GATE CHANGE AND TOW IN PROCS CAUSE CONFUSION FOR AIRLINE RPTR.

Narrative

WHILE ENTERING THE RAMP OUR GATE WAS CHANGED FROM XX TO YY. THE RAMP CTLR ADVISED US THAT IT WAS A TOW-IN GATE. I MISSED THE PART IN THE FIELD RPT WHERE THIS WAS INDICATED. WE ALSO RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE REGARDING THE GATE CHANGE. THE ACARS MESSAGE DID NOT INDICATE A TOW IN. WHEN WE APCHED THE GATE THE GND CREW WAS SET UP FOR A TAXI IN. THE FO CHKED THE COMMERCIAL CHART PAGES WHICH INDICATED A TAXI IN SO WE CONTINUED. WHILE COMPLETING THE TAXI IN THE RAMP ADVISED US AGAIN THAT IT WAS A TOW IN GATE SINCE THE RAMP CREW WAS SET UP FOR TAXI; THE ACARS DID NOT INDICATE TOW IN AND THE COMMERCIAL CHART PAGE SHOWED TAXI IN; I THOUGHT THE RAMP TWR CTLR WAS JUST MIXING UP XX AND YY. THIS KIND OF CHANGE SHOULD BE IN THE BRIEFING MESSAGES FAR BEFORE A MESSAGE ASKING US TO ADVISE THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WHETHER THE ACFT HAS THE NEW SEATING CONFIGN OR NOT. WHEN I TELL THEM; THEY GO 'DUH' AND POINT TO THE PLACARD BY THE FRONT ENTRY. PLEASE PUT ITEMS SUCH AS THIS GATE APCH CHANGE IN THE BRIEFING MESSAGES WHERE THEY ARE MORE NOTICEABLE THAN AT THE END OF ONE LINE OF MANY LINES IN THE FIELD RPT.