Marketing Communication Theory: What do the Texts Teach Our Students?

This review of 101 marketing communications texts identifies the five ancestral communication theorists whose work is cited most often: Lasswell, Shannon and Weaver; Schramm, Berio and Klapper. Their theoretical contributions are summarized and four common themes identified: their focus on the effects of marketing communication on individual audience members; their focus on the effects of single messages or campaigns; the significance they attach to intentionality; and their emphasis on a co-orientational conceptualization of communication. These four themes are then critiqued by drawing on some recent research findings and theoretical advances.