55519286 IMC Chapter3 Communication Process

8/2/2019 55519286 IMC Chapter3 Communication Process

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The Communication Process


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Consumer Behaviour

The basic model of communication

This has evolved over the years and is represented as below.

Senders field

of experience

Source Encoding

Receivers field

of experience

Decoding ReceiverChannel

Message

Noise


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Consumer Behaviour

Source encoding: Here the sender of the communication is the source with

information to share with the target group. The source could be an official spokes

person of the company, a representative or a celebrity

Message: The encoding process consists of the development of a message that

consists of the information or meaning that the source hopes to convey. This

could be verbal, non-verbal, symbolic and so onseveral recent ads focus on

semiotics the study of the nature of meanings. From a semiotic perspective

every marketing message has 3 basic components the object thats the focus of

the message, the sign thats the sensory image that represents the intended

meanings of the object, the interpretant in the meaning.


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Consumer Behaviour


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Consumer Behaviour

Channel: The channel is a method by which the communications travel. At a

broad level channels are of two types personal (face to face) and non personal

(mass media). Several companies have agents who speak good about the

products of a company and help in its sales. Those targeted are people who are

high on their networking quotient and the partying types.

Non-personal includes newspapers, television, magazines, Direct Mailers,

billboards, broadcast media and so on

Receiving/ decoding: The receiver is the person with whom the sender shares his

information. Receivers in the marketplace are the TG who receive the messages

and decode it. Decoding is a process of deciphering and analysing the message

and this process is heavily influenced by the receivers field of experience

experiences, exposure, attitudes and so on of the receiver.


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Consumer Behaviour

For effective communication, the message decoding process of the receiver must

match the encoding of the sender. Simply put, the receiver and the sender must

have a similar wavelength to ensure that the message is correctly interpreted.

Advertising folks who are usually from cities would have a problem in marketing

for the rural segments as they would not have a clear idea of the culture of the

rural people preferences, customs, norms and so on they would need the

exposure to develop effective communication.

Noise: Throughout the communication process the message is subject to external

influences and factors that can distort or interfere with its reception. This

unplanned distortion/ interference is known as noise. Lack of common ground,

language barriers, symbol barriers and interpretation variations cause noise


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Consumer Behaviour

Response/ feedback: The receivers set of reactions after seeing/ listening to the

communication is known as response. This could include writing a mail, response

in an interview, filling in a coupon, answering a telephone and so on

Feedback is the most critical part of it all and marketers spend enormous

amounts of money to obtain frequent feedback.

Analysing the receiver: To communicate effectively, marketers must understand

who the TG is and figure out ways to effectively communicate with them.

Planners must understand the TG and their profiles before arriving at the

messaging and the media to be used to deliver the messaging.


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Consumer Behaviour

Identifying the TG: The TG may consist of:

Individuals/ Group Audiences

Niche Markets

Market Segments

General Public/ Mass Audience

Targeting individuals requires one-to-one communication/ personalised selling.

Mass advertising may be used to attract the target to the firm but conversion

needs individualised/ personal selling LIC, financial services and so on.

Niche Markets are targeted through dedicated journals, magazines, group

newsletters, portals or lectures/events

Market Segments could also be targeted in a similar way

General Public/ Mass AudienceIs usually targeted through television,

newspapers here the marketer cannot clarify or convince the receiver and has

to deliver the message with certain assumptions.


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Consumer Behaviour

The Response process

The important aspect in developing effective communication programs is in

understanding the response process the receiver may go through in moving

towards a specific behaviour. In several cases the marketer may wish to deliver a

detailed communication with the objective of changing the consumers

behaviour.

Response Hierarchy Models

Several models have been developed to depict the stages a consumer may pass

through in moving from a state of not being aware of the company/ product/

brand to actual purchase behaviour. The most popular among them are these 4

Hierarchy Models, developed for various reasons.


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Consumer Behaviour

Models of Response

Stages AIDAModel

Hierarchy ofEffects Model

InnovationAdoption

Model

InformationProcessing

Model

CognitiveStage

Attention Awareness

Knowledge

Awareness PresentationAttention

Comprehension

Affective

Stage

Interest Liking

PreferenceConviction

Interest

Evaluation

Yielding

Retention

BehaviouralStage

Action Purchase Trial

Adoption

Behaviour


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Consumer Behaviour

The AIDA Model

The AIDA Model was developed to represent the stages a salesperson must take a

customer through in the personal selling process. The model depicts the buyer as

passing through the stages of Attention, Interest, Desire, Action . The Action stage

involves getting a purchase commitment from the customer and closing the sale.

