Semiotics and International Advertising

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Semiotics and International Advertising

Valory Wessels

May 9,1997

Dr. Ray Montagno, Advisor Honor's Thesis

Introduction

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"Going international without understanding the foreign culture or learning

how to analyze it is like jumping off the high dive with no knowledge of water or

swimming. If I were going to dive from the high dive, I would want to know

something about water and have some swimming lessons under my belt. Also, if I

were a company that was preparing to sell and market some product in a foreign

country, I would want some information on the culture and some tools to be

successful. Several tools exist to provide cultural understanding. The first tool is an

understanding of semiotics." (Donna Krise, 'I Advertising Media Opportunities for

International Business People," World Trade Club of Indiana, November 19, 1996)

Semiotics represents a range of studies in art, literature, anthropology, and

- the mass media rather than an independent academic discipline. Semiotics has

been defined as a process of revelation (Deely 13), the way people obtain meanings

from signs (Mowen 96t the study of signs (Leeds-Hurwitz 6), the study of anything

used to tell a lie or describe things that are not currently existing (Eco 86), and as a

system of relations (Culler 8). Today, semiotics is essentially a theoretical approach

to communication in that its aim is to establish widely accepted principles of how

peo!:,le. interpret signs and symbols. The focus of this paper is to examine the

~emIOhc theory as it is used to analyze promotional strategy in marketing and the

Importance of understanding sign usage in a cultu h '. . . re w en consldenng mternatIOnal marketing.

The tenn for the field of stud '" . y, semIOtics, IS derived from the Greek word

semeIOn, meaning "sign" "token" " 'd ' , or eVI ence." Th h e current t eory is generally accepted as the science of signs. Semiotics stresses that the "meaning" f .

o SIgns, even

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when it seems natural or inherent, is always the result of social conventions. Thus,

culture can be reduced to and analyzed as a series of sign systems. For example, a red

rose given from a man to woman in American culture symbolizes romance. In

Mexican culture, the same rose stands for death and in French culture, infidelity.

(Deely 32) It is, therefore, important to be able to design an advertising campaign

targeted at a foreign culture based on an understanding of semiotics.

The field of semiotics has been studied in one form or another since the time

of Socrates. In the writing of Aurelius Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.), the

following widely influential definition of sign can be found (Poyatos 12): /I A sign is

something that stands for something else." Also, early in the history of thought and

philosophy, two kinds of signs were explicitly determined - natural and

conventional sign.s. While some things appear to stand for other things because of a

natural connection, as in the example of smoke signifying fire (Leeds-Hurwitz 106),

other signs are clearly the result of artificial correlations such as any natural

language (Deely 59).

A variety of uses of signs were recognized as early as ancient times. Signs

have been used jfor centuries as media of communication, enablers of exchange

between individual sign users, clues or evidence of what is hidden or absent and a

means for constructing diagrams which map relationships and mark differences.

Currently in the business environment, signs and semiotics analysis are the tools

manipulated by managers in promotional strategies in marketing to communicate

information about products or services to a consumer. This improved method of

communication helps U.s. companies survive and prosper in foreign markets just

as swimming lessons help someone jumping from the high dive.

Beyond the basic definition of semiotics, there is considerable variation

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among leading semioticians as to what semiotics involves. Further, semiotics has

changed over time, since semioticians have tried to remedy weaknesses in early

semiotic approaches. The writings of semioticians are filled with a variety of

conflicting vocabulary as Paddy Whannel said, "Semiotics tells us things we (in the

culture) already know in a language we will never understand" (Berger 16). In this

paper, the theories of Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Peirce will be used to

examine the "text" of films, television and radio programs, and in particular, print

advertisements in magazines for products that are promoted internationally.

Symbols and signs will be analyzed for possible divergent meanings based on

culture.

Semiotic Tools for Promotional Analysis

Today, the field of semiotics is particularly important in marketing

communications as increasingly, people from cultures outside the United States

expect American marketing and advertising managers to be alert to the use of

symbols and their interpretation in developing the promotional strategy directed at

them. Advertising has been described as lithe modern substitute for myth and

ritual, and directly or indirectly, it uses semiotics (the science of signs) to invest

products with meaning for a culture whose dominant focus is consumption." (Bell

37) Using semiotics directly to create promotion strategy will result in more

effective international marketing campaigns for American businesses.

Independently, but at approximately the same point in time, Ferdinand de

Saussure, a linguist in Switzerland, and Charles Sanders Peirce, a philosopher in the

United States, described the need for a field to study the meanings conveyed

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through signs and symbols. Both felt something important was missing in the

currently existing field of study and wanted to remedy the situation. Both authors

serve as standard references in the field. As a result, their influence was greater on

future generations than on their contemporaries.

Saussure's Theory of Semiology

Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) conceived the sign as a two-term

relationship and stresses the arbitrariness of the relationship between the two terms.

Saussure/s theory introducing semiology comes from a compilation of notes taken

by several of his students during lectures in Switzerland given between 1907 and

1911. The students published his thoughts in Course in General Linguistics after his

death. (Leeds-Hurwitz 8) The quote most often cited as responsible for establishing

the field follows:

A science that studies the life of signs within society is conceivable; it would be a

part of social psychology and consequently of general psychology; I shall call it

semiology (from Greek semeion "sign"). Semiology would show what constitutes

signs, what laws govern them. Since the science does not yet exist, no one can say

what it would be; but it has a right to existence, a place staked out in advance.

Linguistics is only a part of the general science of semiology; the Jaws discovered

by semiololn' will be applicable to linguistics, and the latter will cir< .. 'Umscribe a

well-defined area within the mass of anthropological facts. (Saussure,1916/1969,

p.16)

Saussure's major concern was to establish linguistics as a scientific discipline

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in its own right. He began by making a distinction between language as manifested

by the countless number of instances of speech (parole in French), and language as a

system of rules which governs these individual instances (langue in French) (SIess

15). In other words, the langue is the framework of what one normally experiences

and considers possible and the parole is one's actual experience on a particular

occasion (Leeds-Hurwitz 7). He argued that the system of rules was constant and

should be the basis of linguistic study. A popular analogy to understand his theory

is the game of chess. While hundreds of possible moves exist at any given moment

in a particular game, the rules of the game remain constant throughout the game

(SIess 136). The only way to understand the langue is by examining the parole. This

is difficult to achieve as most members of a culture learn how to speak and be

understood by modeling others in the society, not by learning the rules on which

the language is based.

Another aspect of Saussure's theory is the workings of signs, which are

anything that can be used to stand for something else. Saussure said that signs are

composed of two elements -- a sound/image (such as a word of visual

representation) and a concept for which the sound / image stands.

Ambiguity would disappear if the three notions involved here were designated by

three names, each suggesting and opposing the others. I propose to retain the

word sign (signe) to designate the whole and to replace concept and sound/image

respectively by signified (signifie) and signifier (signifiant); the last two terms have

the advantage of indicating the opposition that separates them from each other and

from the whole of which they are parts. (Saussure 67)

Thus, the sign, signifier, and signified are united. Every sign has two

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components: the visible part, or signifier, and the absent part, or signified. Saussure

suggested that signs were like pieces of paper; one side was the signifier, the other

side was the signified and the paper itself was the sign. The signifier and signified

form the sign and cannot be separated from the sign itself. The relationship

between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary, a matter of chance and

convention. This does not mean, Saussure tells us, "that the choice of the signifier

is left entirely to the speaker" but rather that it is "unmotivated, i.e. arbitrary in that

it actually has no natural connection with the signified." (Saussure 69).

An example of this Saussure's dichtonomy theory of semiology could be a red

rose. When a man offers a woman a red rose, the signifier is the act of giving the

rose, but the signified is romance. The rose, in and of itself, is of little importance

(Pines C6). The rose itself conveys less information than the use of the rose by a

particular person in a particular situation. There is nothing about the color red or

the type of flower that conveys the message of romance, though by tradition many

people in the United States have come to understand and expect this message.

The notion of semiology is applied to arts, rites, and all manners of cultural

phenomena, not exclusively linguistics. Though Saussure does see language as the

ideal system of codes. He defines codes as a system of conventions that enables one

to detect meaning in signs. The matter of learning or discovering codes is the

central business of semiology. Being a linguist himself, Saussure proposed

semiology as a science placing the study of language into a broad context. Similar

concerns by others later led to the development of pragmatics and sociolinguistics.

Today, Saussure's theory of semiology is the basis for French semiotics.

Particularly in Europe, many researchers are now using the contributions of French

applied semiotics in management studies to evaluate certain management

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situations or marketing problems and to understand what they communicate to

stakeholders. The Saussure/French semiotics could prove valuable to researchers

and marketers if the work is very routinized or the product is standardized in

determining meaning. (Marion 81)

Peirce's Triad of Semiosis

Charles Scmders Peirce (1839-1914), unlike Saussure, wrote his own papers,

though the majority of them remained unpublished during his lifetime. His eight

volumes of collected works covered a large scope and depth of topics over 25 years

from 1931 to 1958 (Sless140). Peirce never concluded or resolved his thoughts on

semiotics (which he actually used the singular, semiotic). In fact, the larger quantity

of available quotes from Peirce encourages debate among his followers as to exactly

what he intended.. He changed his mind on many details over the years and left no

clear indication as to which is preferred or how they link up to other unfinished

ideas he wrote about. Peirce was never, with the exclusion of five years at Johns

Hopkins University, a full-time academic and as a result, his work is fragmented

and incomplete. While Saussure worked with the approach to build large

philosophical systems popular in Europe, Peirce preferred an open-ended view that

incorporated the constant change and transformation of human nature and

behavior.

The essential part of Peirce's theory is that a sign is "something which stands

to somebody for something in some respect or capacity" (Peirce 2.228). He went on

to explain that signs are related to objects by resembling them, being causally

connected to them, or being conventionally tied to them. He used the term iconic

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for resemblance, indexical for causal connections, and symbol for conventional

associations. This idea is expressed in Peirce's statement that

an analysis of the essence of a sign ... leads to a proof that every sign is determined

by its object, either first, by partaking in the characters of the object, when I call

the sign an Icon; secondly, by being really and in its individual existence connected

with the individual object, when I call the sign an Index; thirdly, by more or less

approximate certainty that it will be interpreted as denoting the object, in

consequence of a habit (which term I use as including a natural disposition), when I

call the sign Symbol. (Peirce 18)

This threefold division of stand-for relationships is widely used in studies of

communication. As a part of his general theory of semiotics, Peirce tried to work

out a conceptual basis for the varieties of semiosis. He was interested in the

problem of classifying the multitude of different kinds of stand-for relations. Peirce

developed a much more elaborate structure leading to a system of classification that

had 66 different kinds of stand-for relations. (MacCannell 98) Unfortunately, most

who have taken up his ideas have seen the question as one of classifying different

kinds of signs, when Peirce was really classifying the types of stand-for relations. A

popular example of his Icon/Index/Symbol classification is a photo of a bride which

would be an icon; the statuette of a bride and groom from the top of a wedding cake

would be an index; and the white wedding dress would be a symbol of virginity.

Peirce's classification of stand-for relations is based on his definition of the

critical elements of sign, referent (object being signified), and user (the person who

interprets the meaning of a sign). He calls this the indivisible triad of semiosis.

(Mowan 98) The third factor Peirce referred to as the factor of interpretation. In the

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process of semiosis, one factor need not be an actual existent thing. Peirce views the

process of classifying stand-for relations as highly unstable and resistant to

resolution because at least the user is constantly changing.

The sign not only stands for something other than itself, it does so for some third;

and though these two relations - sign to signified and sign to interpretant - may be

taken separately, when they are so taken, there is no longer a question of sign but

of cause to effect on one hand and of object to knowing subject on the other. In

short, for the relation of sign to signified to exist in its proper as being semiotic

(smoke as a sign of fire) regardless of whether that relation exists dyadically as

well (smoke and something burning) reference to the future in a third element,

the interpretant, is essential. (Peirce 2.293)

This third element that Peirce discusses is essential regardless of whether it is

actually there or only virtual and waiting to be realized. Promotion such as

advertisements in newspapers and magazines, on billboards and television, and

even a booth at a trade show are prepared for individuals of a population

surrounding the display. No single interpretant is targeted by most marketing

campaigns, rathE:~r the population surrounding the display is comprised of a large

number of potential interpretants. The individual interpretant is not realized in

advance, but only at the moment when one turns the page of a magazine or drives

down a certain stretch of highway. However, the interpretant is essential for the

information diffusion process to occur and for the meaning of the symbols to be

transferred.

Peirce's triad theory is the basis for the view of semiotics in the United States

and was adopted and used in a recent advertising campaign for British

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Telecommunications. BT devised a culture-based advertising technique in

planning its popular "It's good to talk" campaign. BT used semiotic techniques to

alter traditional perceptions about the different ways men and women use the

telephone. Conversations between men, characterized as important, serious, and

full of information were categorized as "Big talk." "Small talk" was the category of

trivial, rambling chat characterized by women talking with women. Using semiotic

analysis, BT developed a campaign that put more weight on the emotional benefits

of telephone communication. (Alexander 91)

JJReading" Advertising Using Semiotic Techniques

Advertising, according to most text books, imparts information about

products, which people use to make brand choices. When one considers semiotic

theory, advertising also tells what products mean based on the relationship between

culture and consumption.

"The products we consume express who and what we are and these identities are

detennined by cultural codes.... Products serve as markers; they have consensual

what-implies-what meanings, which we learn from a variety of sources, not the

least of which is advertising. Advertising serves as a kind of culture I consumption

dictionary; its entries are products, and their definitions are cultural meanings.

Consumers use advertising to learn new meanings and to confirm I reinforce those

they already know." ("Reading ... " 49)

Consumers observe these meanings in advertising almost without noticing

the activity. Advertisers, particularly international advertisers, can create more

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powerful and intriguing campaigns by understanding the culture to which they are

trying to give information. An effective ad is one that reflects consumer perceptions

and expectations faithfully according to a country's culture. Although many

contemporary marketers are interested in creating, maintaining, and changing

brand images, consumers generally have a deeper understanding of product

categories. Consumers know more about the meaning of a product category than

they know about the various brands. For example, for any given product category,

most consumers unaided can only name three or four brands within the category,

but have definite feelings about the type of product. (~facCannell 75) It is important

that the international marketer consider not only the brand's image and meaning

internationally, but also the message of the product cross-culturally.

One way to discern the product meaning is by "reading" the advertising of

successful advertisements because, by definition, effective advertising contains a

product's cultural meaning. To read an ad semiotically, one must interpret its signs

in the context of the structure. The latent meaning comprised of connotations,

implications, and deep symbolisms is coded into the advertising message. ("Mirror"

5) Every advertisements has a surface meaning and then also an additional

meaning to those within the culture who are fluent in the cultural code. For

example, McDonald's famous commercial which said, "You deserve a break today,"

had multiple meanings to American consumers besides a pause from work.

However, the message would have seemed strange to someone outside the U.s.

society and would probably not have been successful internationally. (Frank 56)

The interpretation of advertisements begins by treating them like cultural

texts that convey meaning using a variety of styles like myth, drama, metaphor, etc.

Next, the signifiers and signifieds ascribed must be identified in the ad. Finally, the

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structural dimension represented by those signs and the models that capture the

meaning are identified. ("Reading" 53) For example, by studying several

advertisements for liquor, the product categories major meanings can be identified

as escapism, festivity, and status. Different brands and promotional campaigns may

emphasize different meanings, but most meanings fall under these three major

headings after semiotic analysis.

Global Advertising

While it is important to create diverse promotional campaigns when the

product meaning varies from country to country, many product categories have the

same or similar product meanings cross-culturally. Global standardized advertising

- succeeds when it is perceived in semiotically-equivalent ways by multicultural

consumer segments. ("Mirror" 4) Before standardization of campaigns can begin, it

is necessary to identify segments of consumers who share universally-held beliefs

and needs. This is the foundation for creating advertising strategies that can be

understood multiculturally.

