38) A channel of communication refers to
A) the selection of either paid or nonpaid forms of information dissemination.
B) a similar understanding and knowledge that a sender and receiver apply to a message.
C) an open-ended dialogue between the marketing department and the firm responsible for
developing the IMC program.
D) a social network-based forum that allows customers to communicate their likes, dislikes,
suggestions, and concerns to an organization 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
E) the means (salesperson, advertising media, or public relations tools) of conveying a message
to a receiver during the communication process.
39) A message is conveyed by means of a ________ such as a salesperson, advertising media, or
public relations tools.
A) distribution network
B) field of experience
C) channel of communication
D) direct feedback loop
E) push strategy
40) In a marketing context, all of the following are channels of communication used to convey a
message from a source to a receiver except which?
A) magazine
B) news release
C) salesperson
D) feedback
E) TV
41) L’Oréal created an advertisement for its Visible Lift makeup. Glamour magazine, in which
the ad for the L’Oréal Visible Lift makeup appeared, is an example of
A) a message.
B) noise.
C) a feedback loop.
D) a source.
E) a channel of communication.
42) The billboards that Sony uses to advertise its PlayStation 4 video game console are
A) channels of communication.
B) messages.
C) noise.
D) feedback loops.
E) sources.
43) Consumers who read, hear, or see the message sent by a source during the communication
process are referred to as
A) decoders.
B) the target market.
C) receivers.
D) sources.
E) encoders.
44) In a marketing context, receivers are
A) only those consumers who read, hear, or see a message about a product or service and then
choose to buy it.
B) consumers who read, hear, or see the message sent by a source during the communication
process.
C) a firm that obtains a basic message or theme from its advertising agency and translates that
vision into a usable IMC campaign.
D) promotional firms that select the best channels through which to convey advertising
messages.
E) customers who read, hear, or see the message sent by a source and interpret it as intended
rather than fitting it to their individual beliefs.
45) In the communication process, the viewers of a NASCAR race who see a TV commercial
advertising P&G’s Old Spice High Endurance antiperspirant are called
A) decoders.
B) the target market.
C) wasted coverage.
D) receivers.
E) encoders.
46) The process of a sender transforming an idea into a set of symbols during the communication
process is referred to as
A) decoding.
B) encrypting.
C) message formation.
D) advertising.
E) encoding.
47) In a brainstorming session for a new drug to lower cholesterol, the members of the marketing
department agreed the benefits of the new drug could best be promoted by comparing the drug to
those currently on the market. In terms of the communication process, the transformation of this
idea into an ad campaign is an example of
A) noise.
B) receiving.
C) encoding.
D) decoding.
E) messaging.
48) When Procter & Gamble bought the Old Spice brand in 1990, it planned to transform the old,
stagnating brand into a men’s “personal-care powerhouse.” The ads that P&G developed shed the
older-man image and now appeal to 18- to 34-year-olds. In terms of the communication process,
P&G had to ________ its idea to deliver the message to the new target market.
A) respond
B) discuss
C) decode
D) encode
E) feedback
49) Decoding refers to
A) receiving a message within a common field of experience and breaking down that information
into small usable units to better interpret its meaning.
B) having a receiver take a set of symbols, the message, and transform them into an idea.
C) receiving a message that requires integration of new information to fully understand the
intended meaning.
D) having the sender transform an abstract idea into a set of symbols that can be universally
understood.
E) having a sender take a set of symbols, the message, and transform them into an idea.
50) The process of having the receiver take a set of symbols, the message, and transform them
into an idea during the communication process is referred to as
A) decoding.
B) encoding.
C) integrating.
D) back translation.
E) transformation.
51) After watching a 30-second commercial from Jared for fine jewelry, Mariah was certain the
necklace she saw would look spectacular with her new formal dress. In terms of the
communication process, Mariah engaged in the task of
A) integrating.
B) sending.
C) decoding.
D) messaging.
E) encoding.
52) After watching the 30-minute infomercial on Oxy-Clean, Sarah was certain the cleaning
product would remove the grape juice stain from her white carpet. In terms of the
communication process, Sarah was ________ the message from Oxy-Clean.
