LESSON TWO: COMMUNICATION MODELS II

In lesson one we looked at the Shannon-Weaver and Lasswell's communication models. These models are pretty basic and simple. There are a lot more complex models, and here's my pick of the bunch.


1- Berlo's Model of Communication (usually called Berlo's S-M-C-R):

S = Source , M = Message , C = Channel , R = Reciever

Berlo's model is an adaptation of the Shannon-Weaver model. However, it does include many additions. First, the model recognizes that the sender/reciever isn't always human hence the word "source". Second, It also recognizes that the messages are not always verbal. Third, it recognizes the different channels a message can go through.

2- Dance's Helical Spiral Model:

This communication model is perhaps the most fun to look at! This model illustrates communication as a process. What we communicate in the past is most likely going to affect what we communicate in the future. It shows that the communication process moves forward and is contineous.

3- Becker's Mosiac Model:

This is one of the more complex communication models. It shows how complex communication can be. The whole cube is a representation of the communication environment. The little mosiac tiles are the messages. Basically, the model is telling us that a message can have various elements that relate to different things or occurances. It also shows the message's exposure which can be superficial or in-depth.

There many other communication models. You can visit this website to learn more.

LESSON ONE x THE REAL WORLD

This is the fun part! I found 2 ads for bottled water. Both bottled water brands are products of the Coca Cola Company, excpet one is marketed here in the UAE and the other is marketed in Latin America.

We will look at both ads using the Shannon-Weaver and Lasswell models to see how they apply in the real world.


Ad #1: Dasani - MUEVE TU WATER (roughly: move to water)





LASSWELL:

Who? Dasani water

Said what? Move to water

To whom? The average consumer in Latin America

By which channel? Print ad

With what effect? I can't possible answer the question on behalf of the average Latin American consumer.

SHANNON-WEAVER:

 Most of the questions are answered through the Lasswell model above. The encoding part can only be determined by the person who copywrote the ad, and the decoding depends on the reciever of the message (my own decoding: our water is cool like hip hop music you should buy it). As for noise, I mentioned it could be internal like your thoughts. Noise can also be external (e.g. people talking to you, or the many other ads a person is bombarded with). Feedback can be in the form of a letter the consumer sends to the Coco Cola Company, or it could be his/her opinion of the ad which won't necessarily reach the sender.

Ad #2: Arwa - Drink Arwa dialy... 70% of our body is made up of water

LASSWELL:

Who? Arwa water

Said what? Drink water dialy

To whom? The average consumer in the UAE

By which channel? Print ad

With what effect? Since I am Emirati I can answer the question based on the personal effect this ad had on me. It reminded me how important water it, and lead to making a mental note of drinking more water.

SHANNON-WEAVER:

Most of elements of model are clear since they are also present in the Lasswell model above. The encoding of the message into words an images was done by the sender. The decoding was done on my part as an Emirati: water is important! Noise depends on the reciever and the environment the reciever is in.

The two ads above are of products from the same company. However, the demographics of the target audience of each brand of water is what made each ad different. We must also keep in mind the encoder of both messages are different people form different countries and possibly from different age groups. Communication models helps us put that in prespective. They make us think about the ads in a way we might not have before. The process of how we look at ads is just one step in analyzing and decoding ads.

LESSON ONE: Communication Models I

To understand ads, we must first look into the general process of looking at media. There are many models that try to illustrate the process of communication. Some are very basic, others are too complex (even for me!).

Here are my favorite communication models:


1- THE SHANNON-WEAVER MODEL (AKA mother of all models):

The Shannon-Weaver model was developed by mathematicians Shannon and Weaver. It is widely used in communication and different fields of social sciences. I think the reason behind its popularity is its simplicity. Nevertheless, the model does include the basics of communication: the sender, the reciever, the concepts of encoding and decoding, noise (internal/external), the message, and the channel the message goes through. Although the Shannon-Weaver model does incorprate feedback, it does not answer the question of effect. What was the effect of the message on the reciever?




2- THE LASSWELL MODEL:

The Lasswell model asked that question: WITH WHAT EFFECT?

The question of "effect" is really important. If you think about it, the whole reason we analyze the media (advertising included) is because ultimately it does have an EFFECT on us.