Popular Culture Review Vol. 5, No. 1, February 1994 | Page 137

JQ»e_Sho£gin^_Rih^^ 133 shopping. The traditional ritual of shopping is recreated by QVC hosts using a variety of persuasive message strategies including attitudinal similarity or commonality, affinity seeking strategies, credibility, and humor (Mohan, 1992; Pohl & Hartman, 1992). The three strategies identified by Pohl and Hartman are: sales personalization, product credibility, and humor. Sales personalization is defined as "source-oriented process used to emphasize attitudinal similarities between buyer and seller which may be based on interpersonal attraction" (Pohl & Hartman, 1992). The attitudinal sim ilarities and interpersonal attraction are evidenced when the on-air hosts relate experiences they themselves have had with the designated product. The hosts also relay different uses for the product other than the standard usage. For example, Judy Crowe told the viewers that she used the three pan warmer as a slow cooker as well as a meal warmer. The hosts are also interested in the caller and ask what specific experiences they have had with the product. A woman from California, for example, called in about an art-deco kit QVC was advertising and told Mary Beth she used the kit to design stained glass windows. Mary Beth was excited and told the caller what a great idea this was and ask if she would send a picture of the window so they could show it on the air. The caller was thrilled and continued to sing the praises of the art-deco kit. In this dialogue the caller was drawn to the host based on similar likes and attitudes. This is a good example of interpersonal attraction. Another use of interpersonal attraction is the host's display of interest in and about the caller. When a person calls in, the host always ask the individual's name and where they are calling from, how the weather is in that part of the country, if they have anyone watching QVC with them and who they are, salutations to those friends or family members of the caller, what the caller is interested in purchasing t<^ay, if they have ever bought from QVC before, and are they satisfied with the products. For example, Kathy Levin has a dog named Chelsey. Viewers who watch Kathy often hear stories about Chelsey, so when they call in Kathy gets to hear stories about the caller's dog or cat and she in turn will relate yet another Chelsey episode. This strategy draws the caller in and gets them interested in Kathy and things that she herself is interested in, such as the