The communication cycle is a linear model of communication. Through schematic representation, the communication cycle details the relationship between sender, message, medium, and recipient.
Understanding the communication cycle
The communication cycle was developed by mathematicians Claude Elwood Shannon and Warren Weaver.
In any context, effective communication is the conveying and receiving of messages between individuals in a manner that is easily understood.
The process of communication starts when a sender transmits a message to a receiver through a specific medium.
Upon receiving the message, the receiver responds in an appropriate time frame – otherwise known as feedback.
This simple back and forth example where the sender and receiver reciprocate roles represents the communication cycle.
The cycle can be used when messages are transmitted through writing or non-verbal (body language) means in a variety of different contexts.
Components of the communication cycle
In Shannon and Weaver’s interpretation, there are seven components to the cyclical process of communication.
Sender
The sender – otherwise known as the source – starts the cycle by deciding they have information they want to share.
Before sending a message, the sender must ensure that it reaches the receiver in a way that the receiver understands. In other words, what is the purpose of the message? How should the receiver ideally react after receiving the message?
Encoding
Encoding involves the sender deciding on how to best convey their message.
Appropriate words, gestures, tones, and sounds are important and should be based on knowledge of the receiver.
For example, authors who write children’s books usually communicate in short, sharp sentences with simple, child-friendly words.
During the encoding process, it’s critical to clarify various aspects such as:
What language are you going to use?
What communication medium?
What’s the appropriate form and format of communication?
This helps making the communication cycle way more effective down the road.
Message
The message is simply the piece of information a sender communicates. Messages are based on the information chosen and how the information is conveyed so that the receiver understands it.
Medium (channel)
The medium describes the means of communication. It may be a newspaper, computer screen, television, or radio. Each medium will be suited to a particular form of communication and subsequent audience.
Receiver
The receiver is an important part of the communication cycle, for without someone to receive a message there can be no sender.
The receiver gathers sent information and then attempts to understand it. If successful, the receiver becomes the sender, and the cycle repeats.
This is also known as feedback because the receiver responds to a message by broadcasting their views.
Decoding
To ensure that the process runs effectively, messages must easily be decoded. For example, a video featuring Stephen Hawking communicating the wonders of astrophysics would be lost on most children.
A travel article espousing the nuanced beauty of a particular destination may be unable to be communicated to readers who have never visited.
Indeed, successful receiver decoding is often reliant upon individual thoughts, memories, and perspectives.
In the decoding process, you want to consider all the main aspects that can affect it.
Things like:
Communication channel proficiency: are sender and receiver aligned in terms of understanding and ability to use the same communication channel?
Shared mental models: do encoder and decoder share a similar way of deciphering the real world? So they can better understand each other? Cultural alignment might help with that.
Noise: What noise affects that channel, and can it be reduced?
Invariably, there will be interferences in the communication cycle. This is called noise, which disrupts harmonious communication in several ways.
Noise can occur when the sender uses technical jargon in their messages that the receiver cannot understand. Those who speak with heavy accents may also experience problems with communication.
The receiver can also contribute to noise. Distractions are common in this instance, perhaps the result of being ill or entering a communication with preconceived notions or judgments.
Lastly, noise can also be literal. Loud concerts are notorious for contributing to poor communication, as are slow internet connection speeds.
Noise is any factor that interferes with or impedes effective communication between a sender and receiver. When noise disrupts the communication process or prevents the transmission of information, it is said to be communication noise.
In general, there are a few kinds of noises that we want to take into account which might affect the communication cycle:
A communication cycle diagram is any that illustrates the transmission of information between two or more entities. Communication cycle diagrams are used to describe how information is transmitted during communication.
These diagrams are used to depict communication models that are:
Interactional
Or models that define communication as an interactive process between the sender, receiver, and feedback.
Transactional
More dynamic models that consider senders and receivers to be communicators.
In essence, transactional models view communication as a cooperative process where both entities contribute to the outcome and effectiveness of the interaction.
By their very nature, communication cycle diagrams are not used to represent linear communication models such as the Shannon-Weaver model.
The linear model of communication is a relatively simplistic model envisaging a process in which a sender encodes and transmits a message that is received and decoded by a recipient. The linear model of communication suggests communication moves in one direction only. The sender transmits a message to the receiver, but the receiver does not transmit a response or provide feedback to the sender.
