The Interplay of Social Semiotics in Selected Examples

of Experiential Brand Marketing

By

Tarryn Rennie

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Magister Artium (Media Studies)
In the Faculty of Arts at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

April 2016

Supervisor: Prof. M Crous

 2

DECLARATION:
In accordance with Rule G4.6.3,

4.6.3 A treatise/dissertation/thesis must be accompanied by a written declaration on

the part of the candidate to the effect that it is his/her own work and that it has
not previously been submitted for assessment to another University or for
another qualification. However, material from publications by the candidate
may be embodied in a treatise/dissertation/thesis.

I, Tarryn Rennie with student number 9440313, hereby declare that the
dissertation for Magister Artium in Media Studies is my own work and that it has
not previously been submitted for assessment to another University or for another
qualification.

Signature:

Date: 7 March 2016

 3

Acknowledgements

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor Prof. Marius Crous, whose

unwavering support has assisted me immensely in completing this study. I would
also like to thank my parents, all those who have been closest to me, without their
support this dissertation would not have been possible.

I dedicate this study to my hero, my mentor and my Dad, Anthony Stone. May you
rest in peace.
 4

Abstract

As with the traditional form of print advertising, advertisements were, and still are
designed in a particular way to attract the viewer’s attention and direct the attention
towards a specific area within the framework of the advertisement. However,
besides print advertising, today’s markets require further interaction with
consumers and the public at large. This has given rise to the use of experiential
brand marketing whereby consumers interact with the brand in out-of-context
situations. The advancement of technology has enabled user experiences to go
beyond the traditional forms of branding such as television, print, radio and even
on-line advertising, websites and so forth and users are able to upload experiential
brand experiences instantly on social networking sites. This, in turn, has indicated
that marketers need to take full advantage of social networking, PR and audience
interaction with brands. Theo Van Leeuwen & Gunther Kress (2005:7) investigated
the context of ‘framing’ in visual communication where elements either have some
kind of ‘connectedness’ or ‘disconnectedness’. This study focuses on the context of
Van Leeuwen’s (2005:7) ‘framing’ of traditional print magazine designs to the
environments or brandscapes in which experiential brand activations are taking
place. According to Lenderman (2006:52), experiential marketing requires person-
to-person networking with consumers who use sophisticated networking tools for
respectful conversations between the consumer and the brand. Not only is this a
cost effective solution to making a relatively unknown brand reach the masses, but
it also allows an opportunity of immediate audience participation and instant
recording of data that can spread across a global network. The theoretical base of
social semiotics, underpinned by Van Leeuwen’s theory of ‘framing’, forms the
theoretical basis of this study, with case studies of various experiential brand
activations being analysed. An analysis of the environment in which the brand
experience takes place, along with consumer reactions and their reactions to the
overall brand experience in terms of experiential branding is studied. The aim of
this research is to identify how the interplay of social semiotics could be used to
interpret the current trend of user brand experiences in terms of experiential,
interactive marketing.

Keywords: Experiential Marketing, Social Semiotics, Consumer Brand Behaviour,

Branding, Interactive Marketing, Brandscapes, Peircean Semiotics
 5

Glossary

Term Definition

experiential branding A form of advertising that allows consumers to

experience a particular brand in a refreshing way with
the intention of creating a memorable connection
between the consumer and the brand.

brandscape A dedicated area or place allowing consumers to

interact and experience a particular brand.

interactive marketing The target audience participates in the brand experience

by interacting, physically with the brand message.

Peircean semiotics The study of sign actions related to the way people
interact and interpret the sign. The physical realm of
how the sign is experienced by people. The sign acts
between the object (that which is being represented)
and the interpretant (how the receiver interprets the
message and the sign) through law or reason. Note that
Pierce is pronounced as ‘purse’ (Chandler, 2013: 2).

social semiotics A distinctive approach to communication that aims to

understand how people communicate in different social
situations. This involves understanding various modes
of communication whereby the communicator develops
messages (including that which technology has to offer)
and how people interpret the messages.

design thinking This relates to creativity and creative design that is

human centred, focusing on customers and their
needs. It is a fundamental property in in today’s highly
competitive marketing industry.
 6

Term Definition

ambient / guerrilla “Advertising that takes place in an environmental space

marketing that consumers encounter as part of their daily lives.”
(Tibbs, 2010:63) by using unconventional advertising
to promote ideas, services and products to an audience.

integrated brand Also known as IBP. An extensive range of promotional

promotions marketing tools used together for optimum, widespread
exposure to the brand.

myopia Lack of foresight in marketing tactics. The term is

frequently used by De Lencastre et al (2013:490)
 7

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 3
Abstract 4
Glossary 5
List of Figures 9

