Summary of Chapters of Decoding Communication

Decoding Communication

The book 'Decoding Communication' is expected to be launched in the first/second week of July 2012 and will be available in all major online stores and book stores across India. 

DECODING COMMUNICATION 

(summary of chapters)

SECTION 1 - COMMUNICATION FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1

A Brief History of Communication

Basic communication has evolved to give humans the advantage of language. Did sophisticated communication develop by accident? Why are we able to communicate better than other species? What are the key principles that underlie modern communication?

Chapter 2

Life's Script: Trust

Trust is indispensable and is the basis of all our relationships. What makes trust so important? How does it develop? What are the characteristics of trust? Can all human behavior be explained on the basis of trust?

Chapter 3

Understanding Brands

Brands are living ideas. They grow by transmission, from one person's mind to the next. What makes brands so interwoven with everything else in life? What is the true nature of a brand? How can we create and recognize great brands?

SECTION 2 - MODELS IN COMMUNICATION

Chapter 4

Brand Appeal Model

All brands have in-built appeal, a magnetic force that attracts others. What is Brand Appeal made up of? Can brands enhance their attractive force? What role does communication play in appeal?

Chapter 5

Perception Model

Perception creates many truths in communication. How does our thinking influence the truth? What is the language of thought? Can we impact the force of influence?

Chapter 6

Propaganda Model

Propaganda has the power to sway audiences. Is it right or wrong? Why it is necessary to understand propaganda? What are the methods of propaganda and why are they so effective?

Chapter 7

Trust Model

Trust is the degree of believability of anything. What are the benefits of measuring Trust? What is the Trust Paradox? What are the ingredients of Trust? How can a brand acquire Trust?

SECTION 3 - FUTURE OF COMMUNICATION

Chapter 8

Increasing Business Predictability

Organizations exist only to communicate their vision. How does such an approach help build flexibility in business? How does it create Organizational Resilience? What is the Organizational Maturity Model?

Chapter 9

Liberating Organizations

Public Relations liberates organizations and helps them reach greatness. What role do Popularity and Reputation play in making a company great? What are the traits that good public relations programs display?

Chapter 10

Sustainable communication

We are perpetually surrounded by high decibels of brand communication. Does it really work? How can an organization communicate better? What is sustainable communication?

Chapter 11

Leadership Strategy

The most difficult task in the communication age is leadership. What are the pillars of leadership in this era? What rules must leaders follow in such times? What is the 4 Cs of Leadership Strategy?

What role does 'HOPE' play in communication?

Emotional maturity can be defined as the response of a Brand when faced with tough decisions that help it remain emotionally poised and balanced, acting with self-faith, and appreciative of the other’s point of view.  

Hope is an energy filled emotion that works when the chips are completely down – the more despondent the state, the more necessary Hope becomes. Generated through self-led positivity, Hope is optimism without disguise – that allows a Brand to collect itself and have a goal, even when everything seems to be lost. Hope also keeps focus on the future and takes attention away from problems. 

It is a healing emotion that spreads fast socially and creates a sense of positivity in everyone it touches. Hope, in one sense, is one of the most vital, self-triggered emotions that everyone silently desires. When communication feeds Hope, it makes the audience believe, even though the circumstances may seem impossible.

When communication messages carry 'Hope' in them, they turn audiences into anticipated positivity. If a Brand wants to generate emotional appeal, its communication must transfer hope to its audiences. 

(extract from forthcoming book 'Decoding Communication')

How to generate Emotional Appeal

Emotions are loudspeakers of experiences, thoughts, culture, perceptions, environment and disposition, and they work to amplify all these through a ‘remembered’ association of feelings. An emotion may arise from an action (like a good joke that leads to laughter, giving joy as its consequence), a memory (the feeling of sadness when you think of the recent death of someone dear), cultural orientation (eating dog-meat is repulsive in most cultures, but considered delectable in a few), thoughts (just the thought of meeting your loved ones would bring joy), environment (one may feel sad by listening to melancholic music) and disposition (a person with an unhappy disposition will feel unhappy even without reason).

Emotions generate feelings - deep-rooted physiological and psychological sensations that help relate, adapt or cope with any situation. They could be conscious or sub-conscious but emotions are essential in managing our personal outlook of situations, inducing social behavior. They also help by grading communication into distinct expressions which can be understood easily (like a smile, frown, aggression, amusement, or the common ‘meeting-room’ expression, boredom).

To explain how to use Emotion in the context of a brand we use a generalization that will attempt to combine emotional responses into three basics which arouse positive appeal. Though it is commonly (and simplistically) assumed that the use of Emotional Appeal implies communicating using emotions like fear, joy, happiness, sadness, shame among others. This is the use of emotions in communications, not generating Emotional Appeal. Generating Emotional Appeal requires using three basics, Positivity, Emotional Maturity and Hope, that are most likely to lead to positive reactions in the audiences.

(extract from the forthcoming book Decoding Communication)