eprintid: 340
rev_number: 11
eprint_status: archive
userid: 64
dir: disk0/00/00/03/40
datestamp: 2021-02-09 14:22:58
lastmod: 2021-02-09 14:22:58
status_changed: 2021-02-09 14:22:58
type: thesis
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Gidisu, Collins
corp_creators: Dr Julius Nyiwaung
title: A Semiotic Content Analysis of Advertisement: Contribution Towards a Holistic Communication Approach to Global Consumers.
ispublished: submitted
subjects: H1
subjects: HM
divisions: MscIBM
full_text_status: public
keywords: Global Consumers, Advertisement.
abstract: Effective communication via advertising is central to the success of a business by encoding brand intended message and values that relevant target stakeholders of a brand
can easily decipher and relate. This study showed that there might be a plausible solution to the disagreement between message intended encoded and message decoded in a
communication approach via image advertisement. This communication problem and its possible solution were explored from a semiotic school of thought. The objective to explore signs and symbols as a signification system in image advertising was researched with a qualitative case study methodological approach in the context of Zara ad
campaigns. A deconstruction of the ad campaign and a thematic analysis of insightful Eye-catcher as a lead icon, positioning of icons and size, choice of colours and image quality and contrast are four key elements that make up a new signification system for communicating via image advertisement if all four key elements are aligned to support each other by a semiotic comprehensiveness. First, eye-catcher as a lead icon commences the journey of meaning formation process by an icon being spotted first to evoke personal attributions and attached with other icons spotted from the image observed. Second, the
positioning of the lead icon in a region within the image frame catalyses the ability of the icon to be spotted first, particularly the middle region. Third, the choice of colours of a universal ascription that suits the intended message to be encoded requires great intentionality. Fourth, Image quality and contrast of the overall image needs to be clear, well blended, and bright or dull enough such that it is void of blurriness. The four elements form an emergent signification system for communicating with a holistic approach, extracted from a semiotic perspective of constructing an image for advertising.
date: 2020-05-22
date_type: submitted
institution: Griffith College
department: Graduate Business School: MSc in International Business Management
thesis_type: masters
referencetext: References:


Aiello, G. (2006). ‘Theoretical Advances in Critical Visual Analysis: Perception,
Ideology, Mythologies and Social Semiotics’. In Conference Papers --
International Communication Association. Conference Papers – International
Communication Association. International Communication Association, pp. 1–22. Available at:
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=27204767&site=ehost-live (Accessed: 17 October 2019).

Ali, R.H. and Aslaadi, S. (2016). ‘A Cognitive Semiotic Study of Students’ Reading a
Textless Image versus a Verbal Image’. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 7(5), pp. 1–13.

Almeida, D. (2009). ‘Where Have All the Children Gone? A Visual Semiotic Account of
Advertisements for Fashion Dolls’. 8(4), pp. 481–501. DOI: 10.1177/1470357209343374.

Anderson, S.J., Dewhirst, T. and Ling, P.M. (2006). ‘Every Document and Picture Tells
a Story: Using Internal Corporate Document Reviews, Semiotics, and
Content Analysis to Assess Tobacco Advertising’. Tobacco Control, 15(3), pp. 254–261.

Barnham, C. (2009). ‘Essence: The Structure and Dynamics of the Brand’. p. 14.

Barnham, C. (2010). ‘Qualis? The Qualitative Understanding of Essence’. International
Journal of Market Research, 52(6), pp. 757–773. DOI: 10.2501/S1470785310201648.

Barnham, C. (2012). ‘Consumer Reality: How Brands Are Constructed’. International
Journal of Market Research, 54(4), pp. 485–502. DOI: 10.2501/IJMR-54-4-485- 502.

Barnham, C. (2015). ‘Quantitative and Qualitative Research: Perceptual Foundations’.
International Journal of Market Research, 57(6), pp. 837–854. DOI: 10.2501/IJMR-2015-070.

Barnham, C. (2019). ‘Qualitative Semiotics: Can We Research Consumer MeaningMaking?’. Available at: https://journals-sagepubcom.ezproxy.gcd.ie:2443/doi/full/10.1177/1470785319851317 (Accessed: 1 December 2019).

Beasley, R. and Danesi, M. (2002). ‘Persuasive Signs the Semiotics of Advertising’. Berlin; New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Bell, P. and Milic, M. (2002). ‘Goffman’s Gender Advertisements Revisited: Combining
Content Analysis with Semiotic Analysis’. 1(2), pp. 203–222.

