Grapevine communication is a concept coined by psychologists in 1967. It is the passing of information from person to person, such as a rumour or news item. Grapevine, as well as other forms of communication, can be affected by culture, age groups and certain psychological principles that contribute to the spread of information.
What is Grapevine Communication?
The definition for grapevine communication may vary depending on who you’re asking but most definitions will include two or more people within a single social group discussing some issue with each other. They are exchanging opinions and thoughts that they have heard from friends or family members before them.
Grapevine communication is a very casual way of sharing information and that information being spread can be either true or untrue but it's most often not verified.
Many companies and people make use of grapevine communication for many different reasons, including:
● To keep their employees or customers in the loop about company movements or changes.
● People will often use grapevine communication to tell others about some new product release, movement in the market or to make an announcement that perhaps was highly vetted before getting released publicly.
Who Uses Grapevine Communication?
Grapevine communication can be used by anyone within any type of social environment, including businesses owned by large corporate giants down to small businesses owned by a single person. The casual nature of grapevine communication makes it very versatile and easy to use, but at the same time, it can be a very effective way to get information about anything to any number of people.
Grapevine communication can have a positive or negative effect on the situation

What are the Benefits of Grapevine Communication?
Like any form of communication, grapevine communication has many advantages and disadvantages depending on who you’re asking. The benefits are usually centered around keeping employees in the loop or getting information out to customers but also include something that most forms of communication don’t have, which is an easy way for news and stories to spread among friends and family.
However, grapevine communication is commonly used for some less than positive reasons, such as spreading gossip about someone or something and spreading false information. At the same time, grapevine communication can also be a very effective way for companies to get the word out about new products or releases without the cost of using traditional forms of advertising.
Are There Any Negative Effects of Grapevine Communication?
The negative effects of grapevine communication are typically centered around spreading false information and gossiping about someone or something. However, there is another negative that has been seen in recent years that doesn’t have anything to do with the activities of the people originally responsible for receiving the grapevine communication.
Another negative effect of grapevine communication is that it can increase fear and anxiety among people. While some people may be able to handle the negative effects of grapevine communication, others may want to avoid its presence completely.
How is Grapevine Communication Used by Businesses?
While grapevine communication can be used by any business, it is especially popular among small businesses and those that are operated by one person on a very cheap level. Rather than using a large budget to advertise or hire a large marketing company, many small business owners choose to use grapevine communication as their main means of advertising and marketing their products.
Importance of Grapevine Communication
As with any form of communication, grapevine communication is extremely important to have in today's fast-paced world. The internet has made grapevine communication faster and more prominent but that’s just the nature of society today and humans have always needed some way to communicate information to others around them.
The importance of grapevine communication is shown as a very casual type of information sharing that doesn’t require anything more than simple words, spoken or written down. It can also be a very effective way for people to learn about new products or services that may be right for them and it can even help businesses spread the word about their newest products or services by getting the word out for free rather than paying for advertisements.
Types Of Grapevine Communication
Single Strand Chain
This is the most basic form of grapevine communication, in which a single message is passed from one person to another over a single strand. There is no need for multiple people to listen to or pass along the same message and each person who hears the grapevine communication only passes the information on to someone else with that sole purpose.
Multi-Strand Chain
Multi-stranded chains are typically used by organisations or businesses. In these situations, multiple people will be passing along different messages as they hear them from other people within their social groups. For example, if you are running your own business or work for an organisation, grapevine information can be communicated to you by one person to three other people.
Phonemic Chain
Phonemes chain communication is also known as word-of-mouth communication. In this form of grapevine communication, there will usually be a primary source and several secondary sources who have the same message and intend on passing it along to others with the same purpose. For example, if you work at a company and hear that their boss is looking for someone new to fill their position, the source that told you would be the primary source and then one or more secondary sources would pass it along to other people within their social circle with a similar purpose.
Gossip Chain
There is a special form of grapevine communication that is typically used to spread gossip, rumours and other non-factual information. The gossip chain differs from the other types of grapevine communication because the primary intention behind it is usually not to convey factual information about something or someone but instead to spread gossip about something for personal reasons.

How Does Grapevine Communication Work?
The methods involved in how grapevine communication works can vary greatly depending on exactly what type it falls into but they all have one thing in common. They rely on word of mouth and good old fashioned verbal communication. Gossip chains are different in that they are more intentional and often involve false information being spread around by people who have a personal agenda.
Advantage of Grapevine Communication
The advantage of grapevine communication is rather obvious since this type of communication can be done and spread anywhere at any time. There is no need to rely on technology or any other forms of media, which means that people can communicate any type of information they want to each other in the most cost-effective way possible.
Disadvantages of Grapevine Communication
The disadvantages of grapevine communication are very similar to that of general word-of-mouth communication, which is that it’s not always reliable. Word-of-mouth communication is often passed through several people before it gets to a person who needs the information.
By the time someone receives a piece of information that has gone through several different people, there is no guarantee that it will still be factual and up to date. Another disadvantage to grapevine communication is that it can get out of control very quickly sometimes, leading to thousands or millions of people or businesses all communicating the same piece of information within an hour or two.
Conclusion
Grapevine communication is a very basic form of information sharing, which makes it extremely fast and easy to pass along from person to person, often with very little effort. The only thing that you need to do to receive grapevine information is to just be in the same location as someone else who has the same grapevine communication and who also has something that you need or want.
Because grapevine communication occurs automatically and without any real effort on your part, it can be a great way for businesses to share their message with their target market and even help them spread the word about new products or services that they offer. Many small businesses use grapevine communication as their main means of advertising while others choose not to use any form of marketing at all.
FAQs
Can grapevine communication be used for any type of information?
The short answer to this question is yes, it can be used for just about anything. The long answer is that each type of grapevine communication has its purpose, which will be covered below.
Can grapevine communication be used to send any type of information?
Grapevine communication can be used to send any kind of information, but it is most commonly used to spread gossip and false information. This form of grapevine communication is often seen in organisations as well as small businesses that want to get the word out about their products or services.