The interplay of social semiotics in selected examples of experiential brand marketing
- Authors: Rennie, Tarryn
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Communication in marketing , Semiotics , Branding (Marketing) , Social marketing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3695 , vital:20454
- Description: As with the traditional form of print advertising, advertisements were, and still are designed in a particular way to attract the viewer’s attention and direct the attention towards a specific area within the framework of the advertisement. However, besides print advertising, today’s markets require further interaction with consumers and the public at large. This has given rise to the use of experiential brand marketing whereby consumers interact with the brand in out-of-context situations. The advancement of technology has enabled user experiences to go beyond the traditional forms of branding such as television, print, radio and even on-line advertising, websites and so forth and users are able to upload experiential brand experiences instantly on social networking sites. This, in turn, has indicated that marketers need to take full advantage of social networking, PR and audience interaction with brands. Theo Van Leeuwen & Gunther Kress (2005:7) investigated the context of ‘framing’ in visual communication where elements either have some kind of ‘connectedness’ or ‘disconnectedness’. This study focuses on the context of Van Leeuwen’s (2005:7) ‘framing’ of traditional print magazine designs to the environments or brandscapes in which experiential brand activations are taking place. According to Lenderman (2006:52), experiential marketing requires person-to-person networking with consumers who use sophisticated networking tools for respectful conversations between the consumer and the brand. Not only is this a cost effective solution to making a relatively unknown brand reach the masses, but it also allows an opportunity of immediate audience participation and instant recording of data that can spread across a global network. The theoretical base of social semiotics, underpinned by Van Leeuwen’s theory of ‘framing’, forms the theoretical basis of this study, with case studies of various experiential brand activations being analysed. An analysis of the environment in which the brand experience takes place, along with consumer reactions and their reactions to the overall brand experience in terms of experiential branding is studied. The aim of this research is to identify how the interplay of social semiotics could be used to interpret the current trend of user brand experiences in terms of experiential, interactive marketing.
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- Date Issued: 2016
The impact of social media marketing on purchase decisions in the tyre industry
- Authors: Ramsunder, Monica
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Social media -- Marketing , Social marketing , Consumer behavior -- South Africa , Consumers -- Research -- South Africa , Internet marketing -- South Africa , Social networks -- Computer network resources
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8601 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1637 , Social media -- Marketing , Social marketing , Consumer behavior -- South Africa , Consumers -- Research -- South Africa , Internet marketing -- South Africa , Social networks -- Computer network resources
- Description: Technology and the boom of the internet have encouraged people to connect with each other, share information and build relationships (Stelzner, 2009; 2010) and the social web has presented a new form of communication through social media which allow people to interact and converse with each other (Evans, 2010). This presents marketers with the opportunity to affect consumers purchase decisions through online marketing and social media. This social engagement by consumers has significant impact on marketing activities as marketers need to be aware of the factors affecting consumer’s purchase decision (Evans, 2010). Continental Tyre South Africa (CTSA), a local tyre manufacturer, is embarking on a social media marketing strategy. No other local tyre manufacturer has a presence on social media platforms. As a result CTSA would have first mover advantage. The main objective of the research that follows is to establish if South African tyre purchasers are supportive of social media as an online research tool to learn more about tyre brands. The significance of this research study is that marketing communications has taken on a different dimension with the growth of online market places and the natural step for CTSA is to engage in social media marketing. The literature review revealed that many modern consumers sought peer advice over social networks thus social media has promoted consumer-to-consumer communication and has made it possible for consumers and brands to interact with each other (Mangold and Faulds, 2009). It was concluded that whilst social media marketing presents marketers with a more cost effective form of marketing, further research regarding South African’s online purchasing activities would be required to assess if the time, money and resources required to manage social media marketing for CTSA would be beneficial to the organisation. As a result a qualitative empirical study was conducted by means of a questionnaire. The research elements were broken down into three segments; the internet and social media, consumer-brand engagement and online iv recommendations. The research revealed that social media marketing is an appropriate strategy for CTSA. The main findings further revealed that CTSA would need to engage in an aggressive traditional marketing campaign in order to drive consumers to engage in the social media campaigns. Strategies must include dedicated social media fan pages, online banners, and online advertisements. Based on the research analysis it is recommended that that most appropriate social media platforms for CTSA to launch social media marketing activities are Facebook and Twitter.
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- Date Issued: 2011