Marketing communication: principles and practice

C O N S U M E R B E H A V I O U R A N D C O M M U N I C A T I O N
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The basic principle of marketing is supply and demand
(Ian Beale, ‘entrepreneur’, 
EastEnders
, BBC TV)
INTRODUCTION
Was Ian Beal forwarding a theory of marketing based on exchange? Probably
not, since his comment was a retort to accusations of unnecessary
competition. So why is so much marketing practice essentially aggressive and
therefore pathological in its focus on competing when the marketing concept
chapter 
four
MARKETING
COMMUNICATION
IDEOLOGY
LEARNING POINTS
Careful study of this chapter will help you to:
• examine the intentions of marketers in attempting communication with
consumers and buyers and other people
• relate marketing communication programme design decisions to
assumptions about communication styles
• take a necessarily broader view of the role of marketing communication
than is found in many textbooks

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is widely accepted intellectually as healthily providing a focus on exchange
and thus requires assertive behaviour? In this chapter we explain why a
broader application of communication styles is necessary than is often the
case in business enterprise. The concept of ‘communication’ is understood
in the light of what we intend of its purpose (Kline, 1993: chapter 2).
COMMUNICATION IS RELATIONAL
We each construct our self-identity in terms of what we are and are not – we
are who we are because we are different or similar to others. We are what
we are in relation to others. Thus, a relational theory of communication would
seem to be more sensitive to our needs as social beings. This sense of identity
is expressed in many ways in society, especially in how we treat one another.
In each dichotomous behaviour system, one behaviour is considered positive
(good) and the other negative (bad): Box 4.1.
This reveals types of behaviour that we can term egocentric (centred on
me), sociocentric (concerned with us, i.e. the middle way), and ‘other-centric’
(elevating you above me). These social orientations are independent,
interdependent, and dependent, respectively. Such behaviour tendencies are
learned, manifesting our beliefs about the locus of control (either intrinsic
or extrinsic). When we locate social actions as truly social, i.e. between
independence and dependence, then joint social action is recognized (see
chapter two). Figure 4.1 summarizes the communication theories that may
thus be operative in our business enterprise.