Key Point 1: The Basic Communication Model
- List the key elements in a basic communication model and the order in which they occur.
- What is the difference between encoding and decoding?
- Using the communication-based model of marketing, analyze the opening case, and explain how the various elements in the case fit into the model.
- Explain the statement "Everything a company does, and sometimes what it doesn't do, can send a powerful brand message."
- How do product, price, and place brand messages differ? Identify your favorite brand, and give an example of how each type of message impacts on your perception of that brand.
- Develop a list of products for which your perception of value is the most important decision factor influencing your decision to buy them. Then create a list of products that you buy because of their price and another because of perceived quality. What are the differences among the three lists? What do these lists say about your personality and values?
- How are messages delivered in an IMC program?
- Give an example of a nontraditional media opportunity that you have experienced. Was it effective in commanding your attention?
- In one of the magazines you read, find an advertisement that you think is confusing. Explain why decoding the meaning of this ad gave you problems.
- Explain how perception works. What does it mean to say that perception is reality?
- What role does purposeful dialogue have in building a brand? What brand-customer touch points offer the greatest opportunity for purposeful dialogue?
- Does interactivity strengthen or weaken a brand relationship? Explain.
- Define the term brand-customer touch point. Explain the differences among the four types of touch points. Analyze the HB Ice Cream case for examples of touch points. If one or more is not discussed explicitly in the case, then recommend a way to introduce that element into next year's campaign.
- Working in a small group, develop for your college or university a list of touch points that a potential student might encounter. Analyze the messages delivered at those points, and prioritize them in terms of their importance to prospective students.
- Explain what happened when you or a friend called a company to complain about a product. Did the company make use of this touch point to get additional feedback from you?