"Fashion and food products - what people put in and on their bodies - enable the

universally-held need of self-expression, and in that sense their perceptions are

thereby driven by a common ethos. Certain consumers, apart from their resident

cultures, regard these products in essentially equivalent, self-relevant ways, so

they are prime candidates for global, if not wholly standardized, advertising."

("Crafty" /'6)

Because the world is becoming smaller in a sense due to increased global

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communications, the younger generation (post World War II) has been exposed to

and influenced by other cultures much more than ever before. This generation is

driven by a cultural force called postmodemism which is producing global cultures

for some product categories. Particularly food and fashion products that were once

indigenous to Western societies are now being adopted by many other countries.

(Stark RC-4) These postmodern global cultures present advertisers with an

opportunity to craft ads that teach multicultural consumers about the meanings of

products and to make ads windows on a global culture of fashion and food

consumption. In creating global advertising, the main objective is recognizing

where the signifier in Saussure's theory or the third element, the interpretant, in

Peirce's discussion is essentially similar.

Survey Purpose & Methodology

In order to test the theory of semiotics, which would lead one to believe that

advertising is interpreted using culturally learned symbols and are not generally

universal among cultures, a survey of 45 Ball State University and Butler

University students was taken. The respondents included 30 international students

identified by the International Centers at BSU and BU; and 15 American students

with some representation from each college at BSU or BU. A nearly equal number

of men and women were selected to balance gender biases. The international

students came from various Asian and European countries including Japan, Korea,

China, Vietnam, France, England, Germany, Belgium, and Spain. The international

students were located with the help of the International Center at Ball State

University in Muncie and at Butler University in Indianapolis, both in Indiana.

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The American students were chosen at random in the Student Center at Ball State

University. A list of the number of students from each nation are included in

Appendix 1 and a list of students from each college at Ball State or the corresponding

college at Butler University are included in Appendix 2. The duration of survey

administration was approximately 20 minutes. Each respondent was shown three

advertisements, one each from Asia, America, and Europe. The print

advertisements were shown in color overheads on a large screen in a class room.

Respondents worked independently and had as long as necessary to fill out the

survey forms. A sample of the survey appears in Appendix 4.

The null hypothesis (Ho) of the study is that Americans, Asians, and

Europeans will interpret the print advertisements in different manners due to

cultural differences and cultural symbols. That Americans, Asians, and Europeans

will interpret the advertisements in exactly the same manner regardless of the

nationality of the ad is hypothesis 1 (HI).

HO = Differences in responses between Americans, Asians, and Europeans Hl = No differences in responses between Americans, Asians, and Europeans

The purpose of this international advertising survey was to analyze the

comprehension and liking of advertisements based on cultural identity and

semiotical communication. I wished to identify possible variances in interpretation

of advertisements based on semiotic principles. The survey also was used to

identify differences in foreign interpretation of US. advertisements in relation to

American interpretation of foreign ads. Because English is becoming the second

language for most of the modern world and the American culture is widely known

and emulated, it is important to study the effects. Due to exposure previously to

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American advertising, foreign students may not respond in the same manner as

American students to ads in foreign languages. Conversely, lack of exposure of

American students to European and Asian languages could create some differences

in advertisement interpretation.

The study consisted of showing the respondent three magazine

advertisements, one at a time. All students were shown one American print

advertisement, one from Asia, and one from Europe. Three different sets of the

three advertisements were used in order to diminish the biases of one

advertisement and to get a clearer picture of the interpretation of the groups. An

overhead projector was used to show the advertisements to small groups of

students (5 to 10). Subjects were given one survey with four sections, a section for

each type of advertisement and a section for demographic questions. In this way,

each student would rate an advertisement from each country creating a way to cross

reference survey results. A summary of the demographic results are summarized in

Appendices 1 through 3. Objects in the print advertisements were pointed out with

a ruler regarding questions 5 and 6 in the survey.

The selection of the advertisements was a difficult process. Two

advertisements, one Asian and another French, were chosen because they were

presented in a standardized "global" manner. In other words, it is assumed that

these two advertisements should have been interpreted in exactly the same way by a

member of any culture. These two advertisements were found in various

languages, but with the same visual representations. The other seven

advertisements, three American, two Asian, and two European, were selected based

on the inclusion on some cultural symbol or element in the advertisement and

should have been interpreted differently by members of various cultures, but

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homogeneously within the culture. These remaining advertisements were located

in Paris Match, ~ewsweek, and other national magazines. The advertisements used

in the survey are located in Appendix 6.

Survey Result~

Survey results were tabulated as raw numbers, percentages and means for

some questions. For questions 4, 5 and 6, ("What picture, word, or element in the

advertisement first attracted your attention?, What does object '1' represent to you?,

What does object '2' represent to you?" respectively) the open-ended responses were

coded to ease tabulations of the data. A complete summary of the data for each

advertisement appears in Appendix 5.

According to survey results, semiotics cannot be ruled out as a theory to

explain differences in interpretation. Because some differences were noticed, the

null hypothesis, which stated that differences would appear in how Americans,

Asians, and Europeans interpreted advertisements, cannot be rejected. Similarly, HI

can be rejected due to the differences found through the survey. Although, most

differences were small, some differences were large and may be attributable to

cultural symbol interpretation. The use of the two standardized ads in particular

were interesting. In general, students were more sympathetic to advertisements

that originated from their continent of origin or that were in a familiar language.

The majority of all students gave higher ratings to the American ads probably

because of common familiarity with English as well as a common liking of

American products. Conversely, American students gave much lower ratings to

advertisements not in English, probably due to lack of exposure to foreign

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languages. Americans, however, rated all advertisements overall significantly

lower than European and Asian students. This could be a result of the high level of

exposure to advertisements in magazines, newspapers, radio, and television that

permeate the daily American lifestyle. However, further research would be required

to prove this statement. Americans reacted more positively to colorful, bright

advertisements, though stated that color and shapes were not important to their

interpretation.

European students' ratings reflect that they are more aware of foreign

languages and have positive reactions to foreign advertisements. Especially among

European advertisements whose language was unfamiliar, Europeans maintained

high ratings. Also, European students were much more interested in Asian

advertisements than Americans. However, European students rated American

advertisements slightly lower overall. Advertisements in America tend to be much

more blatant, loud, and less "cultured" according to one European respondent.

Asian subjects rated all advertisements slightly more positively than

Europeans or Americans. Asians were more likely to use positive words to describe

the advertisements and conveyed those statements in their ratings. Asian

respondents rated American advertisements nearly as high as American students,

probably due to the liking of American products in many Asian countries. Another

possible reason is cultural response biases wherein a culture may be more likely to

use positive and flowery words in description.

In the case of the two "global" standardized advertisements, the general

feelings towards the advertisements were similar among cultures in response to the

first question and questions regarding symbol interpretation. However, problems

arose in identifying the product or service being advertised due to a lack of

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understanding of the language in which the text or body copy of the advertisement

was written. In general, the standard advertisements were much more successful in

creating a standard image or feeling to all viewers regardless of nation of origin than

non-standard ad.vertisements. Non-standard or country-by-country advertisements

relied much more heavily on cultural symbols or language knowledge for

interpretation and thus, great variations in interpretation appeared. For example,

the first American advertisement included several cultural icons which were

mostly understood only by Americans or those familiar with American culture.

The meaning of the advertisement was difficult for those from Asia and Europe

who had not been in the country a significant time.

In question 1, Asian students were more likely to rate an advertisement as

"funny," "family-oriented," "exciting," "interesting," "modem," and "likable." At

least 3 more Asian respondents selected these feelings to describe the advertisement

than Americans and Europeans. These results can be found on Table 1. In general,

their assessments of the advertisements appear to be more positive and

complimentary. American students selected words such as II old-fashioned,"

"weird," "confusing," and "work-related." Americans gave more negative ratings.

European subjects rated highest for "clear," "boring," "modem," and "stupid."

