In nine pages this paper discusses semiotics 'decoder' usage of Guinness and Wal Mart's 'down home' approach to marketing in this semiotic consideration of symbols and signs. Ten sources are cited in the bibliography.
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to expand into Africa, it retained its traditional label complete with a happy, smiling baby. Gerbers early results were disappointing at best, for tradition - and allowance for high
illiteracy rates - dictated that pictures on labels depict only whats inside the container (Jermudd, 2002). People were horrified to see that smiling baby on the label.
Mere cat food would seem to be a "safe" product not affected by cultural differences, but Heinz-commissioned market research proved that not to be the
case (Kathman, 1998). The company employed a Russian agency to conduct market research. The agency found that Heinz Morris the Cat logo appeared to Muscovites not to be
very well fed and therefore not as healthy as he could be. Semiotics is the study of the meanings associated with signs and
symbols, and as such can inform marketing messages and communications. Not only can it affect marketing success, it often does so without respect to anyones intentions. Semiotics
Lawes (2002) reports that semiotics: ...has been around for a long time, it gets at least a cursory mention in the standard textbooks on researching
consumer behaviour and there probably isnt a single market research supplier or client who doesnt know of its existence. On the other hand, in practice, semiotics is hardly used (p.
251). Few agencies make direct use of it, and few clients request it, though Lawes (2002) reports that interest in semiotics in marketing
is growing. As a qualitative research method and technique for improving marketing communication, Lawes (2002) writes that there are three primary questions that the unfamiliar ask: * What is