One of the basic conditions that as human beings we have is to communicate. We generally use communication as an instrument to express our needs.
In this regard, there are abundant works in relation to the analysis of our needs, highlighting the contributions provided by Abraham Maslow in his work "A theory on Human Motivation" (1943), in which he presents a taxonomy where he hierarchizes human needs and presents as they can be satisfied.
By wanting to include the concept of communication within Maslow's work, it is observed that it is present at every level of need, from the basic ones to those of self-realization, passing through those of security, affiliation and recognition. Communication is what allows us to express each and every one of our needs. It is enough to remember that from the moment of our birth it is enough for us to scream, cry and in general show discomfort to send an accurate message to our parents to support us with the resolution of what ails us, be it cleaning, food or illness.
As a civilization we have evolved in various aspects, and communication is no exception, to the extent that it is currently considered a science. Baena and Montero tell us that communication is a "social interaction through symbolic messages that can be formally encoded, or events that represent some shared aspect of a culture."
This definition shows communication as a generalized and highly subjective act, and this is not surprising when we realize that this process is carried out by human beings, who are by nature subjective entities.
Due to the above, it would not be possible to specify what can be considered as a symbol or a code, since as the definition itself says, the concept itself is determined by aspects shared by cultures, and we develop in a multicultural society.
The great utility that communication provides has already been mentioned, but focusing our perspective we could consider that this social interaction allows us in general the following:
- Being able to have a perspective of the society in which we develop, as well as the world in which we find ourselves Position our role within society and in relation to other people Adapt to the different environments existing in our society highly globalized and dynamic.
We cannot lose sight of the fact that we start from the fact that communication is a social process, that it starts from an interaction. It would not make any sense to communicate if there was not an idea that we wanted to convey and at least one other person who listens to that message. Man, once he has generated an idea, begins to consciously analyze the process to communicate it.
From Aristotle to Nixon, and not to mention the works of Shannon and Weaver, Schramm, and Lasswell, they show how communication must be structured. Most of them coincide in the existence of a message, at least one sender and one receiver thereof, a channel through which said message will be sent, an encoder that gives meaning to the transmitted idea, and an environment or conditions in which that the message is transmitted.
The structure presented above does not require that a message have to be oral, it could be worked with images or signs. "The signal is a material object, anything, that means something to someone", and simply because of that fact transmits a message and therefore should be considered as part of the communication.
When we meet the actors who participate in the communication, we return to the point where we have to position ourselves as fully subjective entities, who give meaning to the messages according to the knowledge provided by the environment in which we have developed throughout our lives.
A message that may be considered harmless or irrelevant to some, others may consider it highly dangerous and insulting. Culture, morality, religion, just to mention a few factors, dramatically influence the encoding of the same message.
Our needs for self-actualization are at the top of Maslow's pyramid, and in order to reach this level, it is essential to be aware of how to communicate our wishes and ideas, so that they are accepted. The selection of communication channels and means is important to determine its effectiveness, since communication would not make sense if it were only one-way.
Feedback in the communication process is crucial, since it allows us to verify if the message has been received and encoded correctly. Hovland, from Yale University, argues that any message must be persuasive, since an idea that you want to share will have a clear objective, be it to convince, to inform or simply to attract someone else's attention.
Everything we do in our daily life sends a message; the way we dress, our hair style, how we behave in public spaces, body movements, the tone of our voice, etc., are examples of how we communicate with others unconsciously and that carry a clear objective, the to influence or persuade the opinion of others, either in relation to oneself, or to the way of thinking about a certain topic. If we bring to mind a person dressed in elegant and refined clothes, and another with damaged and dirty clothes, we will probably receive their messages with a different perspective since they will be based on the social acceptance given by their clothes.
The impact and the relationship that as people we have in relation to a particular object or idea, is a study that is included within the task of Marketing. Kotler and Keller define it as the action of identifying and satisfying the needs of people and society, or in a more simplified way, it is satisfying needs in a profitable way.
Communication has become a business, since in order to satisfy human needs, new concepts have been created within the global economic dynamics that surround our society, such is the case of advertising, which we can consider as the set of techniques and means of communication aimed at attracting the public's attention to the consumption of certain goods or the use of services ”.
Another concept that must be borne in mind is that of promotion, which is considered a key element in marketing campaigns, which consists of a set of incentive instruments designed to quickly or to a greater extent stimulate the purchase of certain products or services that satisfy needs.
Once you have reflected on promotion and advertising, it seems that they are concepts that by simple fact of existing, are the key that will open infinite doors on the way to the common welfare of all society.
However, it is until when we really enter into communication with others, when we locate ourselves in our reality; that we realize that many needs, basic or self-realization, remain unsatisfied.
Annie Leonard, in her video "The History of Stuff", exposes how it is that from the culmination of the Second World War, the economy underwent an unprecedented change, which changed the practices of the old generations that grew up with an idea directed to the administration of resources, having to become a consumerism of products that simply never finish satisfying a need.