This is the most important state to the marketer.

The Hierarchy of Effects Model

This is the best of the response models and is developed by Robert Lavidge and

Gary Steiner as a paradigm for setting and measuring advertising objectives. It

shows how advertising works - the consumer passes through a series of steps in

sequential order from initial awareness to actual purchase. The basic premise is

that advertising creates this effect over a period of time. The Hierarchy of Effects

Model is a reference in several agencies to measure advertising agencies.


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Consumer Behaviour

The Innovation Adaption Model -

This model represents the stages through which a consumer passes through in

adapting a product or service. It says potential adopters must pass through a

series of steps before taking some action. The steps prior to adaption are

Awareness, Evaluation, Interest and Trial.

The challenge facing companies launching new products is to create awareness

and interest among consumers and then get them to evaluate the product

favourably. This is done through a demo to evince interest and then a trial is

offered. After the trial the customer either adopts the product or rejects it.


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Consumer Behaviour

The Information Processing Model

The final hierarchy model is the Information Processing Model developed by

William McGuire. This model assumes the receiver in a persuasive

communication situation like advertising is an information processor or problem

solver. McGuire suggests that the series of steps a receiver goes through in being

persuaded constitutes a response hierarchy. McGuires model includes a stage

not found in other models which is Retention, the receivers capacity to retain a

portion of the information he/she accepts as valid and important.


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Consumer Behaviour

The Implications of Traditional Hierarchy Models

The models are useful from several perspectives. They define a series of steps

that prospects must be taken through before they could come close to

considering the product. The marketer also needs to know depending on theproduct/ service he is offering, which stage his prospective customer is in and

what steps he needs to take to close the sale.


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Consumer Behaviour

Alternative Response Hierarchies

Michael Ray has developed a model of information processing that identifies

three alternative orderings of the 3 stages based on product differentiation and

product involvement. These alternative response hierarchies are the standard

learning, dissonance/ attribution, and low-involvement models.

High

(Learning Model)Cognitive

HighAffectiveConative

Low

(Low involvementmodel)

Cognitive

(Dissonance/attribution model)

ConativeAffectiveCognitive

Conative

Affective


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Consumer Behaviour

The Standard Learning Hierarchy

In many purchase situations, the consumer will go through the response process

in the sequence depicted by the traditional communication models. Ray terms

this as the Standard Learning Model consisting of the Learn Feel Do sequence.

Ray suggests that the standard learning hierarchy is likely when the consumer is

highly involved in the purchase process and there is sufficient differentiation

among competing brands. Standard Learning Hierarchy is likely for high

involvement purchase decisions like cameras, appliances, cars, printers and soon

Ads in these categories are detailed and educate the customer helping them

evaluate.


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Consumer Behaviour

The Dissonance/Attribution Hierarchy

Rays second response hierarchy involves situations where the customers first

behave and then develop attitudes or feelings as a result of that behaviour and

then learn or process information that supports the behaviour. This is the Do-

Feel-Learn approach. Here customers have to choose between two alternativesthat are similar in quality but are complex and could have hidden attributes.

Here the customer purchases the product on the basis of some non-media advise

and then develops a positive attitude towards the brand and then collects

information that is pro his brand.

Ray suggests that the mass media messaging does not influence purchases in

such case but contributes to reducing post-purchase dissonance.


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Consumer Behaviour

The Low Involvement Hierarchy

This is the most interesting of the three models is the Low Involvement Hierarchy

where the receiver is viewed as passing from Cognition to Behaviour to Attitude

change. This is the Learn Do Feel sequence. This is more for products where the

involvement is low and the differences between the competing products isminimal or none and mass media advertising is important.

In this category the consumer indulges in passive learning and random

information catching rather than active information seeking. Advertisers deliver a

simple message in high frequencies using one image/ copy piece/ audio etc toreinforce/ register the message/ product into the TGs mind. For ex. Heinz has

dominated the ketchup market by saying it is the thickest and the richest.


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Consumer Behaviour

Implications of the Alternative Response Models

Advertisers agree that not all the response sequences and behaviours can be

explained by the alternative response models. The various models can help

marketing managers/ advertisers to formulate certain communication strategiesand more often than not try to analyse their consumers and their mindsets.

The FCB Planning Model

The FCB planning model was proposed by Richard Vaughn of Foote, Cone andBelding Advertising. This model builds on the traditional theories of advertising

such as the Hierarchy of effects and also considers high and low involvement.


