Signal Degradation
Corporate communications decay over time.
Repetition isn't redundancy - it's fighting natural decay.
Chemical signals degrade through diffusion (spreading out, concentration decreases with distance), chemical breakdown (UV light, oxidation, microbial degradation), and environmental absorption (pheromones stick to surfaces). Degradation rate is adaptive: fast for temporary signals (alarm pheromones degrade in minutes), slow for persistent signals (territorial marks last days).
Business Application of Signal Degradation
Corporate communications decay over time. An announcement has peak impact immediately, then decays. Different messages have different half-lives: crisis communication (2-4 weeks), product launches (3-6 months), strategy shifts (6-12 months), culture/values (6-12 months without reinforcement). Match reinforcement cadence to half-life.