Here, the communication process is one-way and not cyclical.
Other models of this type comprise the Schramm model.
The Schramm communication model was created in 1954 by Wilbur Schramm, widely considered to be one of the pioneering founders in the field of communication studies.
Berlo’s SMCR model was created by American communication theorist David Berlo in 1960, who expanded the Shannon-Weaver model of communication into clear and distinct parts. Berlo’s SMCR model is a one-way or linear communication framework based on the Shannon-Weaver communication model.
Closed-loop communication is a simple but effective technique used to avoid misunderstandings during the communication process. Here, the person receiving information repeats it back to the sender to ensure they have understood the message correctly.
A hybrid to that is the transactional model of communication, which leverages context to have a much deeper understanding of the communication process.
The transactional model of communication describes communication as a two-way, interactive process within social, relational, and cultural contexts. The transactional model of communication is best exemplified by two models. Barnlund’s model describes communication as a complex, multi-layered process where the feedback from the sender becomes the message for the receiver. Dance’s helical model is another example, which suggests communication is continuous, dynamic, evolutionary, and non-linear.
Components of a communication cycle diagram
While the exact composition of a communication cycle diagram will vary from model to model, most will describe the following core components:
Sender
The individual or entity wishing to transmit a message.
Effective transmission relies on crafting a message the receiver will understand and take the desired action on.
In some models, this process is known as encoding.
Message
Or the information the sender wishes the audience to receive and then understand.
The message may be written, oral, or non-verbal in nature.
Transmission
How is the message transmitted? It could be via email, television, text, letter, telephone, or face-to-face.
Noise
This is any factor that can impede or interfere with message transmission.
Noise can be literal, which is often experienced with a poor television or phone signal.
But it can also take the form of non-literal sources such as the accent of the speaker or their culture, level of understanding, or emotions.
Language barriers are also a prime source of noise in the communication cycle.
Receiver
The receiver is the individual or entity that receives the message and seeks to understand its purpose or intention.
In some models, this process is known as decoding.
Feedback
When the receiver transmits a message back to the sender based on their original message, this is known as feedback.
This is an important part of the communication cycle because feedback tells the sender their message was understood in the way they intended.
However, in some cases, the receiver may ask for clarification if the message was impeded by noise. Feedback may be verbal or non-verbal.
Breaking down the communication cycle diagram
A communication cycle diagram is any that illustrates the transmission of information between two or more entities.
Communication cycle diagrams are used to depict interactional and transactional communication models. By their very nature, these diagrams are not used to represent linear communication models such as the Shannon-Weaver model.
Communication cycle diagrams tend to have the following components: sender, message, transmission, noise, receiver, and feedback. The precise components, and indeed their definitions, will vary from one communication model to the next.
Communication cycle example in business
In this example, consider a business meeting where the executive team is assembled to review important KPIs.
Sender
The sender is the host, speaker, or facilitator of the meeting. This individual initiates a conversation, encodes the message in the appropriate channel, and is responsible for establishing the intent of the meeting itself.
The intent, in this case, is to review employee performance management KPIs.
Message
The message of the meeting can be thought of as the aim of conducting it in the first place. In other words, the executives are assembled to ensure employee performance KPIs:
Match the objectives of the business.
Measure areas that will impact business success, and
Provide clarity on areas that need to be addressed.
KPI reviews are notorious for endless discussions about numbers with no real consensus on a way forward. To ensure the meeting focuses on the actions required to improve outcomes, the facilitator sticks to 10 or 12 KPIs that cover the four key areas of employees, customers, revenue, and processes.
Medium (channel)
The medium is verbal, face-to-face discussion, but there is also an element of non-verbal body language as each attendee assesses the temperature of the room, so to speak, when discussing how to improve each KPI.
The facilitator also uses KPI dashboards to stimulate productive discussion. In this example, the executives prefer to have the data presented as charts and graphs in PowerPoint with different status colors that highlight trends.
Noise
There are many potential sources of noise in a meeting scenario. These include:
Acoustic – external noise (construction, aircraft), technical noise (fans, projectors), and building noise (the HVAC system).
