Proceedings of Annual Spain Business Research Conference
14 - 15 September 2015, Novotel Barcelona City Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
ISBN: 978-1-922069-84-9
A brand is a system of signs and symbols that engages the consumer in an imaginary/symbolic process that contributes tangible value to a product offering.
Brands can create franchises of loyal consumers only when they are seen to be different in some way which is persuasive for target segment.
Prof Levit in an article “Marketing success through Differentiation – of Anything” argues that all goods and services are differentiable.
The paper is an attempt to understand how semiotics analysis helps in understanding meanings and structure of a brand as seen by targets in a brand communication, further is to be viewed differently for services brand vis as vis a product brand.
Semiotics embraces a broad range of social science disciplines, theoretical constructs, methods, and has broad applications to the fields of advertising, brand management, and consumer research.
An Omani Bank has been taken up for strategic brand analysis and to review the role of semiotics in Brand building of that Bank Brand.
This paper examines that brand equity management is entirely semiotic. This process may include a vicarious experience, a relationship, or need fulfillment and may operate at the levels of product, price, promotion, or placement.
Semiotics analysis can be central in brand equity management, since symbolic communication ties consumption to the form of brand communication in advertising, packaging, and brand logo.
Article type and Track: Research paper in the area of Marketing to be presented at
Annual Spain Conference, Barcelona, Spain
Semiotics is a social science discipline devoted to the study of sign systems in cultural perspective. The words “semiotics” also refers generally to the sign system itself, as in “brand semiotics”, or “the semiotics of a retail setting.” the word semiotics refers to the visual or verbal cues structuring a text or environment that communicate something to consumers.
“A semiotic „reading‟ acts as an interpretive example of what the typical member of the target audience is likely to derive from an ad, given its signs and her or his sociocultural background.” (Domzal and Kernan, 1993)
“All successful marketing works because it hits the right cultural button, creatively harnessing the power of culture - the greatest influence in all our lives and purchase decisions.” (Semiotic Solutions Website, 2000)
The brand has meanings and perceptions that relates to profitability.
Over the years or so, brand strategy researchers have come to understand the importance of brand communication in building and sustaining brand equity, the value attached to a brand name or logo that supersedes product attributes and differentiates brands in the competitive arena (Sherry 1987, Umiker-Sebeok 1987,
_____________________________________________________________
Department of Professional studies, College of Banking And Financial Studies, Muscat, Oman.
Tel :( +968) 24505796, 24502288 -Ext: 223, Email: swaroop@cbfs.edu.om , GSM: 00968 99542194

Proceedings of Annual Spain Business Research Conference
14 - 15 September 2015, Novotel Barcelona City Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
ISBN: 978-1-922069-84-9
Aaker 1991, 1995; Schmidt 1995, Floch 2005, Holt 2004, Mick & Oswald 2007, Ries
& Trout 2000).
Semiotics is not just concerned with the structure of meaning with a structural analysis, it identifies ways brand meanings are embedded in the broad cultural myths social organizations and beliefs of the target markets.
As an example, let us suppose Volkswagen realized that the “cute car” is no longer as relevant as “the green car” in the current environmentally conscious culture, but did not want to lose equity they have in Beetle. What the management could do is to discover mutually compatible codes structuring both the meaning of „cute car‟ and
„green‟ in the automotive category, they could incorporate green meaning into the current brand positioning without sacrificing the core brand message and equity of the Beetle. (Oswald, 2012)
Brands are multi-dimensional sign systems that can be analyzed in terms of their material, conventional, contextual, and performative structures. In order to be owned, perceived, or available for analysis at all, sign systems must be available to the senses and so have a material dimension. Next in order to be understood, sign systems must be codified by conventions that all the members of a group share.
Next sign systems form social discourses whose meaning is modified by the communication context. And finally, sign systems are performative in as much as they engage two or more interlocutors (the speaker and receivers; the marketer and consumer) in a communication event. All these dimensions are at play in brand discourse, where they contribute to brand recognition emotional association‟s cultural relevance and the relationship to consumers. (Oswald, 2012, Marketing semiotics
–signs, strategies, and Brand Value)
Table (1.1) the Semiotic Dimensions of the Brands (Oswald, 2012)
Material Conventional Contextual
Performative
Words, images, Codified by tradition Cultural nuances
Intersubjectivity spaces, forms, or rules. reference
Logos, packages,
Ads, etc.
The semiotic dimension of brands is therefore instrumental for building awareness, positive associations, and long-term customer loyalty, and contributes to trademark ownership and operational advantages such as channel and media clout.
Consequently, managing brand equity means managing brand semiotics.
Thus rather than define brand semiotics as a supplement to the traditional marketing tool box of product, price, promotion and placement, I endorse Laura Oswald‟s view that brand equity management is entirely semiotic, and that a brand can be defined as a system of signs and symbols that engages the consumer in an imaginary/symbolic process that contributes tangible value to a product offering.

