1. 7 Communication C H A P T E R Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009
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2. 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

3. R A C E The Goals of Communication
Research
Action
Communication
Evaluation
The third step in the public relations process is communication.
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
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4. The Goals of Communication cont.
To be an effective communicator, a person must have basic knowledge of:
What constitutes communication and how people receive messages
How people process information and change their perceptions
What kinds of media and communication tools are most appropriate for a particular message
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5. 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:
Appropriate
Meaningful
Memorable
Understandable
Believable to the prospective recipient
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6. 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
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7. 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:
Receiving the Message
Paying Attentions to the Message
Understanding the Message
Believing the Message
Remembering the Message
Acting on the Message
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009

8. 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:
Sender/source (encoder)
A message
A channel
A receiver (decoder)
A fifth element, feedback from the receiver to the sender, is in modern communication models.
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9. 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.
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10. Receiving the Message cont.
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11. 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 two-way symmetrical communication, with balanced between the sender and the receiver.
Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009

12. 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
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13. 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.
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14. Understanding the Message
Effective ways to help receivers understand a message are:
Properly and effectively use language
Write clearly
Use symbols, acronyms and slogans
Avoid jargon
Avoid clichés and hype words
Avoid euphemisms
Avoid discriminatory language
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15. 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.
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16. 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

17. 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.
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18. 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:
Awareness
Interest
Evaluation
Trial
Adoption
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19. Acting on the Message cont.
A number of factors affect the adoption process, including:
Relative advantage
Compatibility
Complexity
Trialability
Observability
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20. Acting on the Message cont.
Individuals approach innovation in different ways,
depending on their personality traits and the risk
involved.
There are five levels:
Innovators
Early Adopters
Early Majority
Late Majority
Laggards
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