Chapter One: Introduction 11

1.1 Background and Context of Research 11
1.2 Overall Research Question 13
1.3 Research Aims 14
1.3.1 Link between Semiotics and Social Semiotics 14
1.3.2 Semiotics According to Peirce 14
1.3.3 Social Semiotics According to Van Leeuwen 15
1.3.4 Peirce’s Sign 17
1.3.5 Experiential Brand Activations and Social Semiotics 17
1.3.6 Design Thinking 18
1.4 Recontexualisation 20
1.5 Research Methods/ Procedures and Techniques to be Adopted 23

Chapter Two: Social Semiotics and Creativity 26

2.1 Design Thinking in Experiential Brand Marketing 29
2.2 Peirce’s Model 31
2.3 The Brand Triangle 38
2.4 Social Semiotics in Experiential Branding 42
2.5 Van Leeuwen’s ‘Framing’ based on the ‘System Network Diagram’ 43
2.6 The Relevance of Design Thinking 58
2.6.1 Iterative Learning in Experiential Brand Activations 61
2.6.2 The Creative Thinking Process 62

Chapter Three: Historical Overview of Experiential Marketing 67

3.1 Synopsis of Ambient and Guerrilla marketing 67
3.2 Schmitt’s Sensory Levels of Engagement 74
3.3 Why is Communication Necessary? 76
 8

3.4 Differences and Similarities between Guerrilla Marketing and

Experiential Marketing 82
3.5 Media and Technology’s Influence on Experiential Marketing 84

Chapter Four: ‘Framing’ and Recontexualisation 94

4.1 ‘Framing’ in Brandscapes 96
4.2 Brands – Why These Brands in Particular? 99
4.3 Brand Experience Examples 101
4.3.1 The Tate Britain 101
4.3.2 Stimorol Gum 105
4.3.3 Coca-Cola ‘Hello Happiness’ 109
4.3.4 Tesco’s Virtual Grocery Store 114
4.3.5 Climate Smart Cape Town 117

Chapter Five: Conclusion 122

5.1 Summary of Chapters 123
5.2 Contributions of the Study 126
5.3 Suggestions of Further Research 127
5.4 Concluding Remarks 131

Bibliography 133
 9

List of Figures

Figure 2.1 The Semiotic Triad (1995) 34

Figure 2.2 The Brand Triangle, adapted from De Lencastre and Côrte-Real
(2013) 39
Figure 2.3 ‘System Network Diagram’ from Van Leeuwen (2005) 46
Figure 2.4 Abigail Heyman: Growing Up Female from Van Leeuwen (2005) 48
Figure 2.5 SNCF ‘Europe is Just Next Door’ Campaign (2013) 49
Figure 2.6 Shower Advertisement (House Beautiful, September 1998)
from Van Leeuwen (2005) 52
Figure 2.7 Fantastic Delites Brand Activation (2012) 55
Figure 2.8 Human-Centred Design Thinking Model from DTHSG (2005) 59
Figure 2.9 Iterative Learning Process Model from DTHSG (2005) 60
Figure 2.10 Creative Design-Thinking Process from DTHSG (2005) 63
Figure 2.11 Design Thinking Model from DTHSG (2005) 64
Figure 3.1 Ambient Media: Park Bench (n.d) 68
Figure 3.2 Ambient Advertising: Wristwatch (n.d) 68
Figure 3.3 “Moulin Rouge – La Goulue” by Toulouse-Lautrec (1891) 69
Figure 3.4 Guerrilla Marketing used to promote National Organ Donor Week
in Brazil (2013) 72
Figure 3.5 Experiential Sensory Model from Schmitt (2014) 74
Figure 3.6 Application of “Think” Sensory Model in IBM Activation (2014) 76
Figure 3.7 Linear Model of Communication from Wood (2009) 78
Figure 3.8 Transactional Model of Communication from Wood (2009) 80
Figure 3.9 Sensory Experience of the Coca-Cola Christmas Road Show’s
Marriage Proposal (2014) 88
Figure 4.1 Model Depicting Representation of Elements in a Brandscape Based
on Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’ and Fairclough’s
Representation (2005, 2003) 96
Figure 4.2 Responsive Digital Posters utilising London’s City Skyline and to
Frame the Messages Promoting Britain’s Tate Museum (2014) 102
Figure 4.3 University of Cape Town Students Participate in the Stimorol
Brand Activation (2013) 106
Figure 4.4 Migrant Workers in Dubai Engage with the “Hello Happiness”
Coca-Cola Campaign (2014) 110
 10

Figure 4.5 The Strategically Placed Phone Booths Related to Fairclough’s

More Abstract Representation of Events (2003) 111
Figure 4.6 Tesco Homeplus Introduces the World’s First Virtual Store in
Seoul’s Subway in South Korea (2011) 115
Figure 4.7 Cape Town Climate Smart Pavilion Framed Against the Durban
Skyline at the Durban Convention Centre (2011) 118
 11

CHAPTER 1
Introduction

1.1 Background and Context of Research

The aim of this research is to identify whether Van Leeuwen’s (2005:7) visual
compositional element of ‘framing’ in social semiotics is relevant to the
environments in which experiential brand activations take place. The way in which
viewers ‘read’ a print advertisement is linked to the visual compositional placement
of elements within the printed frame of the page, but how does this relate to the
compositional placement of elements in an experiential brand environment? Does
the environment of the experiential brand activation negatively or positively impact
on the success of the brand? This will be considered according to Van Leeuwen’s
print advertising ‘framing’ model, namely, the ‘System Network Diagram’ (2005:
13).

