Core Concepts of Marketing

192 CHAPTER 8 COMMUNICATINGTOMASSMARKETS

PERSONX

(GROUP)

INTERFERENCE

FIGURE8.1 Amodelofhumancommunication

PERSONY

(GROUP)

Friend, parent,boss, client, orcustomerarejustsomeoftheroleswemayportrayin

anycommunicationprocess.Thenatureoftheroledirectlyaffectsthenatureofcommu-

nication.Wecommunicatequitedifferentlywithourbossthanwedow'thclosefriends.

People whohaveknowneachotherfora longtimeoftendevisetheirowncommunication

system,whichmayincludelotsofnonverbal signals.

Finally,thecommunicatioasystemexistswithinanenvironment.Theenvironment

iseverythinginternalandexternaltothecommunicationsystemthatcanaffectthesystem

(family,school,competingadvertisements,etc.).Eachofthefactorswithintheenviron-

mentinteractswiththecommunicationsystemtoa differentdegree.Becausecommuni.ca-

tionsystemsareopentotheinfluenceofthetotalenvironment,wecanneveranalyzea

communicationeventfromonlythepointofviewofthepeoplewhoseemobviouslyinvolved.

Everythingmayaffectcommunication,positivelyornegatively.Theiatterfactorsmayalter

ordistortinputs,outputs,orprocessingandarecalledinterference.Interferencecanbegen-

eratedinternally(e.g.,fear,love,prejudice)orexternally(e.g.,noise,weather,physical

appearance).