The Communications Process
Communication: The process of conveying a message to others, which requires six elements
a. Source: A company or person who has information to convey
b. Message: The information sent by a source to a receiver in the communication process.
c. Channel of communication: The means of conveying a message to the receiver
d. Receivers: Consumers who read, hear, or see the message sent by a source in the communication process.
e. Encoding: The process of having the sender transform an abstract idea into a set of symbols.
f. Decoding: The process of having the receiver take the message and transform it back into an idea.
Integrated Marketing Communication
The concepts of designing marketing communications programs that co-ordinate all promotional activities – advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing – to provide a consistent message across all audiences and to maximize the promotional budget and impact of the communication.