Communication is a very complex, multi-faceted discipline that affects everybody at almost every second of the day.
It’s important to know how people respond to communication, because this is the basis of media literacy. Knowing how individuals respond to various media (i.e. which ones convey stories and messages the best to each person specifically) allows us to identify and respond to how the medium/message is affecting us.
I respond very well to audio communication. It is simply easier to receive the message of the source without the extra images and video-rolls todistract me. Audio media/communication is also far more portable than, say, visual communication, where the viewer typically has to be preoccupied only with that medium and so cannot multi-task.
That said, visual communication has a plethora of indispensable functions. Photographs, graphics, movies, paintings, etc… all communicate through their visual elements. One of the best tools visual communication has is visual symbolism.
It is fascinating and intriguing when a content creator will communicate subliminally through an image, without using words or otherwise interpreting what the message is. Allowing a viewer to discover the message within a photograph or a graphic – having some kind or message that unfolds and continues to gain more meaning over time has been the occupation of artists and scholars for centuries.
On a practical level, lots of companies have huge budgets that get used by professionals who are masters at communicating to you, their viewer. They use that concept of media literacy to convey a meaning to you through the various types of communication (visual, audio, verbal, and written).
While there certainly many examples of companies succeeding at communicating their message, a highly successful and modern example is seen in Vans. Every element, from their website, to their history, to the way they design their shoes, Vans is amazing at communicating to their target audience.
Skateboard shoes, Vans’ main seller, were not a very popular type shoe outside of the skateboarding world, until Vans used murals, visual communication in the form of sponsoring popular and less-popular bands alike and having the band members wear their shoes, and by partnerships with other companies, like Michelin Tire (of all things!), which allowed Vans’ shoes, designs, and ideas to enter the mainstream of American pop-culture.
Sports teams, in general, also do a great job at visual communication. I have always been a major fan of the Buffalo Bills and they will serve as a good example of strong visual communication. Their logo is red, white, and blue, and resembles a charing buffalo, which strongly connects with the people of the City of Buffalo, who view themselves generally as tough, blue-collar individuals – a great way to subliminally attract viewers.
Buffalo State College, as well, has strong visual communication through their branding, logo, and campus that conveys a sense of high-quality to the viewer, although the college itself is one of the cheaper universities, in terms of tuition that a student can attend.
More on this in the coming weeks!
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