The aforementioned consumerism has been fueled by communicative practices aimed at the passive society to adequately encode a message that aims to acquire and use goods and services, which can be measured based on the economic success of the corporation in charge of producing, distribute and sell a certain good.
Today, technology is a great ally in the process of marketing communication. Television, internet, social networks, are invaded by messages that struggle to capture the attention of those who receive the messages, and the only way of feedback we have is to accept and go out and buy everything that the ads offer us.
The latter can be considered dramatic and unsupported, since such a fact is present everywhere, and if so, it is because it has been socially accepted. However, it should be considered that the same company is in charge of creating padlocks and leaving them open when necessary; such is the case of federal regulations on advertising communication, such as the Federal Trade Commission Law, where only advertisements that are "false, misleading and misleading" are considered inappropriate.
To date, there are no specific regulations that regulate the use of language in marketing, it is enough to turn on the television for 5 minutes to realize that the language has undergone, in the strictest sense of the word, serious modifications.
Nowadays, the language in advertising advertisements show shortening, registry changes, code changes, and various deformations that are presented to us as an avant-garde and stylish option, being that there is no other support for its use and acceptance than the most sharp conformity and ignorance of the history of language.
There are different points of view in relation to whether marketing should be considered a science or not.
Starting from the fact that "science is a set of knowledge acquired through observation and reasoning" it is coherent to point out that such activity is far from being considered as such.
The foregoing is the result of noticing the negative impact that current advertisements have on our language, so it is essential to reason and act for its benefit. Today, marketing could be a powerful ally in the fight for the preservation of language, using and helping to have honest, ethical, humane and professional communication.
Marketing places man as an entity under study, emphasizing aspects such as -what are his tastes and preferences, his economic capacities, his geographical location, his psychological profile, etc.; with the sole intention of finding the most effective way to communicate what you want to attract consumerism.
Just as there are social works such as Maslow's, in consumerism issues we find the objectives of communication in marketing, which are primarily focused on awakening a need, on making present a good that perfectly satisfies this need, and the persuasion to buy such object or service.
On the other hand, in marketing studies we also find concepts such as social marketing or committed marketing, which link social initiatives of corporations with their marketing activities, seeking to identify themselves with a social cause for the benefit of a sector of the population.
Nowadays it is common to find advertising campaigns focused on the support of some social problem such as some disease or disability; However, once the marketing bases are kept in mind, it is difficult to trust the social practices displayed by economic entities.
Society is not a strange and alien entity. It is each of us who gives meaning and existence to the same society. If the current communication does not fulfill its role satisfactorily or is deviated at some point within its functions, it is time to understand that we are responsible for relocating to our reality to direct our efforts to what we really need in our future and that can permeate our society.
It is the same society that has to set the standard so that communication is used consciously and positively in marketing and that technology promotes and contributes to social development and does not become an instrument for consumerism and degradation.
There may be thousands of alternatives for communication, marketing and technological development to interact for the common good. A good start could be the regulation of communication in marketing and the appropriate promotion of the use of technology. Only in this way could we take a step forward to move from being a developing country to a developed country.
Bibliography
- Baena Paz, Guillermina, and Montero Olivares, Sergio (2008). Communication Sciences I. México: Grupo Patria Cultural.J. Etzel, Michael, J. Stanton, William, and J. Walker Bruce (2004). Fundamentals of Marketing. Mexico: Mc Graw Hill. Kotler, Philip, and Lane Keller, Kevin (2006). Marketing direction. Mexico: Pearson Education, Baena Paz, Guillermina, and Montero Olivares, Sergio (2008). Communication Sciences I. México: Grupo Patria Cultural. (pg. 4) Baena Paz, Guillermina, and Montero Olivares, Sergio (2008). Communication Sciences I. México: Grupo Patria Cultural. (pg. 10) Baena Paz, Guillermina, and Montero Olivares, Sergio (2008). Communication Sciences I. México: Grupo Patria Cultural. (pg. 19) Kotler, Philip, and Lane Keller, Kevin (2006). Marketing direction. Mexico: Pearson Education. (pg. 5) Baena Paz, Guillermina,and Montero Olivares, Sergio (2008). Communication Sciences I. México: Grupo Patria Cultural. (pg. 61) Kotler, Philip, and Lane Keller, Kevin (2006). Marketing direction. Mexico: Pearson Education. (pg. 585).https: //www.youtube.com/watch? v = gLBE5QAYXp8 (February 04, 2013) J. Etzel, Michael, J. Stanton, William, and J. Walker Bruce (2004). Fundamentals of Marketing. Mexico: Mc Graw Hill (pg. 588). Ibídem (pg. 587).http: //es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor%C3%ADa: Marketing.Ibídem (pg. 587).http: //es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor%C3%ADa: Marketing.Ibídem (pg. 587).http: //es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor%C3%ADa: Marketing.
