Larry D. Lauer

This was a recent topic of discussion in my graduate seminar on integrated marketing communication (IMC). There were a lot of opinions, many of them formed from hard lessons learned in real situations. It certainly is very easy to conclude from experience, and from all the communication research and theory I have encountered over the years, that it’s virtually impossible for communication to ever be effective!

A careful study of the communication process will reveal that meanings are always in the minds of the people with whom we are communicating.  When I say the word “dog” I am only making a noise, or writing a series of letters.  The meaning for that word is whatever is in the mind of the receiver for that noise or collection of letters.  Dog lovers will have one impression, and cat lovers will very likely have another! There is also noise in the channel itself, which is likely to interrupt and confuse part of the message. And what’s more, when the message is a collection of words many analysts point out that most receivers only retain about 50% of the message… and which 50% they retain is determined by what each one wants to hear!

This is how rumors start:  Let’s say the receiver hears half the message, the half he or she wants to hear. When the message is retold, some of what is remembered is left out, and other ideas and examples from this new communicator’s experiences are added.  When this process is repeated several times, the message changes completely.  And this is not the result of anyone’s malice, but rather it is the inescapable result of the normal communication process.

For professional communicators there is the added complication of an already cluttered environment. It’s a media message environment so saturated that more information runs the risk of only contributing more clutter, resulting in more confusion. In other words, in today’s world more information is not necessarily better. This is not good news for professional communicators.

So is there any hope at all for successful communication? It seems to me there is some hope, but only if several basic conditions are met:

1. The message is very simple…say 4 or 5 key points, with compelling examples to aid recollection.

2. The receivers attention is gained before the message is sent.

3. The message is sent using several communication tactics simultaneously to cut through the media clutter and coverage on each individual audience segment with added intensity.

4. Interactive tactics with feedback and response features are included in the mix.

Communication success requires repetition. When an advertisement is beginning to sound old to you, it very likely is just starting to work.  When a branding theme sounds repetitive to you, it is just now getting through.  Strategic communicators need to think “dialogue”  when planning every important communication initiative. Send, get feedback, send again, and again.  Otherwise, at least 50% of your message will be lost… and you will have no idea which 50%!