Illumination – too much light in the conference room may render the PowerPoint slides unreadable. Too little light may make it hard for the attendees to see others or pick up on their verbal or non-verbal cues.
Comfort level – is there enough space in the conference room for each occupant? Is the furniture comfortable and in working order? Is the room at an optimal temperature?
Visual – is the project working properly? Does every attendee have a clear line of sight to the screen, to each other, and the meeting facilitator?
Cultural or knowledge – are the attendees of a similar culture, background, age, or experience level? Are there terms they may misunderstand or misinterpret?
Receiver
Collectively, the receiver is the group of meeting attendees who must decode the message sent by the facilitator and maintain the communication process.
Each of the above sources of noise will determine whether they can properly decode the contents of the presentation.
Feedback
Once the senior executives have decoded the message, they must confirm or validate effective listening by responding in turn.
On the micro level, one attendee may nod and smile at the speaker or a colleague to confirm understanding or agreement.
On a broader level, feedback means each attendee will be able to analyze the KPIs and work with others to formulate corrective strategies.
Coca-Cola Communication cycle case study
In this real-world example of the communication cycle at work, let’s take a look at The Coca-Cola Company’s “Share a Coke” campaign.
Sender
The sender of the information associated with the campaign is The Coca-Cola Company. To be more specific, the campaign was devised by Coca-Cola South Pacific and the marketing agency Ogilvy to strengthen the Coke brand with Australian young adults.
Message
The company replaced its logo on one side of a Coke bottle with the catchphrase “Share a Coke with” and then selected the 150 most popular first names in Australia.
For example, “Share a coke with Sam” or “Share a Coke with Chris”.
Also printed on the label was the hashtag #ShareaCoke to appeal to millennial consumers and encourage them to share their experiences on social media.
Encoding
Coca-Cola encoded the message by selecting the most popular first names by region.
In other words, the names it used for the Australian campaign were not the same as those used later in the United States or indeed the 80 other markets where the campaign was launched.
The company even developed a custom font that was easier to read than the traditional Spencerian cursive script it uses for “Coca-Cola”. As the campaign spread around the world, labels also reflected the local culture and interests of the target audience.
In Australia, for example, the labels incorporated regional slang and colloquialisms. Conversely, in the UK, labels featured popular British landmarks.
Medium (channel)
The following channels were used to promote the campaign:
Point-of-sale (POS) displays – personalized POS displays were featured in retail stores with the most popular first names.
Social media – as noted, the company created the #ShareaCoke hashtag to encourage consumers to share photos on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Mobile – Coca-Cola also sent text messages to users with a link to a personalized virtual Coke bottle which they could also share on social media. Later, users could ask Alexa for a personalized bottle which was later posted to them with the name of their choice.
Television – numerous TV ads have been developed since the campaigns were first launched in 2011.
Outdoor/offline – ads were also shown outdoors on electric and non-electric billboards, murals, and in bus shelters. Consumers were also invited to share a Coke in cinemas and as part of experiential displays.
Decoding
Consumers decode the message when they recognize their name on a bottle of Coke and see the hashtag #ShareaCoke. The message is also decoded when a consumer can recognize a local landmark or slang word.
Noise
Potential sources of noise in the campaign include:
Competition – other marketing campaigns running at the same time could have distracted consumers from Coke’s message.
Cultural or language differences – while Coca-Cola accounted for cultural nuances in different areas, it nonetheless employed a broad personalization strategy that did not cater to some groups. In Saudi Arabia, it used very few middle-eastern names because of the company’s English-language bias. This served as a source of noise because it hindered Coca-Cola’s ability to reach a broader swathe of the population.
Receiver
The intended receiver in this communication cycle were millennial consumers. The company had identified that cola consumption among this cohort was on a slow and steady decline and, in any case, consumers were not engaged with its brand.
Feedback
Feedback primarily occurred on social media where users were encouraged to share photos of themselves enjoying a Coke beverage with the relevant hashtag. In the campaign’s first year, over 500,000 images were shared on Facebook alone.
The company became one of the first to incorporate feedback from user-generated content in a marketing campaign. More importantly, it responded to comments, answered questions, and made itself more accessible to millennial consumers.
