The Communications Process Models – Part 1

The communications process has 2 useful models: a macro-model and a micro-model.

The macro-model of the communication process has 9 elements as shown in the figure.

• The first two are the major parties in a communication: sender and receiver.
• Two represent the major communication tools: message and media.
  
• Four represent the major communication functions: encoding, decoding, response and feedback.
• The last element in the system is noise (random and competing messages that may interfere with the intended communication)

The model emphasizes the key factors in effective communication. Sender must know what audiences they want to reach and what responses they want to get. They must encode their messages so that the target audience may decode them. They must transmit the message through media that reaches the target audience and develop ffeedback channels to monitor the responses. The more the sender’s field of experience overlaps with that of the receiver, the more effective the message is likely to be.

From: Marketing Management, Philip Kotler – Kevin Lane keller, editia a V-a