CHAPTER 9: COMMUNICATION

AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Prepared by:
Liwanag, Sofia Laine M.
 Communication- is the
transmission of a message from a
sender to a receiver via a medium (or
channel) of transmission.
 Communication Process

Encodes
Sender Message Channel
(Source) (Medium)

Feedback Receiver
(Consumer)
Decodes
The Source as the Message Initiator
Formal Source- represents either a for-profit
(commercial) or a not-for-profit organization.

Informal Source- was originally defined as a

person whom the message receiver knows
personally.
Impersonal and Interpersonal
Communications

Interpersonal Communications- is the

process by which people exchange information,
feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-
verbal messages.

Impersonal Communications- are

organizations that develop and transmit
appropriate messages.
Reference Groups
Reference Groups- are groups that serve as
frames of reference for individuals in their
consumption decisions.
Normative Reference Groups- reference
groups influencing broadly defined values or
behaviour.
Comparative Reference Groups- serving as
benchmarks for specific or narrowly defined
attitudes or behaviour.
 Membership Group- a group which a person
either belongs to or would qualify for
membership in.

Symbolic Group- groups in which an

individual is not likely to receive membership,
despite acting like a member by adopting the
groups values, attitudes, and behavior.
The Credibility and Dynamics of
Informal Sources and Word-of-Mouth
Opinion leadership- defined as the process by
which one person informally influences the
actions or attitudes of others, who may be
opinion seekers or opinion recipients.

Word-of-Mouth (WOM)- implies personal,

or face-to-face communication.
The Word-of-Mouth Environment and
e-WOM

Social Networks- are virtual communities

where people share information about
themselves with others.

Brand Communities- focuses on particular

products or brands.
 Consumer Message Boards and Weblogs-
enable anyone wishing to do so to post
information on anything and everything quickly,
cost free, and from any location and at any time.
Strategic Marketing Applications of
Word-of-Mouth
Referral Programs- where customers were
rewarded for bringing in new clients.
Buzz Agents- these agents agree to promote
products by bringing them to family gatherings,
suggest to store owners and talk other
consumers.
Viral Marketing- consists of encouraging
individuals to pass on an e-mail message to
others.
The Credibility of Formal Sources,
Spokespersons, and Endorsers
Source Credibility- the kind and quality of
products and service they are known to render,
the image, and attractiveness of the
spokesperson used.

Institutional advertising- designed to

promote a favourable company image rather
than to promote specific products.
Vendor Credibility
Products sold by well-known quality stores seem
to carry the added endorsement of the store
itself.

Medium Credibility
Carries the advertisement also enhances the
credibility of the message.
Effects on Time on Source Credibility

Sleeper Effect or Source Amnesia- the idea

that both positive and negative sincerity effects
tend to disappear after a period of time.
The Receivers as the Target Audience
The sender must encode the message in such a
way that its meaning is interpreted by the
targeted audience in precisely the intended way.
The receivers decode the messages they receive
on the basis of their personal experiences and
motives.
Involvement and Congruency
A persons level of involvement plays a key role
in how much attention is paid to the message
and how carefully it is decoded.
Mood
Mood or affect plays a significant role on how a
message is decoded, perceived, recalled, and
acted upon.
Barriers to Communication
Selective Exposure to messages

Psychological Noise
The Media as the Channels for
Transmitting Messages

New Media- also termed alternative or non-

traditional media

Mass Media- traditional avenues advertisers

have used and generally classified as print and
broadcast.
Targeting Consumers Through Mass
Media

Media Strategy- it calls for the placement of

ads in the specific media read, viewed, or heard
by each targeted audience.
Message Structure and Presentation

Advertising Resonance- is wordplay often

consisting of a humorous double meaning.
Message Framing- depends on the
consumers attitudes and characteristics as well
as the product itself.
Advertising Appeals
Comparative Advertising- is a widely used
marketing strategy in which a marketer claims
product superiority for its brand.

Fear- is an effective appeal often used.

Humor- marketers use humorous appeals in

the belief that humor will increase the
acceptance and persuasiveness of their
advertising.
 Abrasive Advertising- pharmaceutical
companies often used this in getting consumers
to buy the advertised product.

Sex in Advertising- visual sexual elements in

an ad are more likely to be processed than the
ads verbal content.
 Audience Anticipation- an experienced
communicator asks questions and opinions of an
audience to draw them into the discussion.

Timely Advertising- promoting products as

affordable and sensible rather than indulgent
and fabulous.

Celebrities- to promote product and services

can use the celebrity as an actor in a commercial.
Communication Feedback
Enables the sender to reinforce or change the
message to ensure that it is understood in the
intended way.
Message Attention, Interpretation, and
Recall Measures
Physiological Measures- track bodily
responses to stimuli.

Attitudinal Measures- consumers responses

to messages, including their levels of
engagement and involvement with the messages
tested.
Addressable Advertising
- is significantly more response measurable than
standard broadcast advertising.