Overall, all groups rated the advertisements from their home continent using more

positive words.

The results of the second question, which asked an overall rating of the

advertisement, show that Asian students were more likely to rate advertisements

from America and Asia more favorably than other groups. These results are shown

in Table 2. European students only rated. one advertisement (European) more

favorably than other groups. Similarly, American students only rated one

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advertisement (American) more favorably than other groups.

Question :3 regarding the product being advertised shows the importance of

language to understanding the advertising message. The results of this question are

summarized in Table 2. Asians were significantly better at correctly determining the

product being advertised for Asian ads. Similarly, Americans correctly identified

the product in American ads more often than the other groups. Comprehension of

European advertisements seemed very similar across groups probably because of the

wide differences in languages spoken in Europe. Because language can be identified

as a strong criterion in identifying the product being advertised, a European who is

French may be no better than an American or Asian at understanding a German

advertisement.

Responses to question 4, which asked what first attracted the respondents

attention, were coded into text, symbol! icon, product, and illustration. The results

in Table 3 show that if the language of the advertisement is understood, than the

text is usually read first. For example, Asians looked first at the text in Asian ads,

Americans looked first at the text in American ads, and so on. When the language

is unfamiliar or not native, Asians appeared to be more likely to look at symbols or

icons first, Europeans looked at illustrations first, and Americans looked mostly at

the physical product being advertised first. This difference in eye flow in the

advertisement could possibly be explained by cultural differences.

Question 7, regarding comprehension of the text of the advertisement, shows

the basis for the analysis in many other questions. Table 3 summarizes these results.

As expected Asian students understood the text of Asian advertisements much

more than Americans or Europeans while Europeans understood the text of

European advertisements much more than Americans or Asians. The text of

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American advertisements were nearly equally understood by all groups. This is

probably because most of the international students have significant understanding

of the English language in order to attend BSU and BU. However, it is interesting to

note that Americans were the most likely to not understand the text of both Asian

and European advertisements indicating a lack of secondary languages for most

Americans.

The last question of the survey asked the importance of pictures, text, and

color to the understanding and liking of the advertisement. A summary of the

results for this question appear in Table 4. Text was much more important to

Asians and Europeans while Americans preferred pictures. This could be

attributable to the lack of understanding of American respondents of the foreign

languages used in the advertisements. Europeans identified colors as being more

important compared to Asians and Americans.

The differences shown in the analysis of the data from the survey can be used

to show that semiotics is used to interpret the print advertisements. Respondents

subconsciously used some sort of semiotic method (either sign, signifier, signified or

icon, index, and symbol classification) to understand the "meaning" or marketing

message of the advertisement.

Conclusion

As more and more U.s. companies strive to market their products

internationally, the need for cultural understanding will increase with the level of

competition. Many endeavors have failed in the past because marketers neglected

the cultural meanings of a country or lacked the skills to determine them. Today,

more and more <:ompanies are utilizing the theories of semiotics to target their

-.

-

Wessels 21

international audience better, to create more compelling messages, and to select

more precisely the media. ("Mirror" 9)

Advertising failures can be avoided by conducting an advertising test with a

group of nationals of the country in which the advertisement is to be placed. Word

meaning, color interpretations, and symbolism vary greatly among cultures and can

often only be identified by persons of the country of advertisement.

With the Saussure's signifier/signified theory being most popular in Europe

and Peirce's sign/object/interpretant theory used frequently in the United States,

marketers have many tools at their disposal to dissect and analysis the product and

brand meanings in any culture. Mistakes are still made by careless advertisers such

as at Ball State University when the school mascot was depicted wearing a Mexican

sombrero and eating hot peppers to show his spirit for a "Red Hot Homecoming."

With tools such as semiotic analYSis available, marketers in the future should be

able to avoid creating ineffective ads for different cultures. However, because

semiotics is not an exact science such as chemistry or physics, the choices for

promotional strategy must still be made with care, extraordinary skill, creativity, and

in some cases sheer luck in order to be successful in one foreign culture or globally.

It is important to understand that while language is possibly the most

important sign system used in advertising, colors, shapes, and illustrations can have

vastly different meanings depending on placement in the advertisement and

cultural identification. Any advertiser who is developing an advertisement for a

foreign market or culture should confer with a national of the targeted culture in

order to attempt to avoid cultural misinterpretation. By studying every aspect of an

advertisement using the theories of semiotics, advertisements can be crafted to

successfully portray the desired marketing message to a foreign market.

Wessels 22

Appendix 1

Subjects by Country

Asia 15 total

Japan 3 Korea 7 Taiwan 1 China 1 Viet Nam 3

Europe 15 total

France 3 Germany 4 Spain 3 England 5 -

United States 15 total

45 Total

-

Wessels 23

Appendix 2

Subjects by College

Nationality Asian American European

College Business 7 4 3 14 Communications 0 2 1 3 Arts & Sciences 3 3 4 10

Fine Arts 1 1 3 5 Science & Technology 2 3 2 7

Teaching 0 1 0 1 Archi tecture 2 1 2 5

15 15 15 45

.-

Wessels 24

Appendix 3

Subjects by Gender, Age,

Length of U.S. Residence, &

Advertisement Preference

American Euro2ean Asian Gender Male 8 53% 7 47% 8 53% Female 7 47% 8 53% 7 47%

Age 18 1 7% 0 0% 0 0% 19 3 20% 2 13% 1 7% 20 9 60% 7 47% 5 33% 21 2 13% 3 20% 2 13% 22 1 7% 2 13% 2 13% - 23 0 0% 1 7% 3 20% 24 0 0% 0 0% 1 7% 25 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 26 0 0% 0 0% 1 7%

Time in U.s. < 1 mo. 0 0% 0 0% 1 7% 1 mo. to 6 mos. 0 0% 4 27% 5 33% 6 mos. to 1 yr. 0 0% 9 60% 6 40% 1 yr. to 5 yrs. 0 0% 2 13% 2 13% 5 yrs. to 10 yrs. 0 0% 0 0% 1 7% >10 years 15 100% 0 0% 0 0%

Advertisement Preference American 13 87% 3 20% 6 40% Asian 1 7% 4 27% 8 53% European 1 7% 8 53% 1 7%

,-

-

-

Wessels 25

Appendix 4 International Advertising Survey

As a part of my senior Honor's thesis project, I am examining advertising :in various countries. I appreciate you taking a few minutes to give your comments about advertisements from the United States, Europe, and Asia. Your responses will be helpful to me in understanding how different nationalities interpret international advertising.

ASIAN ADVERTISEMENT

1. What word(s) best describe your feelings toward the advertisement? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)

_, Funny _ Strong

Clear Informative

_ Sexy _ Family-oriented

Anxious _ Boring _ Exciting

Old-fashioned

Sad _ Interesting

Relaxed Weird

_ Confusing Modern Work-related Weak

_ Stupid Likable

2. What is your overall rating of the advertisement? (PLEASE CIRCLE ONE NUMBER)

1 2 3 4 Extremely Very Somewhat Neutral Unfavorable

5 Somewhat

3. What product in your opinion is being advertised?

6 Very

7 Extremely Favorable

-

-

4. Wessels 26

What picture, word or element in the advertisement first attracted your attention?

