Marketing Task Today : Reduce Consumer Uncertainty. Build Customer Relationships! Therefore : Time for Personal Communications THEORY (Uncertainty Reduction Theory) to "Cross the Chasm" into Mass (Marketing) Communications PRACTICE !

1. +
URT Crossing the
Chasm
Muder Chiba
Omni
Channel
Communication

2. +
The Uncertainty Reduction Theory
When interacting, people need information
about the other party in order to reduce their
uncertainty. In gaining this information
people are able to predict the others
behaviour and resulting actions, all of which
is crucial in the development of any
relationship.
Muder Chiba
A Theory of Personal Communications
Sources :
http://www.communicationstudies.com/communication-
theories/uncertainty-reduction-theorymmunications
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncertainty_reduction_theory
Developed by Charles Berger and Richard Calabrese :

3. +
Marketing Today
+ Brands , channels, devices
and messaging proliferation
+ Modern media touch points
expanding ‘brand as
personality’
+ Increased Uncertainty for the
consumer with burgeoning
choice : need to reduce
uncertainty
+ Marketers need to build
customer relationships
Muder Chiba

4. +
Crossing the Chasm
Marketing Task Today :
Reducing Consumer
Uncertainty
Building Customer
Relationships
Time for :
Personal Communications
Theory to cross the chasm
into Mass (marketing)
Communications !
Muder Chiba

5. + Crossing the Chasm
1.Learnings for Media Choice in an Omni
Channel world
2.Learnings for Messaging and Tone of
Voice
Muder Chiba

6. +1.Learnings for Media
Choice in an Omni Channel
World
Muder Chiba

7. +
Uncertainty Reduction Strategies
People engage in passive, active, or
interactive strategies to reduce uncertainty
with others.
A person observing
another in the natural
environment,
intentionally
unnoticeable, to gain
information on
another, would be
categorized as using
a passive tactic for
reducing
uncertainties.
An active strategist
would resort to
means of reducing
uncertainties without
any personal direct
contact For example,
if one were to ask a
friend about a
particular person,
without actually
confronting the
person directly.
An interactive
strategist would
directly confront the
individual and engage
in some form of
dialogue to reduce
the uncertainties
between the two.
Muder Chiba

8. +
Relationship Development Cycle
Individuals begin
interactions under the
guidance of implicit and
explicit rules and norms.
The contents of the
exchanges are often
demographic and
transactional. The level
of involvement will
increase as the
strangers move into the
second stage.
… strangers begin to
explore one another's
attitudes and beliefs.
Typically enter this stage
after they have had
several entry stage
interactions with a
stranger. One will probe
the other for indications
of their values , morals
and issues. Emotional
involvement tends to
increase as disclosure
increases
Here, the former
strangers decide
whether they want to
continue to develop a
relationship. If there is
not mutual liking, either
can choose not to
pursue a relationship
Muder Chiba
The Entry Stage The Second Stage The Final Stage

9. +
Muder Chiba
Traditional &…
…Digital Media

10. +
Putting It All Together…
Muder Chiba

11. +
Media Choice Based on
Communication Need !
Passive Active Interactive
Entry PAID Media EARNED Media OWNED Media
Second ,
‘Personal’
PAID Media to
drive to Owned
EARNED /
OWNED
EARNED /
OWNED
Third ,
‘Final’
PAID EARNED /
OWNED
EARNED /
OWNED
Muder Chiba
Strategy
Stage

12. + 2.Learnings for Messaging
and Tone of Voice in an
Omni Channel World
Muder Chiba

13. + The Original 7 +2 Axioms
Verbal Communication: As the amount of verbal communication between strangers
increases, the level of uncertainty in the relationship will decrease. As uncertainty is further
reduced, the amount of verbal communication will increase.
Non-verbal Warmth: As non-verbal affiliate expressiveness increases, uncertainty levels
will decrease in an initial interaction situation. In addition, decreases in uncertainty level will
cause increases in non-verbal affiliative expressiveness
Information Seeking: High levels of uncertainty cause increases in information-seeking
behaviour. As uncertainty levels decline, information-seeking behaviour declines
Self-disclosure: High levels of uncertainty in a relationship cause decreases in the
intimacy level of communication content. Low levels of uncertainty produce high levels of
intimacy
Reciprocity : High levels of uncertainty produce high rates of reciprocity. Low levels
of uncertainty produce low rates of reciprocity.
Similarity : Similarities between persons reduce uncertainty, while dissimilarities
produce increases in uncertainty
Liking : Increases in uncertainty level produce decreases in liking; decreases in
uncertainty produce increases in liking.
Shared Networks : Need shared communication networks -lack of shared
networks increases uncertainty.
Communication Satisfaction: There is an inverse relationship between uncertainty
and communication satisfaction
Muder Chiba
Berger and Calabrese propose a series of axioms (Original 7 +2) to explain the connection between
their central concept of uncertainty and seven key variables of relationship development
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncertainty_reduction_theory

14. +
The Resultant URT Theorems
Verbal Nonverbal Info seeking Disclosure Reciprocity Similarity Liking
Verbal + - + - + +
Nonverbal + - + - + +
Info seeking - - - + - -
Disclosure + + - - + +
Reciprocity - - + - - -
Similarity + + - + - +
Liking + + - + -
Muder Chiba

15. +
Putting It All Together!
Muder Chiba

16. +
The Communication Imperative :
Learn from Hitch!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-CBqcb0Kcc
Muder Chiba

17. +
Market
Complexity
Decisions
Information
Complexity
Insight Ignited Decisions
muder.chiba@gmail.com
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