Contents
- What is semiotics?
- The role of semiotics in advertising
- Types of signs and their application in advertising
What is semiotics?
Semiotics is the study of signs and sign systems, making it extremely useful for marketers. It helps to select symbols so that the target audience correctly perceives the brand's messages. The founders of this science are considered to be philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce and linguist Ferdinand de Saussure. Within semiotics, a sign consists of three key elements:
- Signifier — the sign itself;
- Signified — what the creator of the sign intended to express;
- Interpretant — how the sign is understood by other people.
A sign can be any object or phenomenon: a word, image, sound, smell, movement, or trace. For example, the smell of fresh pastries signals the presence of something appetizing nearby, while murky water may raise concerns and be associated with health risks. The context in which a sign appears plays a critical role in its perception. The same word or symbol can evoke entirely different reactions depending on the situation.
The role of semiotics in advertising
In advertising, brands often use emotions and images to convey specific ideas and feelings they want to elicit from consumers. For example, choosing an iPhone is not just about acquiring a device but also involves a sense of status and modernity. To create the desired atmosphere, advertisers fill their commercials with signs. Smiles and laughter can symbolize joy, while an actor in worn-out clothing may indicate poverty.
Consider the example of a premium car advertisement: the ad may showcase perforated leather seats, wooden elements, and massage functions that emphasize the luxury and quality of the vehicle. In another Apple commercial, where a father is worried about his daughter driving for the first time, the symbols of anxiety and reassurance through expressions and music convey an important message to viewers: purchasing an iPhone can alleviate worries.
To select signs that will be most perceivable to the target audience, it is essential to conduct a thorough analysis of their needs. For example, in Moscow, there is a problem finding ripe and juicy vegetables. The brand Flamenco in its advertisement displays perfectly even tomatoes, symbolizing high quality and freshness of the products.
Types of signs and their application in advertising
Semiotics classifies signs into several categories based on what and how they denote. Some symbols describe an object, while others describe its attributes. For instance, an image of a rabbit directly denotes a rabbit, while a paw print in the snow indicates that a hare has been present. Let’s examine the main types of signs:
Natural signs
These are any phenomena that indicate the features of something else. For example, smoke can signal the presence of fire, while darkness indicates the onset of night. Such signs help demonstrate product properties, even if they cannot convey a smell, as an image of coffee may evoke memories of its aroma.
Functional signs
These signs indicate actions or roles of people. For instance, a police uniform signifies that the person is a police officer, while a raised baton signals that they are about to stop traffic. Functional signs help demonstrate that the advertised product is preferred by a certain audience, creating associations about status and lifestyle.
Conventional or arbitrary signs
These are artificial symbols that exist due to a common agreement on their meaning. For example, a red cross symbolizes medicine, while a circle with yellow and black segments indicates radiation. These signs are divided into signals and indexes. Signals serve as warnings (e.g., traffic lights), while indexes serve as compact representations of objects, such as company logos.
Iconic signs
These are signs created to visually represent the denoted object. The most obvious examples are photographs and realistic images. For instance, René Magritte's painting "The Treachery of Images" demonstrates that the image is not the object itself but merely a representation of it. In modern advertising, iconic signs are often used to attract attention, such as scented paper that introduces customers to perfumes and convinces them of the need to purchase.