Some concepts discussed in Age of Propaganda:

• 'Magic bullets'--the notion that propagandists could influence the masses in mysterious and inscrutable ways. For instance, the subliminal mind control tapes, or the rogue movie frame inserted to get moviegoers to go to the concession stand like zombies and spend money on overpriced snacks. Propaganda may be sophisticated, but it's based on research and observation, not magic. A politician could for instance mention 'al Qaida' and 'Iraq,' or 'bin Laden' and 'Saddam Hussein,' close together to create an association in the minds of the target audience without asserting it (what is often called in politics 'plausible deniability'). But that's not so mysterious once you start recognizing it.
• Law of Cognitive response--the above doesn't mean propagandists don't go for lots of indirect persuasion--that's their specialty. For instance, individual commercials may not cause an individual to go out and buy a product (again, in zombie-like fashion). But their accumulative effect may be substantial and largely unconscious--they may in a sense 'rule out' alternative views of the world that don't see consumption of some sort as the answer to most problems. There is plenty of evidence to show more direct effects, for instance that a TV advertising campaign can increase sales (but it costs money, too--it's an investment, so a business has to decide whether the increased sales warrant the investment). Political ads, especially negative ones, have been found to be effective, at least among media consumers who seek little other information about candidates. And certain techniques work better than others, fear being among the most effective. What does this mean? For one thing, watching TV news would have made you more likely to support the Iraq invasion in 2003, despite a welter of evidence that the case for invasion was based on flimsy, falsified, and selective intelligence. This was no accident.
• Six sales principles--among hundreds, but these have been shown through research to work: 1) ads containing the words new, quick, easy, improved, now, suddenly, amazing, and introducing; 2,3) Eye-level placement of goods in supermarkets is preferred (see where the sugary cereals are, and think about the eyeball height of its biggest fans ....); also end of aisle placement is effective--it just looks like a sale! 4) ads using animals (Geico, AFLAC, the Coke polar bears ... ), babies (E*trade, Michelin tires), and sex (too numerous to mention ...) sell; 5) Bundle pricing (at one point in the La Grande Safeway, the Yoplait yogurt was selling for 40 for $20, meaning .50 per; Costco is built ont he bulk principle); 6) Asking people 'how they're feeling' on sales calls increases sales (even if we know deep down the caller is on commission and reading a script ....). So face it . . . . we're suckers for a clever sales pitch.