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Consumer Behaviour

They gave a new twist to the analysis by bringing a Thinking vs. Feeling

component The left brain is capable of more cognitive thinking and the right

brain is more visual and emotional. The model called the FCB grid differentiates

between the 4 primary planning strategies - Informative, Affective, Habit

Formation and Satisfaction.

Vaughn suggests that the Informative Strategy is for high involvement products

and services where rational thinking and economic prudence is important. Here

the Standard Learning Hierarchy model is valid.

The Affective Strategyis for highly involving, feeling purchases. For such products

advertising should stress on emotional motives such as self esteem building or

enhancing ego.


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Consumer Behaviour

The Habit Formation Strategyis for low involvement/thinking products with such

routinised behaviour that develop after a trial purchase.

The Self Satisfaction Strategy is for low involvement / feeling products that

appeal to our sensory pleasures/ social motives. Here product experience is an

important part of the learning process.

The FCB grid provides a useful way for the advertising planning process and helps

in the analysis of the consumer-product relationship.


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Consumer Behaviour

Thinking Feeling

High

Involvement

Informative

Thinking required tobuy things like car,home, householdappliances, and soonMedia: Long copy formCreative: credibility,demos

Affective

Jewellery, cosmetics,fashionable

accessories

Media: Large, FocusedCreative driven

LowInvolvement

Habit Formation

Food, household items

Media: small ads/ highfrequencyCreative: directmessaging, reminder

Self satisfaction

Chocolates, candy, icecreams and so on

Creative: attractive,attention grabbingMedia: POS, ads


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Consumer Behaviour

Cognitive Processing of Communications - The Cognitive Response Approach

The hierarchical response models were the primary focus of approaches

for studying the responses of receivers. In response to these concerns,

researchers are also studying the cognitive reactions of persuasive messages. 3

basic categories of responses have been identified.

Product/message thoughts: This refers to the responses oriented towards

product/service. There are two responses support and counter arguments.

Counter arguments are the thoughts the recipient has, opposed to that delivered

by the message. For ex., if a detergent ad makes a claim of removing a stubborn

stain, the recipient may say that it is an exaggeration. Support arguments on the

other hand support the claims made by the message.


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Consumer Behaviour

Source oriented thoughts - This has got to do with the thoughts of the recipient

about the spokesperson. Termed source derogation they lead to a drop in the

acceptance of the message. Sometimes the message could also boost the feeling

in which case they are termed source boosters.

Ad execution thoughts This is to do with the execution of the ad the tone, the

look of the model, the effects, the treatment and so on Much attention is

focused on this aspect, especially TV commercials.


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Consumer Behaviour

Elaboration Likelihood Model

This model perceives the way consumers process and respond to persuasive

images. ELM was devised by Richard Petty and John Cacioppo to explain the

process by which persuasive communication influences attitudes.

According to this model, attitude formation occurs depending on the amount of

Elaboration or processing of the information that occurs as a response to a

persuasive image.

When the receiver does not engage in active information processing or thinking,

Low Elaboration occurs.


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Consumer Behaviour

Elaboration likelihood is a function of two elements Motivation and Ability to

process the image

Motivation to process the information depends on the recipients involvement,

personal preference, the individuals needs and arousal levels. For ex. If a personis concentrating on the humour in a commercial, his focus on information

processing may drop.

ELM suggests that there are two routes to persuasion or attitude change

The central route to persuasion views the receiver as very active and an involvedparticipant whose ability and motivation to receive, comprehend and evaluate is

high. Here the consumer pays close attention to the message and analyses the

message argument and his cognitive faculties are deployed to a high level.


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Consumer Behaviour

Under the peripheral route to persuasion the receiver lacks the motivation andability to process the information and is not likely to involve in cognitive

processing. Rather than evaluating the information presented in the ad, the

viewer relies on certain peripheral cues. His reaction depends on how he

perceives these peripheral cues.

Peripheral cues could also lead to the rejection of the message. For ex. Ads where

the endorsers have credibility problems or those selling abstract concepts may be

received negatively. Therefore repetitive advertising reinforces favorable cues in

the prospects mind.


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Consumer Behaviour

Implications of ELM ELM is a significantly important cue for marketingcommunication specifically with respect to involvement. If the involvement levels

of the TG is high the ad should contain strong arguments that are difficult to

refute. If the involvement levels are low then peripheral cues play an important

role in the registration of the message.

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55519286 IMC Chapter3 Communication Process

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