2. Theoretical underpinnings of marketing communication

• Communications and practitioners

--There is concern for the fundamental use of the very basic model of the communication process used by many writers of textbooks to suggest the availability of, the very least, a frame work for marketers to help manage their various forms of communication-whether mediated or interpersonal. Buttle provides a useful history of communication theory and points to the lack of explicitness regarding theory. The simple argument is that theory should inform practice otherwise it is pointless, but needs some theoretical underpinnings to provide stability.

• A model of mass communications

--Numerous models have been developed in this area that help further developthis general framework for understanding.Thecommonest from in the textbooks deals with the problems of one-way mass communication,although it does have a feedback look that indicates that the source is likely to search for,or expect some form of,recipient feedback.