Mass Communication Theory

  NCTA – The Internet & Television Association Canadian academic Marshall McLuhan studied communication and mass media, and he was a bit of a celebrity himself. He was a prominent “thought-leader” before such a term existed. He barnstormed the airwaves with his unique takes on the media and his well-known catchphrases, like “The Medium is the Message” .  Here he is sharing his thoughts on television with late night host Tom Snyder. His ideas gained him notoriety in the mid 20th century, but his pseudo-celebrity status and novelty viewpoints also earned him plenty of criticism. By the time he died in 1980, his influence had faded. As media evolved and academics found new perspectives to explore, McLuhan’s ideas were left to the sideline. That is, until a new technology came along.  The internet.  According to Rosenberry and Vicker , McLuhan’s main idea was that “historical eras of social structure each have been the product of the dominant communication mediu...

The Elaboration Likelihood Model explores how information is processed. It notes the central route and the peripheral route for engaging with persuasive communication. With the central route, the message is actively received and processed. With the peripheral route, messages are absorbed through cues like legitimacy and style.  With marketing, there is an expectation of return-on-investment. If a brand is going to market and advertise, it must generate enough revenue based on that effort and to support that effort. To be successful, marketing campaigns need to be diverse. There is the balance between delighting your existing customers and attracting new ones . The same message does not always work for both audiences. Current customers may expect content with insider info and complex discussions related to a product/service. Someone new to a business may need an awareness-level pitch with a catchy slogan, compelling visuals, and nods to key differentiators. Using this model, it is...