MKTG 123: CH 3 (Communication)

Goals of Communication

1. to inform

2. to persuade

3. to motivate

4. to build mutual understanding

two-step flow theory

an organization would beam a message first to the mass media, which would then deliver that message to the great mass of readers, listeners, and viewers for their response.

concentric-circle theory

assumes that ides evolve gradually to the public at large, moving in concentric circles from great thinkers to great disciples to great disseminators to lesser disseminators to the politically active to the politically inert.

People pick up and accept ides from leaders, whose impact on public opinion may be greater than that of the mass media.

5 steps to stimulate behavioral change

1. building awareness

2. developing a latent readiness

3. triggering event

4. intermediate behavior

5. behavioral change

S-E-M-D-R communication process

S - source

E - encoding

M - message

D - decoding

R - receiver

Confirmation Bias

people seek out messages that agree with or “confirm” their own attitudes; they avoid messages that disagree or are “dissonant” to their own attitudes

Spiral of Silence

communications that work well depend on the silence and non-participation of a huge majority. called the silent majority

Constructivism

• knowledge is constructed not transmitted

• concerned with the cognitive process that precedes the actual communication within a given situation rather than with the communication itself

coordinated management of meaning

when we communicate - primarily through conversation - we construct our own social realities of what is going on and what kind of action is appropriate

Gruning-Hunt’s 4 PR model that define PR communications

1. press agentry/publicity

2. public information

3. two-way asymmetric

4. two-way symmetric

Press agentry / publicity

• early form of communication

• is essentially one-way communication that beams messages from a source to a receiver with the express intention of winning favorable media attention.

Public information

early form of one-way communication designed not necessarily to persuade but rather to inform

Two-way asymmetric

sophisticated two-way communication approach that allows an organization to put out its information and to receive feedback from its publics about that information.

two-way symmetric

preferred way of communicating advocates free and equal information flow between an organization and its publics, based on mutual understanding.

this approach is more “balanced”—symmetrical with the pr communicator serving as a mediator between the organization and the publics

3 popular explanations for what constitutes a message

1. the content is the message

2. the medium is the message

3. the man — or to avoid political incorrectness, the person is the message

the content is the message

the content of a communication constitutes its message

the medium is the message

The medium through which the message was carried is more important than the content of the message

The person is the message

The speaker of the message is what is the message

Receiver’s Bias

• message decoding depends on the person’s perception

• everyone is biased

  • stereotypes

  • symbols

  • semantics

  • peer group pressures

  • the media

Stereotypes

• Most people are victims of stereotypes

  • stereotypes influence communication

  • Example: person wearing glasses more believable

• Public figures are typecast regularly

Symbols

• Symbols leave distinct impressions on most people

  • symbols can persuade

  • persuasion can be positive or negative

• symbols can have different meanings to different people

Semantincs

• use words to effectively communicate desired meanings

• same words hold contrasting meanings for different people

• language and meaning of words change constantly

• consider consequences of words you plan to use before using them

Peer groups

• peer pressure influences the way messages are perceived

• peer groups influence attitudes and actions

Media

• a powerful agenda setter

• the traditonal may have lost some clout due to social, internet, cable news, and talk radio

• NY Times, Washington Post, USA today are still usually the most powerful sor setting agendas

• PR professionals have a direct role for setting the agenda for others

A communicator must get feedback from a receiver to know

what messages are or are not getting through and how to structure future communications

A message may trigger

• attitude change

• attitude crystallization

• creation of a wedge of doubt

• no effect

effective communication doesn’t take place if

• the message doesn’t reach the intended receivers

• the message doesn’t exert the desired effect on the receivers

communications may motivate an action that

is different from the desired one