Brand, Identity and Reputation: Exploring, Creating New Realities ...

Keywords
Brands, marketing, meaning, semiotics, signs.
Semiotic Perspectives for Brand Management
Fernando Pinto Santos, ISCTE-IUL Lisbon University Institute, Portugal
Rui Vinhas da Silva, ISCTE-IUL Lisbon University Institute, Portugal
Introduction
The purpose of this research is to develop perspectives, using the resources of semiotics, about how consumers use the
stimuli from brands to engage with those brands. We consider that with a semiotic view one can envisage the brands‘
touch points as signs and obtain a holistic understanding of how consumers use those stimuli to construct their
engagement and responses towards brands.
Conceptualisation
Brands can be regarded as semiotic entities that have signic and perceptual dimensions. Perron (as cited in Beebe, 2004,
p. 626) defines semiotics as ‗a domain of investigation that explores the nature and function of signs as well as the
systems and processes underlying signification, expression, representation, and communication.‘. Within the broad
semiotic field we have opted to use the path developed by Peirce. According to Mick, Burroughs, Hetzel and Yoko
(2004) Peirce‘s semiotic abundant resources should be more used for the study of brands.
Beebe (2004) explains that Peirce‘s semiotic conception can be defined as a triple connection of sign, thing signified
and cognition produced in the mind. In a simple way this is how we can regard the semiotic elements sign, object and
interpretant that Peirce created. Signs represent in some way or capacity the object and create an interpretant that is the
effect the sign has on the mind of the receptor (Peirce, 1931-1958). The interpretant can be understood as the meaning
signs create about a given reality for which they stand for (Mick, 1986). All in all, the relationship between these
elements can be envisaged as the process of representation of reality. Peirce defended the idea that human beings have
no direct experience, but merely an indirect knowledge of reality that is accomplished through signs (Silverman, 1983).
Zaltman (2003, 65) considers that ‗Our senses, acting on environmental cues, help us create our understanding of the
world around us‘. We think that this view can be framed within the conception presented and that these ‗cues‘ can be
envisaged as similar to semiotic signs.
Danesi (2006) states that brands can be regarded as mental constructions that evoke a wide array of meanings. Hence,
considering the meaning consumers ascribe to brands as central to a possible research path, developing a semiotic
approach seems relevant (Mick et al., 2004) since that this science studies how meanings are created and transmitted
(Eco, 1979). Lencastre and Côrte-Real (2010) argue that the name of the brand is, first of all, a sign, as are signs its logo
or slogan. Being semiotics the doctrine of signs (Mick, 1986) this is also another argument for its use. In Peirce‘s (1931-
1958) definition a sign represents something and has the capacity to create an effect in the mind of those with whom it
contacts. Hence, meaning is not contained within the sign, arising only in its interpretation (Chandler, 2007).
Lencastre and Côrte-Real (2010) define the brand‘s signic dimension as identity-mix and focus the concept on the set of
distinctive signs of the brand. Regarding the semiotic object Perez (2004) considers that the brand object element takes
into account all the complexity of the organisation, its mission, vision and relations with society and on their turn
Lencastre and Côrte-Real (2010) precise the product, organisation, its mission and its marketing-mix as this second
dimension of brand. Regarding the third one that refers to the semiotic element interpretant Lencastre and Côrte-Real
(2010) use the term response (of the stakeholders) as the way to name it.
Method
We consider this article as a first theoretical step upon which we intend to develop empirical research in the future. The
integration of semiotics in the brand management field allows the drawing of theoretically supported perspectives that
can advance the brand management theory and practice.
Major findings
The brand‘s touch points are semiotic signs
We believe that any touch point between a brand and its stakeholders can be regarded as a semiotic sign, as long as it
represents the brand and is able to be somehow used to construct a meaning about it. Eco (1979) explains that
something is a sign because it is interpreted as a sign by a possible interpreter and states that the definition of sign does
not imply the quality of being intentionally emitted and artificially produced. This leads us to a broad definition of sign
and we consider that there is an emission of signs of brands originated not only in the organisation and its direct actions,
but also in all the situations that can be used by stakeholders to construct meanings. Being exposed to other people
consuming or exhibiting the most different brands can be used by anyone to form their perceptions about those brands
(Berthon, Pitt and Campbell, 2009). In the same way, reading a comment on a web site or talking to friends about a
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