition and the simplicity of the messages, the use of colloquial language and of significant and easily understandable symbols, and the necessity of provoking emotional responses. All these tactics are used to sell the “war product” by a persuasive narrative with stereotyped formulas. This strategy can be identified in every war, and the propaganda associated with war public affairs can be interpreted as one of the crucial tools of modern warfare.

Communication · Consulting · Professional Training

Interest the public · Knowing how to sell your ideas · Inspire actions · Develop skills

Who I am

For your personal and professional growth

Communication

Consulting

Professional Training

Master Award, Milan 1993

Ph.D., USI Lugano 2005

Conference, USI Lugano 2017

Conference, USI Lugano 2017

Conference, University of Zurich 2017

Conference, St.John's University, New York 2018

Conference, St.John's University, New York 2018

Publication

L'umorismo in pubblicità (Humor in Advertising)

I manifesti nella Grande Guerra

Propaganda, Persuasion & the Great War

La grande guerra (Storie e parole di giustizia)

Allena e sviluppa la mente scacchistica

The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs