Defining the brand identity of Benetton:Semiotic analysis of company advertisements - Essay Example

? Defining the brand identity of Benetton: Semiotic analysis of company advertisements BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL INFO HERE HERE Semiotic analysis of Benetton advertisements Introduction Benetton is recognised as a shock marketer, utilising racism-inspired advertisements as a means to promote its corporate values and also establish its market position as a colour-intensive fashionista. Benetton operates in a highly competitive fashion marketplace, therefore creative advertisements are provided by the firm in order to differentiate itself significantly from other fashion retailers. Benetton has selected to build its brand identity utilising an integrated marketing strategy, a tiered marketing structure consisting of multiple stages of identity formation, in order to gain consumer acceptance domestically and internationally. This essay discusses the advertising intentions of Benetton in creating its unique market position identity and also conducts a semiotic analysis of three Benetton advertisements (Appendix B) to illustrate the connotative and denotative meanings as it relates to signs and the signified. Benetton brand identity Unlike other fashion retailers that utilise differentiation strategies as it relates to product, quality or pricing, Benetton has selected to undertake advocacy advertising to build identity with international consumers. This form of advertising is where the company presents its unique values and beliefs as it relates to a particular social issue (Keegan and Green, 2009). Benetton recognised that the vastness of fashion retail competition limited its ability to provide differentiation from competitors since the majority of rivals produced similar garments and fashion accessories. In order to successfully sell its fashion products to a mass market of consumers, the business required a unique positioning strategy as part of its brand development. Brand positioning is related to how customers will perceive distinctness of one business over competing brands, a cognitive-targeting strategy for how a brand will occupy focus in the consumers’ minds (Combe and Crowther, 2001). Benetton is governed by leadership that maintains strong historical ties and current values related to racism and improving equality among all of humankind. The company therefore decided it would be the most viable solution for building a solid brand identity that was recognised and would gain loyalty by promoting these corporate values in all product advertisements. A tiered structure consisted of first omitting the product from advertisement, instead focusing on social advocacy issues. Once the business was assured that they had established a unique market position, the Benetton Group began to include product in advertisement to illustrate its devotion to colour as it pertains to the tangible fashion merchandise. The company utilised an advertisement that depicted the family of the future (Appendix B), illustrating an inter-racial couple and their Asian child. The goal of this advertisement was to express Benetton’s beliefs in the sanctity of equality by utilising imagery that would peak the curiosity and imagination of more progressive and liberal consumer target groups. These images that depict ethnic differences “become crass caricatures which advocate harmony through which Benetton produces images of racial and cultural purity” (Seppanen, 2000: 88). The company’s ideology is that racism and progressive lifestyles related to ethnicity are common, universal values, thus the ideology of global unity is a method to unite domestic and international customers under the United Colours of Benetton concept (Ise, 1998). Benetton believes that racism and ethnic social complacency are world-wide concerns, a type of “horrendous reality” (Ganesan, 2002: 55) that has some form of meaning to all varieties of consumer groups. Benetton removes images of racism from their most familiar contexts and then establishes them again in new, creative contexts in order to ensure they are given attention and be noticed by differing consumer markets (Ganesan). Brand identity was then established through the advertising’s shock value and also provided the opportunity for Benetton to create a streamlined advertising campaign that was homogenized and able to be utilised domestically and internationally without changing the theme associated with social equality. Essentially, Benetton established brand identity quickly by symbolizing that cultural and ethnic unity could occur under the flag of Benetton’s own logo (Benetton, 2009). When a fashion product is used in similar ways across the world, the same advertising strategies can be utilised throughout all the brand’s target countries (Ahmed, 2000). When motivations are largely the same in all target consumer groups, a singular concept that has social or cultural significance to all international markets it provides buyer motivation (Ahmed). Benetton realises that “advertising both reflects and constructs social meanings and engages the consuming and spectating subject in a circuit of desire, linking code, capital and culture in post-modernity” (Oswald, 2010: 111). The company, on the back of this understanding, then produces imagery that will inspire mass market consumers utilising a strategy that is significantly differentiated from competition as a means to inspire purchase motivation and brand recognition. Benetton also utilises conceptual knowledge stemming from human psychology regarding taboo, or using the Freudian methodology, caters to the id in personality. This is the personality structure that is largely primitive, instinctive and operates according to the pleasure principle (Weiten and Lloyd, 2005). Benetton creates advertising that appeals to consumers’ subliminal wants for viewing socially unmentionable imagery, such as sexual fantasy that is often obscured from social discussion due to norms on issues of cultural taboo (Sengupta, 2011). According to Evans, Jamal and Foxall (2009), the most powerful of psychogenic drives are those that stem from the social and cultural environments. Concepts associated with racism and human equality are taboo in many countries around the world, thus Benetton is able to use its advertising imagery to create brand identity whilst appealing to the darker and prohibited desires that exist in the human consciousness. Even though the imagery will hold different meaning for diverse consumers, based on their value and socio-cultural systems, Benetton gets noticed and recognised for its ability to spark imagination and even pleasure. How Benetton differs from its competition is in how the branding strategy maintains uniqueness from other fashion retailers that rely on