Danziger, P.N. (2018). ‘Why Zara Succeeds: It Focuses On Pulling People In, Not
Pushing Product Out’. Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanziger/2018/04/23/zaras-difference-pullpeople-in-not-push-product-out/#38e333f023cb (Accessed: 3 March 2020).

Eggertsen, L. (2020). ‘I’m a Zara Expert—Here’s What I’m Buying This Summer. Who
What Wear UK’. Available at: https://www.whowhatwear.co.uk/affordableonline-summer-shopping-zara (Accessed: 21 May 2020).

Facebook. (2020). ‘Zara Minimalism’ Available at:
https://www.facebook.com/Zara/photos/a.230803585906/10157815593010907/?type=3 (Accessed: 29 April 2020f).

Faizan, M. (2019). ‘The Role of Semiotics in Advertising: Communicative Approach’.
EBSCOhost. Available at: http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=9ba67cce174c-4085-ac13-1667aa4433d0%40sessionmgr4008 (Accessed: 14 October2019).

Fashion Gone Rogue. (2018). ‘Steven Meisel Lenses Zara’s Luxe Fall 2018 Campaign’.
Available at: https://www.fashiongonerogue.com/zara-fall-2018-campaign/(Accessed: 21 May 2020).

Google. (2020). ‘Icons of Mouthstache - Google Search’. Available at:
https://www.google.com/search?q=icons+of+mouthstache&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj3w92C08TpAhWDQBUIHXhJBX8Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=icons+of+mouthstache&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoCCAA6BggAEAgQHjoECAAQGFCSwwFY5-cBYNvsAWgAcAB4AIABkQGIAYgIkgEEMTMuMZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1n&sclient=img&ei=okrGXvfqI4OB1fAP-JKVAc&rlz=1C1CHBD_enIE844IE844 (Accessed: 21 May 2020a).

Google. (2020). ‘Index of Fire and Smoke - Google Search’. Available at:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Index+of+fire+and+smoke&tbm=isch&ved=
2ahUKEwjr7KGw08TpAhW1SEEAHYrDDHsQ2-
cCegQIABAA&oq=Index+of+fire+and+smoke&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQDDoECC
MQJzoCCAA6BAgAEEM6BQgAEIMBOgYIABAIEB46BAgAEBg6BggAEA
oQGFCKpgFYlJgCYMenAmgJcAB4AIABYogBmg6SAQIyNpgBAKABAaoB
C2d3cy13aXotaW1n&sclient=img&ei=AkvGXuvjBLWRhbIPioez2Ac&rlz=1C
1CHBD_enIE844IE844 (Accessed: 21 May 2020b).

Google. (2020). ‘Symbol Od Pepsi - Google Search’. Available at:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Symbol+od+pepsi&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKE
wiSx4aT08TpAhXKRMAKHcqsDNYQ2-
cCegQIABAA&oq=Symbol+od+pepsi&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoECCMQJzoC
CAA6BAgAEAM6BQgAEIMBOgQIABBDOgQIABAeOgYIABAIEB46BggA
EAoQGFCj9QJYzqoDYKC0A2gAcAB4AIABWYgBzAiSAQIxNZgBAKABA
aoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1n&sclient=img&ei=xErGXpLVMcqJgQbK2bKwDQ&rl
z=1C1CHBD_enIE844IE844 (Accessed: 21 May 2020c).

Granello, D.H. (2001). ‘Promoting Cognitive Complexity in Graduate Written Work:
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy as a Pedagogical Tool to Improve Literature
Reviews’. Counselor Education & Supervision, 40(4), p. 292. DOI: 10.1002/j.1556-6978.2001.tb01261.x.

Gurzki, H., Schlatter, N. and Woisetschläger, D.M. (2019). ‘Crafting Extraordinary
Stories: Decoding Luxury Brand Communications’. Journal of Advertising, 48(4), pp. 401–414. DOI: 10.1080/00913367.2019.1641858.

Hambrick, D.C. and Fredrickson, J.W. (2001). ‘Are You Sure You Have a Strategy?’
Academy of Management Executive, 15(4), pp. 48–59. DOI: 10.5465/AME.2001.5897655.

Hussey, C. (2019). ‘Chapter 4 - Research Paradigm’ Available at:
https://moodle.griffith.ie/pluginfile.php/264636/mod_resource/content/0/Collis_
Hussey_-_Chapter_4_-_Research_Paradigm.PDF (Accessed: 7 December2019c).

