Changing marketing scenarios, unchanged communication models (Part 1)

The author of this article uses several simple cases to explain the dissemination process and ideas of macro models and micro models. Of course, I hope this article can inspire those who are responsible for brand marketing and operations.

Marketing is actually three things: creating value, communicating value, and delivering value;

In the process of communicating value, there are two very useful communication models: the macro model of the communication process and the micro model of consumer response;

These two models are constructed from the basic elements of effective communication, and no matter how the communication media changes, the basic elements of effective communication will not change;

Therefore, these two models can guide how to better promote Xiaohongshu, how to deliver information flow, how to do SEM/SEO, etc.

1. Macro Model of Communication Process

He is like this, as shown below

This model consists of nine key elements:

• Its participants: sender, receiver
• Communication tools: message, media
• Communication functions: encoding, decoding, reaction, feedback
• Distractions: Noise

2. Macro Model Disassembly

The sender encodes the message he wants to convey with symbols according to certain rules; words/pictures/sounds can all be symbols; the encoded message is specifically presented as a copy/slogan/video, etc., which we will collectively call advertisements;

It is then delivered to the audience through the media;

When the audience receives information, they will be disturbed by noise. For example, when a note about a product is posted on Xiaohongshu, there will be other interfering content around it, which will cause the audience to not receive 100% of the information of the advertisement.

After receiving the information stimulus, the audience decodes the information, and finally processes the information stimulus based on their existing life experience and responds;

So, if the sender wants the audience to have a desired reaction (know/understand/like/buy the product?)

The sender must know which audiences he wants to reach and what reactions he wants to get. He must encode his message in a way that the target audience can decode it, then deliver the message through a medium that can reach the target audience and develop feedback channels to monitor the reactions;

3. Model Application

Let’s try to use this model to break down how to write an advertising slogan. (This only involves the encoding and decoding of information, and other aspects will be discussed in subsequent articles.)

The writing of advertising slogans is actually the encoding of language symbols; we already know that we must use language that the audience can understand correctly as much as possible. The more correctly the audience can understand the information, the better they can decode it.

The secret to effective communication is the ability to control the level of abstraction of language so that the reader or listener can understand the meaning, and the more concrete the image, the easier it is to understand;

1. How the brain processes information

First of all, this is related to the way our brain processes information. Our brain likes to deal with specific things, and the more abstract the concept, the more energy it needs to process.

Secondly, everyone has different life experiences, so they decode abstract concepts differently, which can also cause distortion in information dissemination. Concreteness can convey a unified message to the audience as much as possible.

2. Produce advertising slogans

So, for example, if an advertising slogan wants to highlight that the voice recognition of a speaker is very smart, "intelligence" is a very abstract concept. How should it be said so that users can understand intelligence?

You can try saying: "Smart speaker that can understand dialects";

Wow, it can understand dialects, so cool! Did you suddenly connect the abstract concept of intelligence with specific functions? It is indeed intelligent;

In addition to being easy for users to understand, good advertising slogans must also be spreadable, so that they can use the media as an amplifier to reach more people;

Take a look at the following widely circulated slogans:

"Drink Red Bull when you are sleepy or tired", "Give Melatonin as a gift", "Charge for 5 minutes and talk for 2 hours";

They are all encoded in a language that is easy for the public to understand and will not cause distorted understanding.

3. Produce brand logo

When producing image ads for coding, it is also necessary to be concrete and use symbols/images that are familiar to the public to create a combination, which makes it easier for users to remember the brand image;

For example, when designing a brand logo, the purpose of designing the LOGO graphic is to assist in identifying the brand and facilitate dissemination, so the design needs to be created and encoded using symbols that the public can understand.

Successful LOGO designs include Tmall’s symbol which is a cat, JD’s symbol which is a dog, and Suning’s symbol which is a lion.

One of my favorite logos is that of Mixue Bingcheng, which was said to have been designed by Hua & Hua at a high price.

The symbolic elements: ice cream, crown, snowman, and scepter are all familiar symbols to the public. When combined together, they are very easy to recognize and remember.

4. Produce content for Xiaohongshu

BeBeBus is a maternal and infant brand. By reorganizing the communication perspective and optimizing the product selling points and communication points, the monthly keyword search for its product [Butterfly Car] increased by 20 times, and it topped the e-commerce platform's four-wheeled stroller sales list.

The brand originally promoted the product with "spine protection" as its core selling point, but found that the effect was not good. Through user interviews and other forms, it was found that users did not understand or perceive this promotion point, and it was not a problem that mothers saw.

The selling points were changed to more specific ones: "a stroller that prevents babies from having crooked necks", "storage space is small and can be taken on airplanes", etc.; back to the communication model, "prevents crooked necks" is an expression that is easier for users to decode than "spine protection"; it is more concrete and scenario-based , and the product promotion has achieved results that exceeded expectations;

If you look closely at many popular notes on Xiaohongshu, they all focus on one scenario, dig deep into user pain points, visualize product solutions, and use before-and-after comparisons of the product, supplemented by pictures and texts, to attract target users.

With the continuous development of communication technology, we have evolved from [Marketing 1.0-product-driven marketing] to [Marketing 5.0-people-oriented technology marketing] era;

As a person, the pattern of [information input-processing-output] will not change, so mastering the underlying communication model will enable us to better use current technology for scientific marketing.

Author: Wu Keke

Source: WeChat public account "Wu Keke (ID: 1094218)"