Coca-Cola also monitored feedback from sales data, customer service channels, and in-person interaction from experiential displays. It then used this feedback to adjust production, distribution, and marketing strategies to start the cycle once more.
Key takeaways
The communication cycle describes the cyclical relationship in communication between a receiver and sender.
In Shannon and Weaver’s interpretation, the communication cycle is based on seven core components.
The communication cycle argues that effective communication relies on clear and accurate messaging easily interpreted and understood by each party. In any case, noise can contribute to ineffective communication through distortions in encoding and decoding among other things.
What are the 6 stages of communication cycle?
The six primary components of a communication cycle are sender, encoding, message, medium, receiver, decoding, and noise. The communication process starts with a sender transmitting a message to a receiver through a medium. The receiver responds in an appropriate time frame (feedback). This simple back-and-forth example where the sender and receiver reciprocate roles represents the communication cycle.
Why is communication cycle important?
Communication permeates society, one of the most critical pieces that make up group dynamics. Indeed, we can build effective businesses connecting millions of people worldwide by understanding how communication works.
The Aristotle model of communication is a linear model with a focus on public speaking. The Aristotle model of communication was developed by Greek philosopher and orator Aristotle, who proposed the linear model to demonstrate the importance of the speaker and their audience during communication.
The linear model of communication is a relatively simplistic model envisaging a process in which a sender encodes and transmits a message that is received and decoded by a recipient. The linear model of communication suggests communication moves in one direction only. The sender transmits a message to the receiver, but the receiver does not transmit a response or provide feedback to the sender.
Berlo’s SMCR model was created by American communication theorist David Berlo in 1960, who expanded the Shannon-Weaver model of communication into clear and distinct parts. Berlo’s SMCR model is a one-way or linear communication framework based on the Shannon-Weaver communication model.
The helical model of communication is a framework inspired by the three-dimensional spring-like curve of a helix. It argues communication is cyclical, continuous, non-repetitive, accumulative, and influenced by time and experience.
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The five canons of rhetoric were first organized by Roman philosopher Cicero in his treatise De Inventione in around 84 BC. Some 150 years later, Roman rhetorician Quintilian explored each of the five canons in more depth as part of his 12-volume textbook entitled Institutio Oratoria. The work helped the five canons become a major component of rhetorical education well into the medieval period. The five canons of rhetoric comprise a system for understanding powerful and effective communication.
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The 7Cs of communication is a set of guiding principles on effective communication skills in business, moving around seven principles for effective business communication: clear, concise, concrete, correct, complete, coherent, and courteous.
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Communication apprehension is a measure of the degree of anxiety someone feels in response to real (or anticipated) communication with another person or people.
Closed-loop communication is a simple but effective technique used to avoid misunderstandings during the communication process. Here, the person receiving information repeats it back to the sender to ensure they have understood the message correctly.
Grapevine communication describes informal, unstructured, workplace dialogue between employees and superiors. It was first described in the early 1800s after someone observed that the appearance of telegraph wires strung between transmission poles resembled a grapevine.
The ASE model posits that human behavior can be predicted if one studies the intention behind the behavior. It was created by health communication expert Hein de Vries in 1988.
The ASE model believes intention and behavior are determined by cognitive variables such as attitude, social influence, and self-efficacy. The model also believes that intention predicts behavior such that one’s attitude toward a behavior is influenced by the consequences of that behavior.
Three cognitive variables are the primary determinants of whether the intention to perform a new behavior was sustained: attitude, social influence, and self-efficacy. Various external variables also influence these factors.
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Social penetration theory was developed by fellow psychologists Dalmas Taylor and Irwin Altman in their 1973 article Social Penetration: The Development of Interpersonal Relationships. Social penetration theory (SPT) posits that as a relationship develops, shallow and non-intimate communication evolves and becomes deeper and more intimate.
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The 7-38-55 rule was created by University of California psychology professor Albert Mehrabian and mentioned in his book Silent Messages. The 7-38-55 rule describes the multi-faceted way in which people communicate emotions, claiming that 7% of communication occurred via spoken word, 38% through tone of voice, and the remaining 55% through body language.
Active listening is the process of listening attentively while someone speaks and displaying understanding through verbal and non-verbal techniques. Active listening is a fundamental part of good communication, fostering a positive connection and building trust between individuals.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
