Audience studies through the years: Passive, Active, Interactive
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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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