The Communication Process
Learning Objectives
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To understand the basic elements of the
communication process
To analyze the response processes of receivers
of marketing communications
To examine the nature of consumers’ cognitive
processing of marketing communications
Communication
...the passing of information, the exchange of
ideas, or the process of establishing a
commonness or oneness of thought between a
sender and a receiver.
 For communication to occur there must be:
-common thinking between two parties
-information must be passed from one person to
another.
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A Basic Model of Communication
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Source/sender
Encoding
Channel message
Decoding
Receiver
Source Encoding
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A source of communication is the person or
organization that has information to share with
another person or group of people.
The source may be a salesperson, a celebrity, or
a corporation or an organization
Source encoding
Source encoding
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Communication process begins when the
source selects words, symbols, pictures to
represent the message that will be delivered to
receiver.
This process known as encoding
Encoding involves putting thoughts, ideas, or
information into a symbolic form.
Source encoding
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The sender’s goal is to encode the message in
such a way that it will be understood by the
receiver.
Using words, signs, symbols that are familiar to
the target audience.
Message
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… message contains the information or
meaning of the source hopes to convey/deliver.
Message can be verbal or nonverbal, oral,
written or symbolic.
Message must be put into transmittable form
that is appropriate for the channel of
communication (example, words or images).
Channel
…is a method by which the communication
travels from the source or the sender to the
receiver.
 Two types of channels;
-personal and nonpersonal
 Personal (face-to-face)
 Nonpersonal – no interpersonal contact
between sender and receiver, also referred to as
mass media.
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Receiver/decoding
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Receiver is the person with whom the sender
shares thought or information.
Decoding is the process of transforming the
sender’s message back into thought.
Noise
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Noise refers to unplanned distortion or
interference.
Response/feedback
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Refers to the reaction the receiver has after
seeing, hearing, and reading the message.
Responses range from storing information in
memory and taking immediate action such as
buying a product in a direct response to ad.
Feedback provides the sender with a way of
monitoring how the message is being decoded
and received by the target audience.
Analyzing the receiver
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To communicate effectively, marketers must
understand who their target market is and how
they need to be communicated with to influence
their decision-making process.
Identifying the target audience
Consisting of:
 Individuals – target audience for some products
are individuals, such as insurance and financial
services. Must be specifically tailored.
 Group audiences- such as buying centers.
Requires communication with multiple parties.
Identifying target audience
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Market segments-customers who have similar
needs and wants and thus represent market
segments that can be reached via the same
basic communication strategy. Market niches
refers to a very small and well defined group
can be reached via direct mail.
Mass audience – communicating with large
numbers of consumers via the mass media.
The Response Process
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An important aspect of developing effective
communication involves understanding the
receiver response process.
Four traditional response hierarchy models: the
AIDA model, the hierarchy-of-effects-model,
the innovation-adoption model and the
information-processing model.
The Traditional Response Hierarchy Models
The AIDA Model
Attention-Interest-Desire-Action
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The Hierarchy-of-effects Model
Awareness-Knowledge-Liking-PreferenceConviction-Purchase
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The Traditional Response Hierarchy Models
The Innovation-Adoption Model
Awareness-Interest-Evaluation-Trial-Adoption
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The Information-Processing Model
Presentation-Attention (listen)Comprehension(checklist)-Yielding (brand
attitudes)-Retention (recall)-Behavior
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Traditional response hierarchy
CAB Theory
(Cognitive-Affective-Conative/behavior)
Traditional response hierarchy
The Standard Learning Hierarchy
Learn-feel-do
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Products: high-involvement (e.g., notebook, camera)
The Dissonance/Attribution Hierarchy
Do-feel-learn
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Products: alternatives of similar quality and price
The Low-Involvement Hierarchy
Learn-do-feel
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Products: low-involvement products (e.g., soap, toothpaste)
Model of Information Processing is developed by Michael Ray
The Traditional Responses Hierarchy Model
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These models are useful as they delineate the
series of stages potential purchasers go
through to shift them from no awareness of
products to readiness to purchase them.
These models view the response process as
consisting of movements from cognitive,
affective and behavior.
Cognitive Processing of Communications
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The inability of hierarchical response to explain
what might be causing these reactions has led
to an interest in understanding the nature of
cognitive processing of advertising and other
persuasive communications.
Cognitive processing concerns how the external
information (advertising message) is
transformed into meanings or patterns of
thoughts and how these meanings are
combined to form judgments.
Cognitive Processing of Communications
Two models have been developed to examine the
nature of consumers’ cognitive processing of
advertising messages:
 The Cognitive Response Approach
 The Elaboration Likelihood Model
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The Cognitive Response Approach
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The focus of this approach is to determine the
types of thought evoked by an advertising
message and how these responses relate to
attitude toward the ad, brand attitudes and
purchase intention.
The three basic categories of cognitive
responses are: product-message thoughts,
source-oriented thoughts and ad execution
thoughts.
The Cognitive Response Approach
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The product/message thought –
counterarguments and support arguments
Source-oriented thought – source
derogations (negative thoughts about the
spokesperson or organization) and source
bolster (react favorably).
Ad execution thought – includes reactions to
the ad execution factors such as the creativity
of the ad, quality of visual effects, colors and
voice tones. Can be either favorable or
unfavorable. This may affects attitudes
toward the ads as well as the brand.
The Elaboration Likelihood Model
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Attitude formation and or change process
depends on the amount and nature of
elaboration, or processing, of relevant
information the receiver engages in careful
consideration, thinking, and evaluation of the
information or arguments contained in the
message.
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Elaboration Likelihood Model
There are two basic processes or routes to
persuasion, which are based on motivation and
ability to process the message:
 The central route to persuasion
 The peripheral route to persuasion
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Elaboration Likelihood Model
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Central route to persuasion- the receiver is
viewed as a very active and involved
participant in the communication process
whose ability and motivation to attend,
comprehend and evaluate message are very
high.
Peripheral route to persuasion- the receive
is viewed as lacking motivation or ability to
process information and is not likely to
engage in detailed cognitive processing.