5. What does object "1" represent to you?


7. Do you understand the text of the advertisement?

o Yes o No

8. How important are the following to your understanding and liking of the advertisement with 1 being Extremely Important and 5 being Extremely Unimportant? (PLEASE MARK ONE ON EACH LINE)

1 2 3 4 5

PicturesIPhotoslDrawings

Text, Wri1ing, Logo

Colors, Shapes

-

Wessels 27

AMERICAN ADVERTISEMENT

1. What word(s) best describe your feelings toward. the advertisement? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)

_. Funny _. Strong

Clear Informative =: Sexy

_. Family-oriented Anxious

_. Boring _. Exciting

Old-fashioned

Sad _ Interesting

Relaxed Weird

_ Confusing Modern Work-related Weak = Stupid Likable



5 Somewhat


6 Very


4. What picture, word or element in the advertisement first attracted your attention?

5. What dOE'S object "1" represent to you?

-



DYes o No

Wessels 28


Pictures/Photos/Drawings

Text, Writing, Logo

Colors, Shapes

1 2 3 4 5

-

-

-

Wessels 29

EUROPEAN ADVERTISEMENT

1. What word(s) best describe your feelings toward the advertisement? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)

_ Funny _ Strong

Clear Informative

_ Sexy _ Family-oriented

Anxious = Boring _ Exciting

Old-fashioned

Sad _ Interesting

Relaxed Weird

_ Confusing Modem Work-related Weak

_ Stupid Likable



5 Somewhat


6 Very


4. What picture, word or element in the advertisement first attracted your attention?

5. What does object" 1" represent to you?

-



DYes o No

Wessels 30


1 2 3 4 5

PicturesIPhotosiDrawings

Text, Writing, Logo

Colors, Shapes

-

-

Demographic Questions

These questions will be kept totally confidential and are only asked for statistical purposes.

1. What is your home country?

2. What is your gender?

o Male o Female

3. What college are you enrolled with at BSU?

4. What is your age?

5. How long have you lived in the United States?

o Less than one month o One month to six months o More than six months, but less than one year o One year to 5 years o 5 to 10 years o More than 10 years

6. Which advertisement do you prefer? (MARK ONLY ONE)

o American o Asian o European

7. Why do you prefer that advertisement?

Thank You!!!

Wessels 31

-

-

-

Wessels 32

Appendix 5 Survey Findings

sian Advertisements Question

2

Funny

Strong

Clear

Informative

Sexy

Family-oriented

Anxious

Boring

Exciting

Old-fashioned

Sad

Interesting

Relaxed

Weird

Confusing

Modern

Work-related

Weak

Stupid

Likable

Average

3 Correct

Incorrect

4 Text

Symbol

Product

III ustra tion

Other

5 Earth

Rest

Wealth

Other

6 Pepsi

Airline

Other

7 Yes

No

8 Pictures

Text

Colors

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Americans % Europeans % Asians % Total % 2 13.33 6.666 0 0 3 6.66

o 0 6.666 0 0 2.22

o ()

3

4

o 2

3

5

[)

4

9

2

7

3

1

1

2

8

[)

o 3 3 5 3 1

4.733

1

14

2

4

6

3

o 8

6

o 10

o 5

o 15

4.3

3.2

1.1

o o 20

2h.hh

o ]3.33

20

33.33

o 26.611

110

13.33

411.116

20

11.6611

Il.hhh

13.33

53.33

o o 20 20

33.33 20

6.666

6.666

93.33

13.33

26.66

40

20

()

53.33

40

6.666

o 66.66

()

33.33

o 100

100

100

100

1

()

2

8

()

3

2

4

1

9

12

4

4

o O.

3

11

o 1 2 4 6 4 ()

5.2

2

13

3

2

5

4

1

7

3

2

2

6

2

7

2

13

4.5

4.1

1.8

6.666

()

lO 6h.66 11 24.4

] 3 8h.1lIl 13 28.8

13.33

53.33

()

o 0 5 11.1

3 20 ]5 33.3

o () () () 20

13.33

1 11.111111 11 13.3

5 33.33 10 22.2

26.1111

6.666

2 13.33 11 24.4

o 0 1 2.22

6()

80

26.1lIl

26.66

11.1166

13 86.M 26 57.7

13 811.116 34 75.5

o 0 11 13.3

o 0 11 24.4

2 13.33 11 13.3

o ()

[1 0 2.22

o 0 2.22

20 1 6.666 6 13.3

73.33 13 86.66 32 71.1

o 6.666 l3.33 26.66

40 26.66

o

o o o 3 4 6 2

5.467

o 0 0 o 1 2.22 o 5 11.1 20 10 22.2

2h.66 15 33.3 40 13 28.8

13.33 3 6.66

13.33 14 93.33 17 37.7

86.66 1

20 11

13.33 4

33.33 3

26.66 2

6.666 0

46.66 3

20 5

13.33 6

13.33 1

40 0

13.33 12

46.66 3

13.33 12

86.66 3

100 2.9

100 4.6

100 2.3

6.666 28 62.2

40 11 24.4

26.66 lO 22.2

20 14 3L1

13.33 9 20

o 1 2.22

20 18 40

33.33 14 31.1

40 9 20

6.1166 3 6.66

o 16 35.5

80 14 31.1

20 15 33.3

80 14 3l.1

20 31 68.8

100 3.9 100

100 3.9666 100

100 1.7333 100

Asian Advertisements

-

-

Question

2 1 Funny

Strong

Clear

Informative

Sexy

Fami Iy-oriented

Anxious

Boring

Exciting

Old-fashioned

Sad

] n teresti ng

Relaxed

Weird

Confusing

Modern

Work-related

Weak

Stupid

Likable

2 1

Average

3 Correct

Incorrect

4 Text

Symbol

Product

Illustration

Other

5 Family

Country

Laziness

Other

6 McDonalds

Bird

Other

7 Yes

No

8 Pictures

Text

Colors

2

3

4

5

6

7

Americans

8

()

2

1

o 9

2

1

3

6

o 3

5

3

4

2

3

2

1

5

1

o 2

4

3

4

1

4.6

15

o o 4

8

3

o 12

2

o 1

15

o o o 15

4.5

2.6

1.5

% Europeans

53.33 4

o 2

13.33 3

6.666 2

o 0

60 8

13.33 0

6.666 3

20 2

40 4

o 0

20 6

33.33

20

26.66

13.33

20

13.33

6.666

33.33

6.666

o 13.33

26.66

20

26.66

6.666

4

1

3

5

2

o 5

6

2

3

3

2

3

2

1

3.933

100 15

o 0

o 2

26.66 4

53.33 5

20 3

o 1

80 9

13.33 5

o 1

6.666 0

100 14

o o o

100

100

100

100

1

o 1

14

3.8

3.5

2.4

% Asians

26.66 12

13.33 3

20 14

13.33 ] 3

o 0

53.33 12

o 0

20

13.33 5

26.66 2

o 0

40 5

26.66

6.666

20

33.33

13.33

o 33.33

40

13.33

20

20

13.33

20

13.33

6.666

7

2

1

2

o 3

7

8

1

I

1

3

4

5

1

5

100 15

o 0

13.33 3

26.66 6

33.33 3

20 3

6.666 0

60 10

33.33 1

6.666 3

o 1

93.33 13

% 80

20

93.33

86.66

o 80

o 6.666

33.33

13.33

o 33.33

Total

24

5

19

16

o 29

2

5

10

12

o 14

Wessels 33

% 53.3

11.1

42.2

35.5

o 64.4

4.44

] 1.1

22.2

26.6

o 31.1

46.66 16 35.5

13.33 6 13.3

6.666 8 17.7

13.33 9 20

o 5 11.1

20 5 11.1

46.66 13 28.8

53.33 19 42.2

6.666 4 8.88

6.666 4 8.88

6.666 6 13.3

20 9 20

26.66 10 22.2

33.33 11 24.4

6.666 3 6.66

100 45

o 0

20 5

40 14

20 16

20 9

o 1

66.66 31

6.666 8

20 4

6.666 2

86.66 42

100

o 11.1

31.1

35.5

20

2.22

68.8

17.7

8.88

4.44

93.3

6.666

o 1 6.666 2 4.44

6.666

93.33

100

]00

100

1 6.666 1 2.22

14 93.33 15 33.3

1 6.666 30 66.6

3.6 100 3.9666 100

4.3

1.3

100 3.4666 100

100 1.7333 100

Asian Advertisements Question

-

3 1 Funny

2

Strong

Clear

Informative

Sexy

Family-oriented

Anxious

Boring

Exdting

Old-fashioned

Sad

Interesting

Relaxed

Weird

Confusing

Modern

Work-related

Weak

Stupid

Likable

Average

3 Correct

Incorrect

4 Text

Symbol

Product

Illustration

Other

5 Giraffe

Nature

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Throat problems

Other

6 Milk

Medidne

Detergent

7 Yes

No

8 Pictures

Text

Colors

Americans

9

1

o o o 2

o 3

3

4

2

5

4

7

12

1

o 3

9

3

2

4

3

2

3

o 3.2

14

4

o 1

Y

1

Y

4

()

2

2

4

Y

o 15

4.2

3.1

2.7

% Europeans

60 7

6.666 2

o 2

o 1

o 1

13.33 1

o 0

20 4

20 1

26.66 6

13.33 0

33.33

26.66

46.66

80

6.666

o 20

60

20

13.33

26.66

20

13.33

20

6.666

o

6.666

93.33

26.66

o 6.666

60

6.666

60

26.66

o 13.33

13.33

26.66

60

o 100

100

100

100

7

3

6

10

3

1

4

6

4

3

4

3

4

o 1

2.667

o 15

2

o o

12

1

10

2

2

5

7

3

2

13

4

3.2

1.6

Wessels 34

% Asians % Total %

46.66 12 80

20

73.33

66.66

28

6

13

11

62.2

13.3

28.8

24.4

2.22

15.5

2.22

31.1

13.3

33.3

4.44

13.33 3

13.33 11

6.666 10

0.666 0 ()

26.66

6.666

46.66

13.33

33.33

6.666 4 7

o 1

26.66 7 14

6

15

2

0.666 2

40 5

o 0 o 46.66

20

40

66.66

20

6.666

26.66

40

26.66

20

26.66

20

26.66

6.666

o 6.666

o 100

13.33

o o

80

6.666

66.66

13.33

6.666

13.33

33.33

46.66

20

13.33

86.66

100

100

100

9 60 21 46.6

3 20 10 22.2

2 13.33 15 33.3

3 20 25 55.5

o 0 4 8.88

() 0 1 2.22

1 6.666 8 17.7

4 26.66 19 42.2

6 40 13 28.8

o 0 5 11.1

6.666 9 20

1 6.666 7 15.5

5 33.33 11 24.4

5 33.33 9 20

3 20 4 8.88

1 6.666 2 4.44

5

13 86.66 14 31.1

2 13.33 31 68.8

8 53.33 14 31.1

2 13.33 2 4.44

2 13.33 3 6.66

3 20 24 53.3

o 0 2 4.44

5 33.33 24 53.3

3 20 9 20

7 46.66 8 17.7

o 0 4 8.88

o 0 7 15.5

12 80 23 51.1

3 20 15 33.3

14 93.33 16 35.5

1 6.666 29 64.4

3.7 100 3.9666 100

3.Y 100 3.4 100

1.2 100 1.8333 100

,-£\mericanAd vertisements Question

1 1 Funny

Strong

Clear

Informative

Sexy

Family-oriented

Anxious

Boring

Exciting

Old-fashioned

Sad

Interesting

Relaxed

Weird

Confusing

Modern

Work-related

Weak

Stupid

Likable

2 1

-

Average

3 Correct

Incorrect

4 Text

Symbol

Product

Illustration

Other

5 Freedom

Rare

Flying

Other

6 Justice

Balance

Other

7 Yes

No

8 Pictures

Text

Colors

2

3

4

5

6

7

Americans

6

3

8

9

2

1

2

o 6

2

1

12

3

1

2

9

3

o 14

o o

2

5

4

3

5.4

14

2

1

o 12

o 13

2

o o

13

2

o 15

o 4.5

3

1.3

% Europeans

40 5

20

53.33 6

60 3

13.33 1

6.666

13.33

o 40

13.33

6.666

80

20

6.666

13.33

60

20

6.666

()

93.33

o o

6.666

13.33

33.33

26.66

20

93.33

6.666

13.33

6.666

o 80

o 86.66

13.33

o o

86.66

13.33

o 100

o 100

100

100

o 1

3

8

1

1

9

4

2

4

6

1

o 4

10

3

I

2

4

3

2

o 3.6

7

8

3

2

o 10

1

6

2

5

2

3

8

4

15

o 3.8

4.4

1.8

% Asians

33.33 8

6.666 0

40 3

20 2

6.666 0

o 6.666 0

20 2

53.33 9

6.666 ()

6.666 0

6() 7

26.66 5

13.33 9

26.66 8

40 7

6.666 0

o 0

26.66 6

66.66 8

20 1

6.666 0

13.33 3

26.66 4

20 3

13.33 3

o 1

4.4

%

53.33

o 20

13.33

o

Total

3

1

11

13

3

Wessels 35

% 6.66

2.22

24.4

28.8

6.66

6.666 2 4.44

o 3 6.66

13.33 5 11.1

60 23 51.1

() 3 6.66

o 2 4.44

46.66 28 62.2

33.33 12 26.6

60 12 26.6

53.33 14 31.1

46.66 22 48.8

o 4 8.88

o 2.22

40 10 22.2

53.33 32 71.1

6.666 4 8.88

[) 1 2.22

20 6 13.3

26.66 10 22.2

20 11 24.4

20 9 20

6.666 4 8.88

46.66

53.33

5 33.33 26 57.7

20

13.33

o 66.66

6.666

40

13.33

33.33

13.33

20

53.33

26.66

100

o 100

100

100

10 66.66 19 42.2

6 40 11 24.4

4 26.66 7 15.5

o 0 0 0

2 13.33 24 53.3

o 0 1 2.22

4 26.66 23 51.1

5 33.33 9 20

8 53.33 13 28.8

1 6.666 3 6.66

4 26.66 20 44.4

9 60 19 42.2

2 13.33 6 13.3

14 93.33 44 97.7

6.666 1 2.22

3.6 100 3.9666 100

3.3 100 3.5666 100

1.6 100 1.5666 100

,-American Advertisements Question

2 1 Funny

Strong

Clear

Informative

Sexy

Family-oriented

Anxious

Boring

Exciting

Old-fashioned

Sad

Interesting

Relaxed

Weird

Confusing

Modern

Work-related

Weak

Stupid

Likable

2 1

-

Average

3 Correct

Incorrect

4 Text

Symbol

Product

Illustration

Other

5 Women

Silverware

Kid's Books

Other

6 Scroll

Banner

Other

7 Yes

No

8 Pictures

Text

Colors

2

3

4

5

6

7

Americans

7

1

4

3

o 8

o 3

2

9

o 5

3

6

o ()

4

3

6

o 1

o 4

5

4

1

4.933

14

1

5

1

o 9

o o 12

2

1

13

2

o 15

o 3.9

2.2

1.1

% Europeans

46.66 3

6.666 0

26.66 3

20

o 53.33

o 20

13.33

60

o 33.33

20

40

6.666

o o

26.66

20

40

o 6.666

o 26.66

33.33

26.66

6.666

93.33

6.666

33.33

6.666

o 60

o o 80

13.33

6.666

86.66

13.33

o 100

I)

100

100

100

2

o 2

o 5

1

3

o 3

2

4

3

3

1

o 5

3

o 1

3

4

5

2

1

4.267

12

3

4

o o 10

1

3

11

o 1

12

3

o 15

o 4.4

3.2

2

% 20

o 20

13.33

()

13.33

o 33.33

6.666

20

o 20

13.33

26.66

20

20

6.666

o 33.33

20

o 6.666

20

26.66

33.33

13.33

6.666

80

20

26.66

o ()

66.66

6.666

20

73.33

o 6.666

80

20

o 100

()