A) integrating
B) transforming
C) translating
D) decoding
E) encoding
53) Errors in communication can occur in several ways, including which of the following?
A) A properly encoded message may be sent through the wrong channel and never make it to the
receiver.
B) In an attempt to be creative, the encoder creates a message with too much noise.
C) The communications channel is not properly funded.
D) The message is considered too ordinary because there is too broad a field of experience.
E) There is no interest on the part of the receiver because the product itself is inadequate.
54) Which of the following messages represents a potential communication error?
A) “Once in-a-lifetime offer!”
B) “Buy one, get one free!”
C) “Can’t read? Let us help. Free literacy classes.”
D) “Great part-time job opportunity; transportation required.”
E) “Two bottled waters for $3.00 or $1.75 apiece.”
55) A similar understanding and knowledge that the sender and receiver apply to the message so
that it can be communicated effectively during the communication process is referred to as
A) common ground.
B) field of experience.
C) precise abstraction.
D) heuristics.
E) back translation.
56) Field of experience refers to
A) the unique set of terms, expressions, or jargon that carries a specific meaning within a specific
field (i.e., the medical profession, legal profession, etc.).
B) the designation given to different elements in the communications channel based upon their
specific area of expertise (i.e., advertising, publicity, etc.).
C) a similar understanding and knowledge between the manufacturer or service provider and
department or firm handling its IMC campaign to eliminate incorrect decoding of the sender’s
message.
D) a mutually shared understanding and knowledge between the manufacturer or service
provider and department or firm handling its IMC campaign to eliminate incorrect encoding of
the sender’s message.
E) a similar understanding and knowledge that the sender and receiver apply to the message so
that it can be communicated effectively during the communication process.
57) For a message to be communicated effectively, the sender and receiver must have a mutually
shared field of experience, which means a similar ________ they apply to the message.
A) positioning
B) national, regional, or ethnic origin
C) understanding and knowledge
D) feeling
E) set of psychographics
58) When an English speaker reads the KFC slogan “Finger-lickin’ good!” he or she interprets
this as an indication that the food tastes very good. When this slogan was translated into Chinese,
the Chinese speaker interprets the same words as “eat your fingers off!” The different
interpretations of the ad are primarily due to differing
A) product consumption behaviors.
B) fields of experience.
C) channels of communication.
D) educational systems.
E) advertising appeals.
59) Cardiac Science is a California-based company that makes defibrillators, heart monitors, and
other medical equipment. It is preparing to market its products in Greece. The company’s
marketing manager is responsible for the promotional campaign in Greece, and she wants to
avoid any problems that might arise because her field of experience does not coincide with that
of her Greek target audience. Which of the following is the best example of a communications
problem that might arise because her field of experience is different from that of her audience?
A) The name of the product, when translated into Greek, has an unintended meaning.
B) Her target audience is strongly ethnocentric.
C) The trade journals in which the company wants to run its ads do not accept ads from foreign
companies.
D) A Greek bureaucrat who is responsible for determining that the Cardiac Science products
meet national standards has taken a personal dislike to her.
E) The ads are in trade journals that Greek hospital administrators don’t read.
60) The marketing professor wanted to do everything possible to ensure that her students
understood her lectures. Accordingly, she used examples of marketing activities with which most
students were familiar. For example, the professor discussed the marketing exchanges between
students and grocers, college bookstores, convenience stores, and clothiers. The examples used
by the professor were her attempt to ________ her message to encourage better understanding on
the part of her students.
A) create common ground for
B) create noise in
C) effectively decode
D) identify a mutually shared field of experience for
E) back translate
61) A ________ consists of a response and feedback.
A) feedback loop
B) consequence
C) source reaction
D) primary cause and effect
E) concept effect
62) In the feedback loop, the impact the message has on the receiver’s knowledge, attitude, or
behaviors during the communications process is referred to as
A) feedback.
B) a field of experience.
C) noise.
D) a response.
E) a hierarchy of effects.
63) In a feedback loop, a response refers to
A) the number of times a consumer must hear a message before it can be accurately decoded.
