ABSTRACT

In this chapter, the authors discuss what is involved in processing marketing communications. It is important for managers to understand this because every aspect of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) must be conceived to maximize the likelihood that a message will be positively processed, leading to the appropriate target audience action. Information is generally dealt with hierarchically, following the various steps of McGuire's information processing paradigm. The message must be presented to the target audience; they must attend to it, understand what is presented and yield to the argument; they must retain that agreement and then act on it. The communication response sequence is triggered by exposure to any part of an IMC campaign, as well as to the brand itself during usage. Full processing begins in working memory where the new information that has been attended to is consciously integrated with existing knowledge and assumptions about the brand.