Proceedings of Annual Spain Business Research Conference
14 - 15 September 2015, Novotel Barcelona City Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
ISBN: 978-1-922069-84-9
:
Semiotic analysis aligns brand meanings and positioning with consumers „personal, social, and cultural needs and expectations .
Semiotic analysis begins with a data set, such as a group of ads for the brand and competitive set, or a set of consumer interviews and observations, and identifies the underlying system of codes that structure meaning for the brand, the category, and target market. This system of codes acts like a kind of dictionary that marketers can use to manage brand extensions or reposition the current brand. In this manner, structural semiotics organizes the world of noise and chaos into systems of relationships characterized by distinction and difference.
This approach has important implications for brand strategy research because the distinction and difference of brands within competitive arena stand at the foundation of strategic brand management. Brands have value for consumers to exact degree that they communicate a clear, distinctive and relevant system of core brand meanings and relationships that can be repeated, extended, and communicated consistently over time, across a range of discourses from advertising to the corporate annual report.
Marketing Organizations spend huge dollar money to design marketing communication and hope to develop a memorable brand. A tick is identified Nike with eyes closed today. A major goal of an advertising campaign is to increase, in the consumers‟ minds, the value of the product for sale. Since advertising campaigns have no influence on the real values of the products which they present, their strategies of increasing the values to the product are semiotic ones
Marketing seeks to ‘link’ products /services with particular meanings
“The task of the advertiser is to favorably dispose viewers to his (or her) product, his means, by and large, to show a sparkling version of that product in the context of glamorous events.” (Goffman, 1979)
– the Coca Cola brand is valued at over $70 billion - and this testifies to the power of symbolic representation to capture the hearts and minds of consumers by means of visual, audio, and verbal signs.
Laura Oswald illustrates this reference to the logo for the McDonald‟s.

Proceedings of Annual Spain Business Research Conference
14 - 15 September 2015, Novotel Barcelona City Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
ISBN: 978-1-922069-84-9
Material – a visual icon.
Structural – golden arches, red background, brand name superimposed on the arches in white, squared font. The arches located to the left of the square so the logo moves off to the right, suggesting movement.
Conventional or Codified – the golden arches, the color scheme, and the brand name consistently signify the company and brand offerings for the McDonald‟s company. Anywhere in the world, in various languages, this logo tells the consumer that a burger and fries are not far away. (French McDonald‟s, on the right)
Contextual
– The time and place in which the logo is situated contributes to the subjective connotations of this sign system. For example, while some consumers in the U.S. market may associate McDonald‟s with cheap, unhealthy fast food, in many markets in the world, such as China, McDonald‟s represents a special treat. The contextual environment may also embed brand communication in cultural archetypes and myth, creating either positive or negative associations derived from local interpretations of the message.
Performative
– Marketing sign systems engage consumer/spectators in a communication event by means of codes inscribing subject positions for I and you in representation. This dimension is crucial for building brand relationship and for calling the consumer to action, i.e. making a brand choice. – (Oswald(2007)
Marketing Semiotics)
„ bank muscat
‟
is the leading financial services provider in Oman with a strong presence in Retail Banking, Corporate Banking, Investment Banking, Islamic
Banking, Treasury, Private Banking and Asset Management. The bank has a largest network of branches, ATMs & CDMs and more than 11,300 Point of Sale terminals in the Sultanate.
With competition becoming intense in the sultanate. It was interesting to know if this
Omani Bank and its strategic brand management has been instrumental for sustaining the number one position in Oman. And understand how the Brand communication played a significant role in building the brand.
Research question
Has semiotics played an important role in creating the „Consumer Brands scape‟?
Laura R. Oswald uses the Consumer Brandscape to define symbolic system that integrates the social, cultural and semiotic dimensions of brands in a coherent yet flexible whole.
A simplistic view of a brand may be, as a product, a logo, or even a jingle, the brand actually forms a complex ecosystem of commercial, cultural, and social forces.
The Consumer Brandscape, is constructed by means of an ongoing give and take between the brand, the consumer and the cultural environment .
(Laura R. Oswald 2012, pg 71, marketing semiotics, oxford publishers).