100

100

100

Asians

10

2

2

% 66.66

13.33

13.33

(} (}

o 0

10 66.66

o 0

2 13.33

6 40

2 13.33

o 0

8 53.33

6 40

2 13.33

5 33.33

5 33.33

o 0

o 0

2 13.33

10 66.66

o 0

o (} 1 6.666

4 26.66

5 33.33

5 33.33

1 6.666

5.133

9 00

6 40

2 13.33

o 0

o 0

13 86.66

o 0

2 13.33

10 66.66

3 20

Total

20

3

9

5

o 20

o 10

9

14

o 16

11

12

9

8

1

4

10

19

o 2

4

12

15

11

3

35

10

11

1

o 32

1

5

33

5

Wessels 36

%

44.4

6.66

20

11.1

o 44.4

o 22.2

20

31.1

o 35.5

24.4

26.6

20

17.7

2.22

8.88

22.2

42.2

o 4.44

8.88

26.6

33.3

24.4

6.66

77.7

22.2

24.4

2.22

o 71.1

2.22

11.1

73.3

11.1

o 0 2 4.44

8 53.33 33 73.3

6 40 11 24.4

1 6.666 1 2.22

15 IOO 45 100

o 4.7

3.9

1.4

o 0 0

IOO 4.3333 100

100 3.1 100

100 1.5 100

..-..:\mericanAdvertisements Question

-

3 1 Funny

Strong

Clear

Informative

Sexy

Fami Iy-oriented

Anxious

Boring

Exciting

Old-fashioned

Sad

Interesting

Relaxed

Weird

Confusing

Modern

Work-related

Weak

Stupid

Likable

2 1

Average

3 Correct

Incorrect

4 Text

Symbol

Product

Illustration

Other

5 Cursing

2

3

4

5

6

7

Cross, Number, et

Don't Know

Other

6 Pain

Anger

Fear

7 Yes

No

8 Pictures

Text

Colors

Americans

4

6

4

7

()

<)

2

5

1

1

9

()

5

2

6

()

()

4

6

o 2

3

4

5

()

4

15

o 7

3

o 5

o 12

o ()

3

2

13

o 15

o 4.2

3.1

2.7

% Europeans

26.66 1

40 2

26.66 6

46.66 5

6.666 3

o 0

60 11

13.33 2

33.33 9

6.666 0

6.666 0

60 4

o 0

33.33 9

13.33 6

40 8 ()

()

26.66

40

()

13.33

20

26.66

33.33

6.666

o

100

o 46.66

20

o 33.33

()

80

o o 20

13.33

86.66

o 100

o 100

100

100

o 1

6

4

3

2

3

4

1

2

1

3.267

14

1

6

3

o 6

o 6

3

4

2

3

11

1

15

o 4

3.2

1.6

% Asians

6.666 2

13.33 8

40 3

33.33 3

20 0

o 0 73.33 12

13.33 0

60 10

o () o 0

26.66 7

o 0

60 11

40 8

53.33 9

o 6.666

40

26.66

20

13.33

20

o o 8

5

1

o 2

26.66 4

6.666 3

13.33 4

6.666 1

4.6

93.33 10

6.666 5

40 5

20 7

o 0

40 3

o 0

40 3

20 5

26.66 7

13.33 0

20 3

73.33 9

6.666 3

100 14

%

13.33

53.33

20

20

()

o 80

o 66.66

o o

46.66

o 73.33

53.33

60

Total

7

16

13

15

4

o 32

4

24

1

20

o 25

16

23

Wessels 37

% 15.5

35.5

28.8

33.3

8.88

o 71.1

8.88

53.3

2.22

2.22

44.4

o 55.5

35.5

51.1

o 0 0

o 1 2.22

53.33 18 4()

33.33 15 33.3

6.666 4 8.88

o 4 8.88

13.33 8 17.7

26.66 12

20 <)

26.66 7

6.666 2

66.66 39

33.33 6

33.33 18

46.66 13

o 0

20 14

o 0

20 21

33.33 8

46.66 11

o 5

20 8

60 33

20 4

93.33 44

26.6

20

15.5

4.44

86.6

13.3

40

28.8

o 31.1

o 46.6

17.7

24.4

11.1

17.7

73.3

8.88

97.7

o 1 6.666 1 2.22

100

100

100

3.7 100 3.9666 100

3.9 100 3.4 100

1.2 100 1.8333 100

..-J:uropean Advertisement: Question

-

-

1 1 Funny

Strong

Clear

lnformative

Sexy

Family-oriented

Anxious

Boring

Exciting

Old-fashioned

Sad

Interesting

Relaxed

Weird

Confusing

Modem

Work-related

Weak

Stupid

Likable

2 1

Average

3 Correct

Incorrect

4 Text

Symbol

Product

Illustration

Other

5 Rock Music

Rebellion

Death

Other

6 Company

Warning

Other

7 Yes

No

8 Pictures

Text

Colors

2

3

4

5

6

7

Americans

2

7

3

1

4

o 7

o ~

o o 4

1

9

~

2

o o 7

3

2

4

1

2

5

o 1

3.533

14

2

11

1

o 10

3

2

o 10

5

o 1

14

4.6

2.2

1.5

% Europeans

13.33 0

46.66 9

20 4

6.666 6

26.66 2

o 0

46.66 6

o 1

53.33 10

o 0

o 0

26.61'> 6

6.666 0

60 2

53.33 1

13.33 7

o o

46.66

20

13.33

26.66

6.666

13.33

33.33

o 6.666

93.33

6.666

13.33

6.666

73.33

6.666

o 66.66

20

13.33

o 66.66

33.33

o 6.666

93.33

100

100

100

o o 2

8

o 1

2

4

4

4

o 4.533

15

o 5

o ~

2

1

2

12

o 1

2

13

o 8

7

3.3

4.2

1.9

% Asians

o 4

60 5

26.66 1

40 0

13.33 6

o 0

40 4

6.666 2

66.66 6

o 0

o 0

40 3

o 2

13.33 9

6.666 4

46.66 9

o o

13.33

53.33

o 6.666

13.33

26.66

26.66

26.66

o

o o 4

5

1

1

3

4

2

3

1

4.2

100 14

o 1

33.33 1

o 0

53.33 12

13.33 2

6.666 0

13.33 6

80 5

o 3

% 26.66

33.33

6.666

o 40

o 26.66

13.33

40

o o 20

13.33

60

26.66

60

Total

3

11

13

12

o 17

3

24

o ()

13

3

20

13

1~

Wessels 38

% 6.66

2.22

24.4

2~.8

26.6

o 37.7

6.66

53.3

o o

28.~

6.66

44.4

28.8

40

o 0 0

o 0 0

26.66 13 28.8

33.33 16 35.5

6.666 3 6.66

6.666 6 13.3

20 6 13.3

26.66 10 22.2

13.33 11 24.4

20 7 15.5

6.666 2 4.44

93.33 43

6.666 2

6.666 8

o 1

~O 31

13.33 5

o 1

40 18

33.33 20

20 5

95.5

4.44

17.7

2.22

6~.~

11.1

2.22

40

44.4

11.1

6.666 1 6.666 2 4.44

13.33

86.66

o 53.33

46.66

100

1 DO

100

6 40 18 40

6 40 24 53.3

3 20 3 6.66

1 6.666 10 22.2

14 93.33 35 77.7

4.2

3.9

2.3

1 DO 4.0333 100

100 3.4333 ., 00

100 1.9 100

European Advertisement: Question _ 2 1 Funny

Strong

Clear

Informative

Sexy

Family-oriented

Anxious

Boring

Exciting

Old-fashioned

Sad

lnteresting

Relaxed

Weird

Confusing

Modern

Work-related

Weak

Stupid

Likable

2 1

-

-

Average

3 Correct

Incorrect

4 Text

Symbol

Product

Illustration

Other

5 Grandfather

Wisdom

Old

Other

6 Youth

Openminded

Other

7 Yes

No

8 Pictures

Text

Colors

2

3

4

5

6

7

Americans

6

o 2

1

o 10

o 1

3

Y

o 3

5

3

4

o o ()

1

6

o o 2

4

4

4

1

4.866

12

3

o 3

5

7

o 5

3

7

o 12

3

o 1

14

4.5

2.6

1.5

% Europeans

40 4

o 1

13.33 6

6.666 7

o 0

66.66 12

o 0

6.666 4

20 1

60 6

o 0

20 1

33.33 7

20 1

26.66 3

o 2

o o

6.066

40

o o

13.33

26.66

26.66

26.66

6.666

80

20

o 20

33.33

46.66

o 33.33

20

46.66

o 80

20

o 6.666

93.33

100

100

100

1

o o 7

o o 3

4

5

2

1

4.6

13

2

5

1

1

8

o 4

5

5

1

10

5

o 8

7

3.8

3.5

2.4

% Asians

26.66 7

6.666 0

40 3

46.66 2

o 0

80 13

o 0

26.66 2

6.666 2

40 7

o () 6.666 5

46.66 4

6.666 2

20 1

13.33 ()

