Illustrate the main roles of communication

At a fundamental level, communication can assume one of four main roles:

1.  It can inform and make potential customers aware of an organisation's offering.

2. Communication may attempt to persuade current and potential customers of desirability of entering into an exchange relationship.

3.  Communication can also be used to reinforce experiences. This may take form of reminding people of a need they might have or of reminding them of benefits of past transactions with a view to convincing them that they must enter into a similar exchange. Additionally, it's possible to provide reassurance or comfort either immediately before an exchange or, more commonly, post-purchase. This is significant, as it helps to retain current customers and improve profitability. This technique to business is much more cost-effective than constantly striving to lure new customers.

4.  Marketing communications can behave as a differentiator, specifically in markets where there is little to separate competing products and brands. Mineral water products, like Perrier and Highland Spring, are largely similar: it's the communications surrounding the products that have created various brand images, enabling consumers to make purchasing decisions. In these cases images created by marketing communications disassociate one brand from another and position them so that consumers' purchasing confidence and positive attitudes are developed. Hence communication can inform, persuade, reinforce and build images to delineate a product or service