Whoosh Merchandise Communication Strategy: An Analysis of The Shannon-Weaver Dual-Model and Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)

Abstract

The launch of official Whoosh merchandise by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) in 2025 represents a strategic effort to strengthen the image of Indonesia’s first high-speed rail project through visual media that can be used in daily life. This study analyzes merchandise as a visual communication channel using Shannon and Weaver’s communication theory, particularly in examining the encoding process, potential noise, and the public’s decoding of visual symbols. Previous literature highlights the limitations of physical channels in conveying complex messages, as well as the role of culture in mediating audience interpretation. Using a linear model as a framework, this study demonstrates that Whoosh merchandise faces various forms of noise, such as semantic, visual, and symbolic interference, arising from foreign symbols and non-local aesthetics. Social media serves as an alternative decoding space revealing public resistance to modernity symbolism not rooted in local identity. The findings confirm that the success of strategic communication is determined not only by the clarity of visual messages, but also by the appropriateness of symbols within the recipient’s cultural context. Merchandise, in this context, is more than just a product; it is a visual narrative of the nation that demands ideological and semiotic sensitivity.