advertising as a means to position their competitive differences. Fashion media is often used to “describe a spectrum of identity through the constant repetition and variation of images on particular themes” (Rhodes and Zuoloago, 2003: 1). This is the importance of branding and marketing communications, as Benetton has identified its own core values and utilises imagery that expresses the fundamental problems with ethnic stereotyping and continues to reinforce these connotative messages using common and obvious signs and symbols in its marketing. The goal of fashion marketers, especially Benetton, is to establish a sense of affiliation between target consumers and the fashion brand. In psychology, under fundamental models of motivation, there are inherent needs shared by consumers of all varieties that must be fulfilled in order for them to achieve healthy adult adjustment. Affiliation is one such value, dealing with acceptance and belonging from the social environment. Once affiliation has been established in a person’s lifestyle or environment, it breeds feelings of self-confidence, self-esteem and prestige. According to Gambrel and Cianci (2003), all individuals in society need to gain the perception that they have a positive effect on their environment as part of inherent psychological needs fulfilment. Benetton uses its racially-charged advertising to first build a sense of belonging with the brand, as a provider of social unity that invites consumers to accept and adopt these same values. In turn, Benetton is establishing the self-esteem and perception of control in target consumer groups to make them loyal to the brand. Fundamentally, Benetton is appealing to the most basic and universal values associated with motivation in order to gain brand trust and long-term allegiance to this fashion brand. By using racism or stereotyping as a platform for the integrated marketing communications, it constantly expresses this belonging need and invites consumers to take action to become interactive in reducing human inequality wherever it resides. By later introducing the product into the marketing communications, loyalty is pre-established and customers can focus on the colour schemes of the merchandise to understand the principles of differentiation from competition. This is the importance in branding and marketing communications, to ensure that consumers find association with the fashion brand, a form of membership, which establishes an interpersonal relationship based on lifestyle or broad social values. Because the fashion industry is prone to constantly changing apparel trends, Benetton required a unique positioning effort that would remain consistent over time whilst fashion itself changes regularly and is therefore unpredictable due to the consumer propensity to adopt new style trends regularly. According to Banister and Hogg (2004), self-esteem is critical as a motivational driver for the acceptance of certain symbolic goods, such as fashion. Benetton therefore utilises positive symbolic meaning to enhance consumer self-esteem, thus allowing them to conceptualize a tighter and more meaningful relationship with a very socially responsible organisation. Semiotic analysis of Benetton ads Benetton has many signs and signifiers in its advertising campaign, providing both connotative and denotative meaning to international consumers. In advertising, a sign is defined as imagery that refers to something other than what is being presented (Cobbold, 2007). “Signs are manifested in physical forms such as words or images. In themselves, they have no meaning, they merely adopt meaning through usage” (Cobbold, 2007: 151). Signs serve as a symbol to substitute something that might not necessarily be presented in the advertisement, a system that provides the capability of interpretation by the receiving audience (Ranjan, 2010). In the first advertisement depicting the progressive modern, inter-racial family, two signs include the use of the baby and the blanket. To a Western consumer, the baby could represent peace, family or togetherness. In other societies, such as Asian collectivist countries, the baby could represent wealth or even traditionalism. Signs, by themselves, are largely arbitrary: it is the individual interpretation that transforms signs to the signified based on the connotative meaning it instils in the receiver’s consciousness. In this advertisement, Benetton is attempting to signify unity, using the blanket sign as a means to create meaning for the consumer. The blanket envelops the inter-racial couple, providing connotative interpretation of protection, peace, or even tranquillity as it is associated with family values. The literal meaning in this advertisement, the denotative meaning, is expressed with common-sense, a broad interpretation that the baby represents a family structure and the blanket for warmth and protection. Connotatively, however, this particular advertisement can create many inter-changeable associations depending on what type of consumer, from different international cultures, views this ad. The baby, who is clearly Asian, may represent feelings of cultural heritage for the Asian consumer or even spark outrage in some consumer groups. This advertisement illustrating the inter-racial family sends many denotative messages, however it is through the process of cultural interpretation that the ad has connotative meaning. Taflinger (1996, p.2) identifies “you cannot argue away emotions because they do not respond to logic”. All of the signs in this advertisement become signified based on how the imagery is interpreted by various consumer audiences; the emotional responses to what is being observed. Some cultures might be outraged by this imagery, comparing the baby or the presence of the black man to represent foolishness or inappropriateness based on their tendency to stereotype. Others who share values associated with equality might consider the black man or the baby, as the signified, to represent triumph or harmony. The second Benetton advertisement maintains images of three human hearts, each depicting a single word, either white, black or yellow. This rather simplistic advertisement uses the signs of the words white, black and yellow which denote their obvious meanings of colour. The hearts, themselves, are also signs illustrating either human anatomy (the obvious denotative symbol) or love which is largely universal as it is associated with the heart. In this advertisement (Appendix B), the connotative meaning is that which is interpreted by the receiver. In some cultures, the imagery might invoke emotions associated with human health and well-being whilst others might be turned off by the imagery based on their capacity to handle imagery of internal human anatomy. For the interpreter, the colours expressed in each heart