Grunig and Hung (1984) created four models to categorise types of communication for public relations in different organisations to help create strategies and tactics:
1. Press Agent/Publicity
This is one-way communication from the organisation to the public. It uses persuasion and manipulation to influence the public as the organisation wants for themselves and manipulate how they would react to the information.
2. Public Information Model
This is the next form of one-way communication built on from Press Agent. It aims to inform the public (thus one way still) without using deception or persuasion to be truthful. It aims to educate the public on the organisation.
3. Two-Way Asymmetrical Model
This is a two-way communication between the organisation and the public, but is not equal. It still uses persuasion techniques slightly to manipulate the public to respond in a certain manner, creating the imbalance.
4. Two-Way Symmetrical Model
This is a two-way equal communication between the organisation and their publics. It seeks to aim for open and honest communication, resolving conflict and to create a beneficial relationship between them.
Social Media and Two-Way Communication
From my previous blogs, the rise of social media in all organisations is large as a pair with digital marketing. As two-way symmetrical communication is most desired for organisations and publics, social media platforms is the best tool for consumers of organisations to interact with organisations and vice versa (Glucksman, 2017).
Social media encourage conversations, and humanises the brand to the consumer (Canals, 2021). It portrays a relaxed and informal tone rather than, for example, formal emails showing that there are real people behind the brand (Matthee, 2011). It makes the consumer feel valued, and help the brand understand their audience’s values and opinions.
However there are disadvantages to adopting a two-way symmetrical communication. The availability of responding on social media is much shorter and is expected to be quite rapid (Writer, 2020) . Brands must be on their toes with their social media team with their responses.
Two-Way Communication and Fashion
In the fashion industry, bloggers on social media are an important asset to building the bridge between designers and consumers (Durmaz, 2014). By blogging about designers, it allows for consumers to respond to their opinions, form their own opinions and build a relationship with that brand, creating two-way symmetrical communication.
So is two-way communication the best interaction for the fashion industry? It appears to be the most sought after communication for all businesses, but by using social media and digital marketing it gives consumers the ability to post negative comments and criticisms which can easily go viral, causing crisis for the company (Riabchinskaya, 2016).
What do you think is the best type of communication for the fashion industry? Let me know in the comments!
Emily x
PR Fashion Label 
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