6.666

o o

46.66

o ()

20

26.66

33.33

13.33

6.666

()

3

7

5

1

o 3

3

4

4

1

4.866

86.66 11

13.33 4

33.33 1

6.666 6

6.666 3

53.33 5

o 1

% 46.66

o 20

13.33

o 86.66

o 13.33

13.33

46.66

o 33.33

26.66

13.33

6.666

o

Total

17

1

11

10

o 35

o 7

6

22

o 9

16

6

8

2

Wessels 39

%

37.7

2.22

24.4

22.2

o 77.7

o 15.5

13.3

48.8

o 20

35.5

13.3

17.7

4.44

o 1 2.22

20 3 6.66

46.66 8 17.7

33.33 18 40

6.666 1 2.22

o 0 0

20 8 17.7

20 11 24.4

26.66 13 28.8

26.66 1 0 22.2

6.666 3 6.66

73.33

26.66

6.666

40

20

33.33

6.666

36

9

6

10

9

20

1

80

20

13.3

22.2

20

44.4

2.22

26.66

33.33

33.33

6.666

3 20 12 26.6

66.66

33.33

o 53.33

46.66

100

100

100

10 66.66 18 40

1 6.666 13 28.8

1 6.666 2 4.44

8 53.33 30 66.6

6 40 14 31.1

1 6.666 1 2.22

1 6.666 10 22.2

14 93.33 35 77.7

3.6 100 3.9666 100

4.3 1 DO 3.4666 100

1.3 100 1.7333 100

European Advertisement: Question Americans

-

3 1 Funny 1

Strong 0

Clear 6

Informative 2

Sexy 3

Family-oriented 0

Anxious 0

Boring 3

Exciting 3

Old-fashioned 7

Sad 0

Interesting 5

Relaxed 8

Weird 1

Confusing 2

Modern 1

Work-related 0

Weak 0

Stupid 2

Likable 8

210

Average

3 Correct

Incorrect

4 Text

Symbol

Product

Illustration

Other

5 Strength

Wealth

Long lasting

Other

6 Art

Beauty

Women

7 Yes

No

8 Pictures

Text

Colors

2 0

3 3

4 2

5 3

6 4

7 3

5.133

14

1

o 1

4

10

()

1

6

8

()

8

5

2

2

13

4.2

3.1

2.7

% 6.666

o 40

13.33

20

o o 20

20

46.66

o 33.33

53.33

6.666

13.33

6.666

o o

13.33

53.33

o o 20

13.33

20

26.66

20

93.33

6.666

o 6.666

26.66

66.66

()

6.666

40

53.33

o 53.33

33.33

13.33

13.33

86.66

1110

100

100

Europeans

o 1

7

3

2

1

o 2

4

6

o 7

6

o 3

2

o o 1

7

o o 2

4

5

3

1

4.8

15

o 6

o 1

8

1

2

5

6

2

5

7

3

8

7

4

3.2

1.6

% Asians

o 2

6.666 3

46.66 5

20 1

13.33 0

6.666 4

o 1

13.33 5

26.66 2

40 3

o 0

46.66 9

40 7

o 2

20 4

13.33 4

o 0

o 6.666 1

46.66 9

o 0

o 0

13.33 1

26.66 2

33.33 6

20 3

6.666 3

5.333

%

13.33

20

33.33

6.666

o 26.66

6.666

33.33

13.33

20

o 60

46.66

13.33

26.66

26.66

o 6.666

6.666

60

o o

6.666

13.33

40

20

20

100

o 14 93.33

4{)

o 6.666

53.33

6.666

1 6.666

1 6.666

1 6.666

7 46.66

6 4{)

() 0

4 26.66

Total

3

4

18

6

5

5

1

10

9

16

o 21

21

3

9

7

o 1

4

24

o o 6

8

14

10

7

43

2

7

2

12

24

1

7

Wessels 40

% 6.66

8.88

40

13.3

11.1

11.1

2.22

22.2

20

35.5

o 46.6

46.6

6.66

20

15.5

o 2.22

8.88

53.3

o ()

13.3

17.7

31.1

22.2

15.5

95.5

4.44

15.5

4.44

26.6

53.3

2.22

15.5 13.33

33.33

40

13.33

4 26.66 15 33.3

33.33

46.66

20

53.33

46.66

100

100

100

7 46.66 21 46.6

o 0 2 4.44

6 40 19 42.2

6 40 18 40

3 20 8 17.7

6.666 11 24.4

14 93.33 34 75.5

3.7 lOO 3.9666 100

3.9 100 3.4 100

1.2 100 1.8333 100

-

Wessels 41

Table 1

Question 1:

What words best describe your feeling toward the advertisement?

Funny Strong

Clear

Informative

Sexy

Family-oriented

Anxious

Boring

Exciting

Old-fashioned

Sad

Interesting

Relaxed

Weird

Confusing

Modem

Work-related

Weak

Stupid

Likable

N=North Americans

E=Europeans

A=Asians

Asian

1

A

A

A

N

AE

AE

N

AE

American European

2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 AN A A AN N A A

N AN E A

A A NE E E E

A A N N E E

E A N

A A AN A A

A N

A E E E A

A A A AE E

N N N NE

E A N A NA E A A

A A E

NE A N AE NA

N NE A A AE NA N E E N A A AE A

N N

A E N A AE N AE E A N A

A A N AN E

N, E, or A indicate that group checked feeling 3 or more times than other groups.

When two groups' ratings are 3 or more greater than the other,

the group with the largest number is listed first.

-

-

-

Wessels 42

Table 2

Question 2: What is your overal rating of the advertisement?

I Mean rating

N=North Americans

E=Europeans

A=Asians

Question 3:

Asian

1 I A I

American European 2 I 3 1 I 2 I 3 1 I 2 I 3 A I A NA I A I AN E I I

N, t, or A show group's rating was at least + 0.7 points than another group.

When two groups' ratings are 0.7 or more greater than the other,


What product in your opinion in being advertised?

Correct

Incorrect

N=North Americans

E=Europeans

A=Asians

Asian

1

A

NE

American European

2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

A N NE NE EN AE A A

N, E, or A show at least 3 more persons answered than another group.

When two groups' answer 3 or more correct/ incorrect than the other,


-

-

Wessels 43

Table 3

Question 4: What first attracted your attention in the advertisement?

Text Symbol/ Icon Product Illustration

N=North Americans

E=Europeans

A=Asians

Question 7:

Asian 1 A

N

American European

2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 A A A N E E E

A A A N AN N AN

EN NE A E E N

N, E, or A indicate that at least 3 more persons answered than another group.

When two groups' answer 3 or more than the other,


Do you understand the text of the advertisement?

Yes

No

N=NorthAmericans

E=Europeans

A=Asians

Asian

1

A

NE

American European

2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

A A E E E

NE NE NA NA AN

N, E, or A indicate that at least 3 more answered "yes/ no" than another group.

When two groups' answer 3 or more "yes/ no" than the other,


-

Wessels 44

Table 4

Question 8:

How important are the following to your understanding and liking of the advertisement?

Pictures Text Colors

N=North Americans

E=Europeans

A=Asians

Asian 1

EN AE AE

American Eur<T~an 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 N N A NA N AE A E AE A EA AE A E N E N A E N

N, E, or A mean that group's average was at least 0.7 points higher than another.

When two groups' ratings are 0.7 or more greater than the other,


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Wessels 54 RESOURCES

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semiotics in planning its current advertising." Journal of the Market Research

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"'Crafty Advertisers': literary versus literal deceptiveness." Journal of Public Policy

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Poyatos, Fernando. New Perspectives in Nonverbal Communication: Studies in

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Semiotics and International Advertising

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