Proceedings of Annual Spain Business Research Conference
14 - 15 September 2015, Novotel Barcelona City Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
ISBN: 978-1-922069-84-9
Fig (1.2) the semiotic dimension :
6.1 Objective
The paper is an attempt understand and to articulate a research Methodology at decoding the application of brand communication semiotics to consumer perceptions which contributed to „bank muscat‟ brand value.
6.2 Research Design - Qualitative Study
The study of Semiotic analysis was conducted using qualitative analysis.
An exploratory study involving focus group and followed by in depth interview were used for identifying the underlying system of codes that structure of meaning for the brand, the category, and target market was undertaken.
6.3 Composition of Participants
Focus group consisted of 9 participants, men and women, with in age groups ranging from 20 yrs. to 60 yrs., local Omanis and foreign nationals from different countries who had been working and having Bank accounts in Oman for many years, were chosen for recording their views and perceptions about the, brand awareness brand meaning and brand associations.
6.4 Semiotic Ana lysis for “bank muscat”
The study explored the respondent‟s views and perceptions regarding consumer choice and affiliation to a bank brand in this instance „bank muscat‟, based on
1. Bank communication (shown below) covering its signs, logos, text, and meanings.
2. Cultural environment surrounding the communication and its analysis,
3. Codes identified for future development of the brand and its strategic management in terms extension or positioning
4. Does the Semiotic analysis yield different perceptions with regards to services brand in this case an Omani Bank?
6.5 Focus Group Process :
The Group were first shown cluster of print advertisements together and were asked to identify the brands they were aware of. Next, they were asked to look closely at brands they missed and recalled again after closer look. They were then asked to sort out product brands and services brands from the cluster and after this were asked to pick the best ad out of the cluster and explain why they felt so.