Instagram. (2020). ‘ZARA Official (@Zara) Instagram Photos and Videos’. Available
at: https://www.instagram.com/zara/?hl=en (Accessed: 21 May 2020b).
Irvine, H. and Gaffikin, M. (2006). ‘METHODOLOGICAL INSIGHTS Getting in,
Getting on and Getting out: Reflections on a Qualitative Research Project’. 19(1). DOI: 10.1108/09513570610651920.

Kahneman, D. (2013) ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’. 1st Edition. New York: Farrar, Straus,
and Giroux. Kaltenbacher, M. (2007). ‘Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen. Reading Images: The
Grammar of Visual Design’. Information Design Journal (IDJ), 15(3), pp. 292– 297.

Kay, J. (1993). ‘The Structure of Strategy’. Business Strategy Review, 4(2), p. 17. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8616.1993.tb00049.x.

Kohrs, K. (2018). ‘Learning from Linguistics: Rethinking Multimodal Enquiry’.
International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 21(1), pp. 49–61. DOI: 10.1080/13645579.2017.1321259.

Lacity, M.C. and Janson, M.A. (1994). ‘Understanding Qualitative Data: A Framework
of Text Analysis Methods’. Journal of Management Information Systems, 11(2), pp. 137–155. DOI: 10.1080/07421222.1994.11518043.

Lawes, R. (2002). ‘Demystifying Semiotics: Some Key Questions Answered’.
International Journal of Market Research, 44(3), pp. 1–10. DOI: 10.1177/147078530204400302.

Lawes, R. (2018). ‘Science and Semiotics: What’s the Relationship?’ Available at:
https://journals-sagepubcom.ezproxy.gcd.ie:2443/doi/full/10.1177/1470785318787944 (Accessed: 13 October 2019e).

Lawes, R. (2019). ‘Big Semiotics: Beyond Signs and Symbols’. International Journal of
Market Research, 61(3), pp. 252–265. DOI: 10.1177/1470785318821853.

Mick, D.G. (1986). ‘Consumer Research and Semiotics: Exploring the Morphology of
Signs, Symbols, and Significance’. Journal of Consumer Research, 13(2), pp. 196–213. DOI: 10.1086/209060.

Patel, P. (2019). Zara Uncovered: Inside the Brand That Changed Fashion - BBC News.
Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49268965 (Accessed: 3 March 2020).

Pinterest. (2020). ‘Zara Man Fall Winter 2019.20 Photographed by Craig Mc Dean’
Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.ie/pin/589619776203023775/ (Accessed: 29 April 2020d).

Pinterest. (2020). ‘Zara’. Available at: https://www.pinterest.ie/ (Accessed: 21 May 2020a).

Richard, M.O. (2020). ‘Communication Theories Concepts, Models and
Processes.’ Available at: https://www.academia.edu/23872329/communication_theories_--
concepts_models_and_processes (Accessed: 15 May 2020).

Roll, M. (2019). ‘The Secret of Zara’s Success: A Culture of Customer Co-Creation’.
Available at: https://martinroll.com/resources/articles/strategy/the- secret-ofzaras-success-a-culture-of-customer-co-creation/ (Accessed: 3 March 2020).

Saunders, M.N.K., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2019). ‘Research Methods for Business
Students’. Pearson Education Available at: https://www-dawsoneracom.ezproxy.gcd.ie:2443/abstract/9781292208794 (Accessed: 8 December 2019).

Shank, G. (1998). ‘The Extraordinary Ordinary Powers of Abductive Reasoning’. Theory
& Psychology, 8(6), pp. 841–860. DOI: 10.1177/0959354398086007.

St. Pierre, E.A. and Jackson, A.Y. (2014). ‘Qualitative Data Analysis After Coding’.
Qualitative Inquiry, 20(6), pp. 715–719. DOI: 10.1177/1077800414532435.

Statista. (2018). ‘Instagram: Active Users 2018’ Statista. Available at:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/253577/number-of-monthly-activeinstagram-users/ (Accessed: 7 March 2020).

Steele, V. and Major, J.S. (2020). ‘Fashion Industry | Design, Fashion Shows, Marketing,
& Facts’. Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at:
https://www.britannica.com/art/fashion- industry (Accessed: 4 March 2020).
citation:   Gidisu, Collins  (2020) A Semiotic Content Analysis of Advertisement: Contribution Towards a Holistic Communication Approach to Global Consumers.  Masters thesis, Griffith College.   
document_url: http://go.griffith.ie/340/1/Collins%20Gidisu.pdf
document_url: http://go.griffith.ie/340/2/Collins%20Gidisu.txt