An Active Audience: Just one or many?

Michele Morehouse

This Final Project is Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree

Purpose of Study

Are brands’ effective in succeeding to make their audience aware of their presence?

If so, how is this accomplished?

What media is used?

What processes accomplishes this?

Research Question

How can audiences misinterpret the dominant meaning of an advertisement?

Hypotheses

• Hypothesis 1: Narrative structure and style elements effect how the

decoders interpret the dominant meaning within an advertisement.

• Hypothesis 2: Connotative and Denotative meanings cause audiences

to have his or her own interpretation.

• Hypothesis 3: People alter or interpret information or content to fit his

or her existing views.

Semiology

Sign

Symbol

Index

IconAllegory

Signal

Denotation

Connotation Pose

Object

Photogenia Aestheticism

Syntax

Lexical Meanings

“Port” Root Word

Example: Import or Portable

Text and Narration

What is an Audience?

“several groups divided by their reception of different media and genres, or by social and cultural positioning”

- Shaun Moores

Audience Reception Theory

Encoding-Decoding Process

Structure of Meaning

“the world has to be made to mean”- Stuart Hall (2001)

Dominant Meaning

MAPPING

Classifications of Decoding

• Dominant

• Negotiable

• Oppositional

Dominant Position

Negotiable Position

Oppositional Position

Dominant Paradigm

Active Audience

Uses and Gratification Theory

What Drives an Audience?

Social

Cultural

Environmental

Consumption

Fan Community

“varying degrees of semiotic productivity, produce meanings and pleasures that pertain

to their social situations out of the products of culture industries”-John Fiske (1992)

Selective Processes

• Selective Exposure

• Selective Perception

• Selective Retention

Selective Exposure

Selective Perception

“as a symbolic sign vehicle or structured discourse”- Hall (1979)

Selective Retention

Challenge

Can an Audience interpret the dominant meanings presented in the advertisements?

Results: Successful Encoding-Decoding Process

Methodology

Study Part 1: Textual AnalysisStudy Part 2: Survey Collection

STRUCTURE FUNCTIONS

Textual Analysis

Number of Case Studies: 5

Sources Allocated from: YouTube

Brand Focus: Samsung Mobile Galaxy Campaigns

Time Frame: 2013 to 2014

Analysis Key Components:

1. Case Study Summarization

2. Narrative Structure Theme and Motif

3. Style Settings, Imagery, Verbal Cues, Music, Cultural References

Sphere of Denotative and Connotative Meanings

Exhibit 1: Connoted and Denoted Meanings:

Advertisement Connotative Denotative

Sweet Dreams Create something extraordinary “Design Your Life”

Evolution & A Long Time Coming No longer fiction, but reality

(Smartwatch Gear S)

“Its Finally Real”

Right Up Our Street Popularity “Britain’s most popular phone”

Introducing Galaxy Gear Circle User initiative Tutorial

Note Pun Intended Product Value Puns:

“I will domi-note you!”

“I will have an Ameriaco-note.”

“Note in my house!”

Sweet Dreams

Theme (Narrative): “Everyone has a story and every story starts somewhere.” (Samsung U.S. News, 2013).

Denotative: “Design Your Life.”

Connotative (Style): Imagery, Verbal Cues and Music

Evolution & A Long Time Coming

Theme: “I’m on my way.” (Journey)

Denotative: “Its Finally Real.”

Connotative: Imagery, Verbal Cues and Cultural References

Right Up Our Street

Theme: “Capture every moment beautifully”

Denotative (narrative): “Britain's most popular phone”

Connotative (style): Imagery & Verbal Cues

Introducing Galaxy Gear Circle

Theme: “Ease of Access”

Denotative: “Design Excellence,” “Intuitive Experience” & “Hands Free Intelligence”

Connotative (style): Music and Emotional Appeal

Note Pun-Intended

Theme: “Do you Note?”

Denotative (narrative): “Do you Note”

Connotative (style): Settings, Imagery and Verbal Cues

Survey Analysis

Number of Participants: 45

Number of Data Collection Rounds: 3

Where did survey take place:

Communications Department from the College of St. Rose

Demographic:

Undergraduate Students

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Sweet Dreams' Evolution' & 'A LongTime Coming'

Right Up Our Street' Introducing Galaxy GearCircle'

Note Pun Intended'

Comparative Audience Responses

Dominant Negotiable Oppositional

GAPS

Sweet Dreams Oppositional

Evolution & A Long Time Coming No gap established

Right Up Our Street Oppositional

Introducing Galaxy Gear Circle Negotiable

Note Pun-Intended Oppositional

Beyond the Surface

1. I needed to understand the structure of an advertisement

2. Understanding the structure of meanings produced.

Dominant Meaning

Each case study makes a connection with the audience

How?

Relatable Themes to an audiences life

Advertisement Theme Connection

Sweet Dreams Everyone has a story to tell or create

Evolution & A Long Time Coming Different generation’s childhoods illustrating the

product through iconic pop culture

Right Up Our Street Every moment in life needs to be captured no

matter the importance

Introducing Galaxy Gear Circle People are always on the go in life, always in

constant motion

Note Pun-Intended Social Interaction – being with people and

having fun

Narrative Structure

1. Structure and format are fundamental to the production of content

2. Narrative Structures devices motifs and themes (set the foundation for two new standards of thought)

a) Motifs central themes: Dominant Meaning and Slogans

b) Themes storyline themes: cultural and social references

Dominant Style Devices

Imagery: Vulnerable

1. Open to interpretation

2. Accessible by the audience

Verbal Cues: Secure

1. Symbolic

2. Duality of denotative and connotative meanings

Standards of Style Devices

1. Active audience can consciously consume content:

a) Ex. Denotative details of the content => visual objects

2. Active audience is unconsciously active in consuming content:

a) Ex. Connotative Context => Tone

Dominant Style Function

Advertisement Emotions

Sweet Dreams Determination, Light-heartedness & nostalgia

Evolution & A Long Time Coming Upbeat & reminiscence

Right Up Our Street Upbeat

Introducing Galaxy Gear Circle Determined & Fast-pace

Note Pun-Intended Silly & Trivial

Ex. Sweet Dreams obscure emotions

1. Mysterious

2. Gloomy

3. Dark

Aesthetics & Emotional Appeal

1. Audiences draw upon illustrated emotions in the content

2. Process to fit his or her needs

3. Each scenario is different

Encoding-Decoding Duality

Encoder ------ Message ------- Decoder Transmission Successful!

Encoder------Message-X-X-X-X-X- Decoder Transmission Failed!

Degree of Participation

Dominant GAP Oppositional

Oppositional Gap Present + Successful = Audiences full participating

Oppositional Gap Present + Failure = Audiences as partially active.

Partially Active:

1. Audience chooses to interpret given information, but feels disappointed or left unsatisfied

2. Audience couldn’t relate to the information at all

Active Audience Discoveries

Audiences are defined as:

1. Selective

2. Either aware or unaware of content

3. Actively Passive

Limitations

Hall’s decoding classification too basic

Why? Audiences offer multiple interpretations

Future Study

Create new measurable devices that:

1. Identify the how dominant meanings are consumed

2. How are the messages conceived by the audience

Result of measurable devices:

1. Brand can produce an appropriated message that reaches the audience

2. Audience can clearly identify the dominant meaning within the content of an advertisement

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