Contextual & Theoretical

Lecture Four; Communication Theory

Seminar 

Communication Theory Task

In this passage I will be looking at an advert for the fiat 500 revolutionair car brand advert in context with the Shannon and Weaver Communication Theory.  When initially slotted into this theory the information source would be the product design itself. This is a new product that needs to be promoted to inform the public of it's existence, hense the message.    The transmitter otherwise known as the Encoder would be the design of the promotion.  In this,  select language, skills, layout, colour palette etc are all conscious considerations specific to encoding the message, the promotion of this car brand.  The Channel is therefor the media used, the full a4 page magazine article.  This could be described as the crossroad of the transmitter and receiver or in this case the product and graphic designer and the consumer.  Once received visually in context of a full page magazine advert, the receiver then decodes the message (the promotion) by reading it.  The destination would then be the clarity of the message and the persuasion of the promotion itself.  Shannon and Weaver's communication theory is only worth while once the A to B transition of the message is successful, as its reaction is the transitions soul objective and reason to exist.

Noise effects this reaction.  Situated below the Channel in Shannon and Weaver's Theory diagram implies that it can affect the message as soon as it steps onto the cross section of communication where it is on show to both the transmitter and receiver, or the maker and consumer.  In this case of the fiat 500 advert noise should be limited as it has been made tailored to it's receivers considerations and needs of understanding.  However noise could exist in the choice of magazine it features in.  Marie Claire is a prestigious fashion magazine with an audience predominantly female ranging from the age of 12 to 55.  That is noise in itself as to who reads this advert highly determines it's success of decoding and understanding.  That is to say that if anyone under the age of 17 were to read and receive this message of promotion and informing them of this car brand and what it has to offer, they are automatically void as they aren't at a legal age to even drive the product it promotes.  Another noise feature would be the geography of the advert and what it is behind and in front of.  In this case it just so happens that the page opposed to the advert which automatically puts them in a state of relation or competition when first seen, is an article of a young female giving up her city lifestyle to pursue something a lot more planet and mankind friendly.  This is exactly what the message itself is trying to transmit.  The fiat 500 brand is promoting the fact that their car has less emissions then others or its kind and therefor giving back something to the world.  

It seems that alot of noise is purposfully included by the information source to help the decoding of their message more successful.  This makes the message redundant as nothing has been lost in the noise of this message.

However entropy, the fading of strength of a message could be involved in this message through various other problems.  A semantic problem could mean that even once the message had been received successfully taste could automatically over throw this success voiding the promotion full stop.  A technical problem could mean that the message is skipped all together in the channel (magazine) as there are many more like it and they tend to be ignored or even the stock choice makes the pages stick together frequently.  Most importantly and effectiveness problem would be that even after the message is received, decoded and understood, nothing after this would mean a complete waste of time in transmitting this promotional message in the first place