Stop blaming the audience for not understanding – Let’s talk about the failure of decoding in brand communication

Introduction

Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model, developed at the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) in Birmingham (Hall, 1980), offers a useful way to understand how media messages travel from creators to audiences. In simple terms, encoding is when creators add meanings, values, and cultural ideas into their work. Decoding, on the other hand, is when audiences interpret those messages through their own experiences, beliefs, and social backgrounds.

Because audiences come from different contexts, the meaning they take away can sometimes be very different from what the creator intended—and this gap can create real problems.

Burger King‘s Fail Marketing

One well-known example is Burger King’s International Women’s Day tweet:
“Women belong in the kitchen.”
The intention was to introduce a scholarship for female chefs, but most people only saw the first part of the message. Many women instantly interpreted it as sexist. The backlash grew quickly, and the brand was widely criticized as “disrespectful to women” (Everything-PR, 2023). Even though Burger King deleted the tweet and tried to clarify, the damage had already been done. This is a classic case of oppositional decoding, where audiences reject the intended meaning entirely. It shows how one poorly framed message can quickly turn into a PR issue.

Platform Matters： Social media shapes Decoding

Another important point is that decoding is also influenced by the platform where the message appears. Each platform has its own culture, audience expectations, and content style, which means the same message can be understood in completely different ways.

For example:

• Platforms like Instagram or TikTok favour visual, emotional, and entertaining content.
• Twitter is faster, more reactive, and often more critical.
• LinkedIn encourages a professional and analytical tone.

Nike’s “Dream Crazy” campaign is a good demonstration of this.

• On TV, many viewers interpreted the message as inspiring and patriotic.
• On Twitter, reactions became more polarized, with some users criticizing it as overly political.
• On Instagram, athletes and influencers helped amplify the empowerment message through positive visuals and supportive captions (ResearchGate, 2023; SocialRails, 2023).

It’s the same encoded message—but each platform produced its own version of the meaning.

⸻

Take more comprehensive marketing measures

The extent to which encoding successfully translates into the intended decoding depends on the company’s marketing strategy. A sophisticated marketing approach can increase the likelihood that audiences decode the message as intended. Key strategies include:

• Clarity of message – ensuring the meaning is easy to understand
• Platform optimisation – tailoring content to each platform’s norms and features
• Audience research – understanding the audience’s cultural and social context
• Integrated campaigns – reinforcing the message across multiple channels

⸻

Overall, Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model demonstrates that communication is not a linear process; meaning is actively reconstructed by audiences. Misalignment between encoding and decoding can result in public backlash, reputational damage, and misinterpretation of brand messages. Social media platforms further complicate decoding, as audiences interpret messages differently depending on platform culture and features. Companies can improve alignment between encoding and decoding through clear messaging, audience research, platform optimisation, and integrated marketing campaigns. Understanding this dynamic process is essential for effective media and communication strategies.

⸻

References

• Hall, S. (1980) Encoding/decoding. In: Hall, S., Hobson, D., Lowe, A. and Willis, P. (eds.) Culture, Media, Language: Working Papers in Cultural Studies, 1972‑79. London: Routledge, pp. 128–138.
• Everything-PR (2023) When digital PR goes wrong: Lessons from campaigns that failed. Available at: https://everything-pr.com/when-digital-pr-goes-wrong-lessons-from-campaigns-that-failed/ [Accessed 16 November 2025].
• ResearchGate (2023) Oppositional Decoding Influences under Stuart Hall: A Case Study of the Advertisement “The NFL Is for Everyone”. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372139777_Oppositional_Decoding_Influences_under_Stuart_Hall_A_Case_Study_of_the_Advertisement_The_NFL_is_for_Everyone [Accessed 16 November 2025].
• SocialRails (2023) Failed social media campaigns: 17 epic fails & what went wrong. Available at: https://socialrails.com/blog/failed-social-media-campaigns/ [Accessed 16 November 2025].