image becomes the signified when it is associated with ethnicity, such as Caucasian, African or Asian which are common stereotypical colour representations for different ethnic categories. Benetton uses this creative imagery to create connotative interpretations of symbolic stereotyping, promoting a unique response with the receiving consumer groups. Consumers who value equality or inter-racial relationships might immediately view the heart to signify love which should be expressed to diverse members of global society. In this interpretation, the signs become signified through their connotative meaning. Others who do not share values associated with racial equality might simply view the denotative meaning of the hearts and the wording to represent Benetton’s commitment to multi-coloured fashion garments and find no significance other than the most obvious, denotative interpretation. However, it is clear that Benetton is attempting to send the message of love and racial unity by using obvious signs and symbols; the heart and the wording with very obvious social meaning. The third advertisement depicts a large grouping of citizens, perhaps in a stadium, who are holding up pictures of ethnically-diverse populace. These images, when formed together, clearly spell out the word AIDS, representing the sexually-transmitted disease. In this advertisement, the signs are the photos of the ethnically-diverse faces and the wording that spells out AIDS. The denotative meaning of this ad is in the word AIDS, which has obvious meaning to international audiences since AIDS afflicts many diverse citizens worldwide. However, Benetton attempts to promote social and ethnic unity under the logo of the United Colours of Benetton, thus for some receivers, this sign becomes signified as concepts of help, assistance, or protectionism, illustrating the company logo in the bottom right corner to generate this potential message. The signs of faces, which represent under fundamental, denotative first impressions is that of humanity. However, the different ethnicities and diversity profiles of the photographic images being presented by the group could become signified with concepts of human equality, reducing stereotyping, or any other socio-cultural value associated with racial or ethnic diversity. Benetton seems to leave considerable margin in this advertisement to present itself as a provider or producer of support and assistance to the cause of human diversity and human equality, using the obvious sign of the word AIDS to express itself as a leader in promoting humanistic causes. This advertisement also promotes connotative meaning through volume, using hundreds or even thousands of actors to express the magnitude of the problem that is associated with AIDS, relying on the denotative value of AIDS as a disease. In this message, assuming Benetton is focusing on the problems associated with human disease, the sign AIDS becomes the signified for concepts of problem, chaos, or human tragedy. It, again, depends on the socio-cultural values or perhaps the level to which their own lives have been affected by AIDS that will determine the value and benefit of this advertisement as it relates to their own lifestyles or belief systems. Risks of Benetton advertising Because the issue of racism and social stereotyping are widespread and maintain significant fundamental differences when interpreted by various cultures, Benetton runs the risk of isolating certain markets who do not share these values associated with social advocacy. Keegan and Green (2009) offer that Benetton has more than once been boycotted by certain consumer groups for perceptions of inappropriate advertising. This is why the connotative meanings of Benetton ads are critical to determining the level of social and consumer support that the business achieves in this very risky advertising venture. Consumers will look at the signs included in the ads and then extract their own personalized meaning and they may not necessarily, proverbially, “speak the same language” (Keegan and Green, 2009: 251). However, the semiotic analysis provided offers multiple, potential meanings that could be extracted from the three provided advertisements to illustrate how Benetton uses this integrated communications system to be consistent and innovative in establishing consumer relationships. The connotative meaning in these ads continue to bring Benetton publicity, whether positive or negative, which puts the brand on the forefront of social consciousness, a benefit in the branding process. By being able to streamline existing domestic advertising, such as the three ads provided for analysis, it also satisfies the corporate budget and allows Benetton to hold the same market position internationally until the business decides it is time to reposition to give Benetton a new social identity. Conclusion Benetton understands the psychology of buyer behaviour and utilises its creative advertising imagery to provide connotative meaning to consumers who share its values with human equality, global social protectionism and generalized diversity principles. The branding and marketing communications strategies that are risque continue to bring Benetton trust and loyalty in certain consumer target groups. The business is able to construct significant social meaning using denotative signs that allow the consumer receiver to perceive more intensive values and beliefs to build commercial and social impact for the Benetton brand. Benetton is subtle about how it presents its own stand on human equality and ethnic diversity, thus expressing those aforementioned horrendous realities in a way that would be meaningful to passive peaceful protestors against racial or social inequality. By having their values modestly obscured through interpretive advertising and masked intentions using common signs rather than blatant advocacy, it keeps the Benetton brand a product of discussion internationally that, at the very least, perks consumer interest in its fashion merchandise. The semiotic analysis of Benetton ads is a complex undertaking, as there are such a wide variety of potential connotative meanings that could be extracted from the provided ads. However, Benetton clearly illustrates its stance on liberalism and progressive social improvements with its advertising concepts, thus signifying its relationship with consumers and the external international community at the social level. This has given Benetton considerably unique market position in the process. References Ahmed, N. 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Appendix A: A Simplistic Model of Sign, Signifier and Signified Terminology Source: https://elaw.murdoch.edu.au/archives/issues/2007/1/eLaw_brand_law.pdf Appendix B: Provided Advertising for Semiotic Analysis Pictures for Q1 analysis Read More