Proceedings of Annual Spain Business Research Conference
14 - 15 September 2015, Novotel Barcelona City Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
ISBN: 978-1-922069-84-9
The next set of advertisements shown were Bank print advertisements of different banks of the world. The participants were asked to identify brands they were aware of and pick out the best advertisement of the lot and describe the reason for choosing it.
The participants were then shown Local Bank (Omani) advertisements and were asked to identify the brands they were aware of from the ads and observe them closely to pick the advertisement they felt was the best amongst them. They were asked to identify the elements in the advertisement that appealed to them and those that were not appealing and those that was acceptable and those that were totally unacceptable. They were asked to discuss the banks ads which were competing with each other. Describing what they saw in the ads and how they felt about the words the colors pictures logos contents.
The next se ction probed was related to „bank muscat‟ ads and how they fared with respect to one other competing Bank.
This was followed by an in depth discussion of the role of logos of the Omani banks and how they were significant part of the ad.
The last section discussed the meaning and importance of Banks to the participants and also made them to think what they would like to see an Bank Ad that would make it memorable, also to express their views on whether service ads have to be different from product related ads such that they can connect and be associated with the Brand.
The focus groups were followed up with One on one interviews, this was done to validate the findings of the focus group study.
6.6 The Analysis and Findings:
The focus group yielded some very interesting and insightful findings with reference to the marketing communications shown to them.
Findings of the first section yielded the following : From the cluster of Brands shown, most recognized brands were Volkswagen, Nivea, Coca cola, and Bank Muscat, and
Mac Donald‟s and Emirates.
The other brands were not recalled even after assistance. However e.Oman was recalled by an Omani participants. The reason for higher brand awareness and recall has been attributed mainly for the strong visuals in the ad, especially how the logo has played a significant role.
Bank Muscat brand had highest recall and awareness and liking for the ad from this communication cluster. So also Volkswagen, Nivea and Coca cola brands rated highest in terms of awareness and recall followed by appreciation of ads.
The other ads like 1 st
security bank, Sadia chicken, Ultra speed, and a detergent brand were not recognized besides they were classed as nondescript ads not worthy of attention, too verbose and boring and had never seen it.

Proceedings of Annual Spain Business Research Conference
14 - 15 September 2015, Novotel Barcelona City Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
ISBN: 978-1-922069-84-9
Mac Donald‟s and Emirates was recalled by few, but everyone agreed the ads weren‟t much to talk about.
The participants classified that there were 7 product ads and 4 service ads. Nivea and Coca-Cola and Volkswagen ads got highest appreciation in product category and Bank Muscat highest in services category.
Nivea ad for the golden color background connotin g “classy” feel to it. Volkswagen for the silver and blue background and striking logo. An aspirational car for one of the participant who wanted to possess this car brand.
In the next section the participants were exposed to several international bank brands ads and were asked to choose their best favorite ads.
In this motely cluster of international bank brands probed, „bank muscat‟ had the highest recognition, Union Bank of India, ICICI, Standard Chartered were recognized. But the most appealing ad was the Bank Muscat ad, as it was found to be most comprehensive advertisement with only a “few words” in it. There were participants who also liked Standard Chartered for the “color green” used. The second standard chartered advertisement was rejected totally for the following reasons. ICICI bank ad was recognized but was not appreciated for neither the creative nor the copy. And Ally bank ad had no recognition.
Participant‟s verbatim responses are presented below with reference ads presented above.
“Black and white are boring , looks more like a travel ad, too much written matter, too fine print, not visible”.
The Union bank ad was appreciated for the following reasons: “I like the face of the smiling women”
“I like this bank brand because of emotional and personal connect. The bank helped me when I was in need, I always feel very close to this bank where ever I see the name”
I too liked this (Union Bank) ad because it shows a positive change and a happy smile ”
The next section was a set print ads of Omani banks for observation and comparison,

