We have learned through experience or through academics that there is basic simple model of communication. Here, you have a sender, who creates the message then you have the receiver who receives the message. There are 5 key elements that define a communication process:

Source – the originator of message, codes the message
Message – a set of signs and symbol
Receiver – the message intended to, decodes the message
Channel – a means of communication or access
Noise – any form of disturbance (physical, psychological) that can disturb the original contents of the message

The above is the Linear Model of Communication which was constructed by Shannon & Weaver, 1949. The communication is successful, only when the receiver gives feedback in a particular form of communication.

Basic models of communication were based on one-to-one (letter writing) or one-to-many (speeches, television broadcast) form of communication. Since then models of communication evolved into something more complex, only because more elements have become prominent like the fact technology giving us an opportunity to talk to one-to-many-to-many-to-one form of communication.

New media networked communication model are:

1. One-to-One Communication
2. One-to-Many Communication
3. Many-to-One Communication
4. One-to-Many-to-Many Communication

Source: IAOCblog
Image Source: IAOCblog

One-to-one communication: bloggers writing on a particular topical subject. This could be a crisis situation being faced by the country internally or externally – Bloggers became very vocal with ISP’s banning particular blogs in July 2006 – that is when the popularity and power of blogs took notice. There is a common cause that people start writing about it and then join in on the conversation and spread the word.

One-to-many communication: Robert Scoble says IE7 is slower than FireFox on some web sites on certain websites. Source. Robert Scoble is a technical evangelist, and author; best known for his popular blog, Scobleizer. If an influencer, like Robert Scoble who would give his views on a brand after research and experiencing the product, it would surely affect the brand. Since there are people who follow him diligently and have heard that they would actually try to be the first one to comment on his blog. Similarly his views on micro-blog called twitter did gain a lot of popularity after he penned down his views on his blog.

Many-to-One Communication: discussions being initiated and participated in multiple platforms on various online forums – movies, characters, actors are being discussed on Bollywood forums – India Forums; new technology and usability of technology being discussed on technology forums; New games, new episodes, new virtual characters being a point of conversation on the different discussion boards of Gamers India. But does all this information being discussed on public platforms reaching the organization? Are the organizations tracking these various conversations about their brand? Doubt it!

One-to-Many-to-Many Communication: This model of communication would be a combination of the new media and their power to influence a potential customer to buy a brand. New Media would include blogs, online forums, reviews, podcasts, micro-blogs, video sharing, photo sharing, online groups, social networking sites, second life and MMORPG.
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I would like to highlight my observations on the key elements of New Media communication models. These key elements would be more progressive and rapidly developing. These elements would be more flexible to include any new form or a combination of forms of communication. There would still be a sender and a receiver but there focus would lie not on the originator and the recipient but the discussion itself. These elements would be:

Create – creating original messages based on the individual’s personal expertise or experience

Content – content can be in the form of video, audio, pictures, images, graphical representation or plain text

Context – the environment in which the message was created – technology platform provided like that of a blog, online forum, social networking site

Collaborate – real time interactivity in the form of comments or discussion threads. For illustration to improvise a particular product and co-creating a brand – works well with technology based products which are in beta mode

Converse – intention to share, collaborate and looking forward to feedback.

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