B) the impact the message had on the receiver’s knowledge, attitude, or behaviors during the
communications process.
C) the positive or negative feedback that a consumer expresses immediately after exposure to a
company’s message.
D) the impact, either positive or negative, that occurs when one consumer interprets a firm’s
message through word of mouth to another potential consumer using his or her own words.
E) the length of time required for a typical customer to associate a specific slogan, theme,
melody, or logo with a specific product brand.
64) Ann recently saw an ad for Claritin, a medicine perfect for counteracting her allergy
symptoms. She immediately went to the store to purchase the product. In terms of the
communication process, the Claritin ad resulted in a(n)
A) stimulus.
B) exposure.
C) field of experience.
D) subconscious impulse.
E) response.
65) Melissa saw an ad promoting Vermont as a tourist destination and a great place to live. The
ad contained a postage-paid reply card that could be used to request more information. In terms
of the communication process, mailing in the postcard with a request for further information is
an example of
A) a stimulus.
B) a field of experience.
C) a response.
D) noise.
E) a feedback loop.
66) After a receiver responds to a message, the sender’s interpretation of the response indicating
whether the message was decoded and understood as intended during the communications
process is referred to as
A) encoding.
B) receiver response.
C) feedback.
D) noise.
E) message loop.
67) In the feedback loop of the communication process, feedback refers to
A) the sender’s interpretation of the response that indicates whether the message was decoded
and understood as intended.
B) the impact the message had on the receiver’s knowledge, attitude, or behaviors during the
communications process.
C) a mutually shared understanding and knowledge the sender and receiver apply to a message
so that it can be communicated effectively during the communication process in the message
loop.
D) any unsolicited response from consumers or potential consumers regarding a company’s
message.
E) extraneous factors that can work against effective communication by distorting a message or
the feedback received.
68) ________ is advisable for all marketing communications to ensure that messages will be
decoded properly.
A) Use of an observable receiver
B) Customization
C) Elimination of the channel
D) Pretesting
E) Omitting the feedback loop
69) In the communication process, noise refers to
A) any unsolicited response from consumers or potential consumers regarding a company’s
message.
B) any communication with consumers who are not in the target audience.
C) extraneous factors that can work against effective communication by distorting a message or
the feedback received during the communication process.
D) the use of colors, words, sounds, or images that make an otherwise simple message more
complex.
E) a unique set of terms, expressions, or jargon that carries a specific meaning within a specific
field (i.e., the medical profession, legal profession, etc.).
70) In the communication process, printing mistakes that affect the meaning of a newspaper
advertisement, or using words or pictures that fail to communicate the message clearly, are
referred to as
A) noise.
B) clutter.
C) disruptions.
D) distortions.
E) misrepresentations.
71) Mary’s Cookies submitted an ad to the local newspaper with a coupon stating that a dozen
cookies cost $2.99. The newspaper instead printed the price on the coupon as $29.99.
Consequently, no customers came in to buy cookies using the coupon. The factor working
against effective communication between Mary and her target market in this case was most
likely
A) feedback disruption.
B) noise.
C) a decoding error.
D) a communication barrier.
E) message interference.
72) The marketing manager from a heavy-equipment manufacturer in Dallas, Texas, was
attending an international trade show in Japan. There were many prospective customers from
different countries who seemed interested in the firm’s product. However, they had difficulty
following the manager’s explanations of product features due to his heavy Texas drawl. In this
case, the accent would be considered
A) an encoding error.
B) a decoding error.
C) culture shock.
D) noise.
E) distortion.
73) Each year, advertisers spend millions of dollars during the U.S. Super Bowl football game
broadcast. These marketers hope to reach the millions of sports enthusiasts tuned into the NFL’s
greatest spectacle. Unfortunately, during the advertisements, many viewers might dash to the
kitchen for a sandwich and a soda and do not see or hear the persuasive promotional messages of
the advertisers. The desire for food and drink is an example of ________, which inhibits
effective communication.
A) distraction
B) diversion
C) ineffective encoding
D) information overload
E) noise