Multimodal persuasive strategies in product pitches

Abstract The product pitch is a widespread genre within business communication and is used to introduce a product in the market. Product pitches are meant to convince an audience of the value of the product they introduce. Because they are subjected to strict time constraints, these presentations need to be particularly effective in their persuasive efforts, and speakers need to make the best use of all the semiotic resources they have at their disposal to efficiently convey their message. Researchers and practitioners with first-hand experience in this genre agree that it is inherently persuasive and multimodal. However, little is known about the complex interplay established between the different semiotic modes that are at stake in a product pitch, and about the potential effect that these multimodal ensembles have on persuasion. This study analyses a corpus of product pitches using a combination of computer assisted multimodal discourse analysis and ethnographic observations and interviews to probe into the use of multimodal persuasive strategies in these presentations. The findings show how speakers highlight the unique selling points of their products and present them as the best solution to a problem, resorting to a series of persuasive strategies (e.g. attention getting, evaluation) that are realised through carefully orchestrated multimodal ensembles.