Proceedings of Annual Spain Business Research Conference
14 - 15 September 2015, Novotel Barcelona City Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
ISBN: 978-1-922069-84-9
In this section Bank Dofar was picked as the best advertisement. As it had the Best look and feel, and was perceived as “correct creative” to meet the ad objective. Color green was very pleasing to the eye. Further, the Girl Student with books in hand looking for education loan. And the headlines which said “Invest in your Future” clearly found approval in the eyes of all the participants.
B ank Sohar advertisement was termed “unrealistic” (Girl touching light didn‟t make sense) further there was too much of written material. Participant lost out on the promotional objective of this Omani bank. Oman Arab bank too lost out on this account and found it too much written in the advertisement.
The „bank muscat‟ advertisement in this slide was a totally ignored and not liked as it was termed as unimpressive.
The one ad next to „bank muscat‟ could not be recognized.
The next section was to show participants ads with similar objective and promotional activity. This slide contained 3 print ads and were asked to discuss which was the best and why.
The Mandoos advertisement was actually a promotional loyalty program ad from
HSBC Oman Bank and this failed badly. As the participants could not identify without the name and logo. Even though the sub brand emphasis “Mandoos” was not picked up. The creative in the ad did nothing to the participants. And found the whole ad
“Silly”
Bank Muscat ad ranked highest in terms of creative, copy and design. The ad was highly visible because of the logo and its familiarity.
The words
“save more, dream big” cut through the entire group. The bank ad invoked positive feelings with these words. Number 9 in the ad had special cultural meanings.
The „bank muscat‟ advertisement evoked very “pleasant feelings “, All the participants were in consensus with regards to this.
Color scheme used in this advertisement has a dreamy quality because of the following elements in the ad, sky blue, white clouds and red logo and faces representing different people from all walks of life found in Number 9 makes it absolutely acceptable.
The objective of the advertisement was to increase the savings by offering an incentive and reward in the form of an loyalty program promotion called the “Al
Mazy ona” ( see sub brand left hand corner top)account. Which was a draw based promotional activity. Hence the No “9” Million Riyals that could be won for opening and saving money with „bank muscat‟. –The participants were very clear about the ad objective.
Reference to a „patriotic feeling‟ was recognized with respect to 45 th
National day emblem seen at the right hand corner top, was mentioned and picked up.
Bank Muscat was perceived as the Bank for all. It was biggest oldest bank.
Extremely familiar because of the logo. Which was discussed in detail in the next section.

Proceedings of Annual Spain Business Research Conference
14 - 15 September 2015, Novotel Barcelona City Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
ISBN: 978-1-922069-84-9
6.6 a. Logos and Their Meanings:
The „ bank muscat
‟
logo was easily recognizable because of color red . Located in the very same place in all ads. (Right hand bottom come)r.
:
Only Bank Dhofar meant something to the participants, it was perceived meaningful because of perfect Arabian calligraphy (Bha and Dha) and it was all in pleasing color green.
Only one participant liked National bank of Oman logo as it had Oman colors and it reminded her of wings, and this she liked as she was a student of hospitality and reminded her of flight and flying.
With reference to „ bank muscat ‟ Logo, the participants had clearly noticed the changes it had undergone. The participants felt this made the bank more approachable and extended to all kinds and levels of people (from capital alphabets to small alphabets). “This makes „bank muscat‟ appear more humble”.
As for the meaning in this logo. - The participants noticed and stated the following statements.
“Do not have any meaning”, “Color red to say dynamic” “Arrows always connected and in sync with masses” “Rolling forward” “Omani symbol maybe – horns and
Khanjhar” “Really doesn‟t mean anything Omani, just something to make us remember and recognize
”, “We recognize it anywhere, been there for years, has become the most favorable brand sign” “ a very simple sign”
6.6 b. Final section was with reference to Services vs Product brand :
To the questions -What did the word “ banking services ” mean to them and whether they feel bank ads are different in composition to that of product brands, and in their words what is needed to make a bank brand ad memorable? The responses were as follows.
The meaning of bank according to participants can be classed as follows
Security, saving, Helping (lending when you need most), Trust and security, It‟s my cupboard, (Emotional connect), safe, my back up plan, organizes life
According to the participants, Bank ads can be different when compared to product ads, at the same time they need not be also, ultimately the ads are meant for communicating and creating awareness for the customers.
To make a memorable ad, the participants united felt, an audio visual ad with nice catchy jingles and right message would make it become more memorable. The likelihood of a print ad becoming memorable were fewer in chance, was what they believed.

