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Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Topics Covered in Chapter 7

The Goals of Communication

Receiving the Message

Paying Attention to the Message

Understanding the Message

Believing the Message

Remembering the Message

Acting on the Message
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
The Goals of Communication
The third step in the public relations
process is communication.
Research
This step is also called “execution”
in most public relations plans.
The goals of the communication
process are to:
 Inform,
 Persuade,
 Motivate, or
 Achieve mutual understanding
Action
Communication
Evaluation
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
The Goals of Communication cont.
To be an effective communicator, a person must
have basic knowledge of:
(1) What constitutes communication and how people receive
messages
(2) How people process information and change their
perceptions
(3) What kinds of media and communication tools are most
appropriate for a particular message
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
The Goals of Communication cont.
A number of variables must be considered when
planning a message on behalf of an employer or
client.
A communicator should ask whether the proposed
message is:
(1) Appropriate
(2) Meaningful
(3) Memorable
(4) Understandable
(5) Believable to the prospective recipient
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
The Goals of Communication cont.
A communicator should determine exactly which
of the following objectives are being sought
through the communication:
 Message Exposure
 Accurate Dissemination of the Message
 Acceptance of the Message
 Attitude Change
 Change in Overt Behavior
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
The Goals of Communication cont.
Message dissemination is the beginning of the
communication process and leads to opinion
change and adoption of products and services.
Six elements in the process are:
(1) Receiving the Message
(2) Paying Attentions to the Message
(3) Understanding the Message
(4) Believing the Message
(5) Remembering the Message
(6) Acting on the Message
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Receiving the Message
Several communication models explain how a
message moves from the sender tot he
recipient.
Most communication models incorporate the
following four basic elements:
(1) Sender/source (encoder)
(2) A message
(3) A channel
(4) A receiver (decoder)
A fifth element, feedback from the receiver to the
sender, is in modern communication models.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Receiving the Message cont.
Wilbur Schramm’s model embodies the concept of
“shared experience,” which means little or no
communication is achieved unless the sender and
the receiver share a common language and even
an overlapping cultural or educational
background.
Schramm’s model incorporates the idea of
continuous feedback. Both the sender and the
receiver continually encode, interpret, decode,
transmit, and receive information.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Receiving the Message cont.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Receiving the Message cont.
One-way communication, from sender to receiver,
only disseminates information.
One-way communication is a monologue and less
effective than two-way communication
Two-way communications establishes a dialogue
between the sender and receiver.
The ideal public relations model should be twoway symmetrical communication, with balanced
between the sender and the receiver.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Paying Close Attention to the Message
Uses and gratification theory assumes that people
make highly intelligent choices about which
messages require their attention and fulfill their
needs.
Media are used for such purposes as:
 Surveillance of the environment
 Entertainment and diversion
 Reinforcement of their opinions and
predispositions
 Decision making about buying a product or
service
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Paying Close Attention…Message cont.
Communication strategies should be designed to
attract the attention of two kinds of audiences:
passive audiences and active audiences.
Passive audiences pay attention to a message
only because it is entertaining and offers a
diversion.
Active audiences are already at the interest stage
of the adoption process and seek more
sophisticated supplemental information.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Understanding the Message
Effective ways to help receivers understand a
message are:
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Properly and effectively use language
Write clearly
Use symbols, acronyms and slogans
Avoid jargon
Avoid clichés and hype words
Avoid euphemisms
Avoid discriminatory language
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Believing the Message
One key variable in the communication process is
source credibility.
Source credibility is a problem for any
organizational spokesperson, because the
public already has a bias.
Source credibility is the main reason that
organizations use respected outside experts or
celebrities to convey their messages.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Believing the Message cont.
The sleeper effect also influences source
credibility.
The sleeper effect reasons that even if
organizations are perceived initially as not being
very credible sources that people may retain the
information and eventually separate the source
from the opinion.
Message context and audience predispositions
also play a role in their ability to believe a
message.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Remembering the Message
Public relations practitioners repeat messages for
the following reasons:

Repetition allows audience member who don’t
see or hear the message at the same time to get
it.

Repetition reminds the audience of the
message.

Repetition helps the audience remember the
message itself.

Repetition leads to improved learning and
increases penetration of audience indifference
or resistance.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Acting on the Message
A key to understanding how people accept new
ideas or products is to analyze the Five-Stage
Adoption Process. The steps are:
(1) Awareness
(2) Interest
(3) Evaluation
(4) Trial
(5) Adoption
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Acting on the Message cont.
A number of factors affect the adoption process,
including:

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
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Relative advantage
Compatibility
Complexity
Trialability
Observability
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
Acting on the Message cont.
Individuals approach innovation in different ways,
depending on their personality traits and the risk
involved.
There are five levels:
(1) Innovators
(2) Early Adopters
(3) Early Majority
(4) Late Majority
(5) Laggards
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009