Proceedings of Annual Spain Business Research Conference
14 - 15 September 2015, Novotel Barcelona City Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
ISBN: 978-1-922069-84-9
6.7 Summary of Findings for „bank muscat‟ brand from the focus group analysis:
The study focused on gathering views based on signs, brand recognition, emotional associations, cultural relevance and the brands relationship to consumers.
This addresses The semiotic dimension of brands which is instrumental for building
„bank muscat‟s‟ brand awareness, positive associations, and long-term customer loyalty, and contributing to trademark ownership and operational advantages for the bank. The study was meant to read consumer environments as texts that reflect needs and wants of consumers.
The semiotic analysis for ‘bank muscat’ was conducted to help in identifying the visual triggers that prompted consumers to react in specific ways to their environments .
This can be explained, keeping in mind
Keller‟s Frame work which has three main elements namely, Differential effect of, Brand knowledge and customer response.
Fig1.2 Differential effect of Brand Knowledge:
Brand name
Brand value
Service Product Marketing effect Product value
Brand equity is seen from the perspective of the customer. The brand knowledge is important to understand what kind of structure is present in the customers mind.
That is when a customer is confronted with a brand name, what kind of associations spring up. Whatever is connected with the brand name is crucial determinant of consumer behavior. It is what resides in the consumer‟s mind in the form of knowledge structure that determines brand equity. The knowledge structure is the source of brand enquiry.
The focus group took the participants through three phases covering the Differential effect of Brand knowledge leading to the role of brand awareness and brand imagery aspects. This lead to the section on brand associations based on attribute, benefits and attitude, within social cultural and emotional constructs of their memory.
6.8 Implications for Bank Muscat in understanding the consumers responses and designing effective Marketing Communication
In the case of „bank muscat‟, the symbolic appeal, which can be termed as „brand semiotcs‟, transcends product benefits per se and creates value by satisfying the emotional needs of consumers.
The study demonstrated the use of semiotics and how it can be extended to brand management even for multicultural contexts, where consumers may speak a common language, but view the world through unique social and cultural lenses associated with their ethnic subculture.

Proceedings of Annual Spain Business Research Conference
14 - 15 September 2015, Novotel Barcelona City Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
ISBN: 978-1-922069-84-9
In the dual process of projecting meanings into services products, and translating mass consumer culture into local rituals and meanings has important implications for brand strategy as well. In order to target ethnic consumers, brand communication must translate the primary positioning into signs and symbols of ethnic sub cultures while retaining the essence of brand message.
The following table shows how ads can be analyzed for semiotics using Frith‟s analysis.
Table 1.2 How to read ads?
Frith's Description of the Ad Level
Level
Analysis of
The Surface
Meaning
" consists of the overall impression that a reader might get from quickly studying the advertisement...you can describe this surface level of meaning by simply listing all the objects and people in the ad" (1998:5).
The
Advertiser's
Intended
Meaning
" is the sales message that the advertiser is trying to get across.
Some marketers refer to this as the strategy behind the ad.
It is the 'preferred' or expected meaning that a reader might get from the ad; the meaning that the advertiser intends for the reader to take with them"
(ibid.)
"...relies on the cultural knowledge and background of the reader. The
Cultural or
Ideological
Meaning
We all 'make sense' of ads by relating them to our culture and to the shared belief systems held in common by most people" (ibid.).
Brand meanings for
„bank muscat‟ has been derived from a dialectical exchange between the dual sign systems of advertising discourse and consumer‟s own personal experiences, recorded as memories in the brain. The dialectical association of externally and internally derived meanings underlies the symbolic function of goods as extensions of the emotional needs of consumers.
The fig given below illustrates clearly the dynamic intersection of semiotics, cognitive processing and brand strategy in the symbolic construction of brands.( Oswald.2012)
Fig 1.3 the dialectic of brand meaning.

Proceedings of Annual Spain Business Research Conference
14 - 15 September 2015, Novotel Barcelona City Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
ISBN: 978-1-922069-84-9
F rom the study it appears „bank muscat‟ has more or less control over the material, structural and conventional elements of brand communication, but risk miscommunication and ambivalence at the levels of the contextual and performative elements.
Semiotics has important applications to strategic brand management by helping researchers clarify brand identity, personality, and associations the brand communicates in relation to its history and in relation to the current competitive environment. By locating the meaning of logo, and advertising messages in the broader system of the brand positioning discourse, semiotic analysis enables marketers to tie brand communication to marketing strategy and brand legacy, and remain relevant in a changing cultural environment.
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