In discussing social semiotics as a tool of analysis Van Leeuwen (2005:3) explains

what semioticians do, as follows:
“(1) collect, document and systematically catalogue semiotic resources –
including their history; (2) investigate how these resources are used in specific
historical, cultural and institutional contexts, and how people talk about them in
these contexts – plan them, teach them, justify them, critique them, etc. and (3)
contribute to the discovery and development of new semiotic resources and new
uses of existing semiotic resources”.

Aspects of social semiotics in relation to experiential branding in both Lendermann

(2006) and De Lencastre and Real (2013) will serve as a point of departure for the
analysis of a selection of award-winning experiential brand activations. Vannini
(2011) states that social semiotics focuses on the many ways people produce forms
of communication and how people interact and interpret these forms of
communication related to particular social situations.

Experiential brand case studies to be considered in this study will include current
examples in which audiences have engaged with the brand in an unusual
environment, in other words an environment in which the brand can ‘spring an
element of surprise’ on the consumer in a place where they would least expect it.
 12

Brand experiential case studies including WWF-SASSI (World Wildlife Fund and
the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative) “Singing Fish” (Derrick,
2013), 7-Eleven Slurpee, Australia “Bring Your Own Cup Day” (2011), The City
of Cape Town “Save Electricity” (Derrick, 2013) and, Coca-Cola’s “Invisible
Vending Machines” (2014) will form part of the social semiotic inventory of
experiential brand activations.

On Valentine’s Day of 2014, Coca-Cola developed a brand experience concept

based involving ‘invisible’ vending machines, positioned on pavements and high
foot traffic areas, at night. A beverage dispenser on a busy pedestrian street lit up to
passing pairs (Whitelocks, 2014) whereby the surprised couples were given two
chilled, personalised Coca-Cola cans. Could the visual placement of these vending
machines assist in creating a symbolic reference of sharing happiness which is
synonymous with the Coca-Cola brand and this pedestrian brand experience? How
was the audience directed to this specific place of brand activation in terms of
analyzing Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’?

The variety of media platforms used to send messages to consumers has increased
considerably over the years. Marketers now need to pull consumers into different
directions (or situations) where dissimilar interpretations and symbolic meanings
take place. The experience of the brand calls for evaluation of symbolism and
further, a reaction to the relevance of the current circumstance (Schembri et al.
2010:623). Lendermann (2006:31) states that if a marketing experience does not
create some kind of benefit in terms of its symbolism to the intended target market,
whether it be a physical interaction based on emotions, or a mental collaboration
with the product being marketed, it could lack the impact of being experiential at
all. Not only is it a waste of time, money and energy, it simply adds to the clutter
and in turn, tends to “turn people off” (Lendermann, 2006:13). This could be a
damaging end result as the consumer may choose to disassociate from the brand
completely and evidently, the consumer is driven towards a competitor brand.
 13

Mootie (2013) iterates that many organisations make the mistake of using the same
forms of innovation over and over and this can, in turn, contribute to what
Lendermann (2006:13) dictates as “impersonal PR stunts, cheap marketing
gimmicks, and lowest-common denominator advertising”. The sooner a company
realises the need to look beyond adding to the usual clutter, the better it will be for
both consumer and company concerned.

An experiential brand activation should provide more to the client. It should

provide a benefit that avoids brand “experiences becoming commoditised” (Pine
and Gilmore, 1999:165). A simple, clear message that is beneficial to the consumer
will alter the consumer’s interest in the brand and ultimately, create a loyal
customer. Goldman (2006:329) stipulates the need for branding to not only
differentiate one’s product from the next, but to create ways in which the marketer
can “boost the perceived value of a product or company”. It is important to note
that live brand experiences are not ‘stand-alone’ attempts at marketing messages to
consumers. They need to be implemented as part of an integrated marketing
approach using many different media channels to relay the message (Smilansky,
2009:4).

1.2 Research Questions

Today’s marketing requires interaction with consumers and the public at large. This
has given rise to the use of experiential brand marketing whereby consumers
interact with the brand in out-of-context situations. The problem is, marketers may
underestimate the importance of choosing the correct brandscape environment or
area of activation. This research acts as a guideline to marketers when planning an
implementing experiential branding specifically related to places of activation
amongst others. The advancement of technology has enabled user experiences to
go beyond the traditional forms of branding such as television, print, radio and even
on-line advertising, websites and so forth and users are able to upload experiential
brand experiences instantly on social networking sites. This, in turn, has indicated
that marketers need to take full advantage of social networking, PR and audience
interaction with brands. Theo Van Leeuwen & Gunther Kress (2005:7) investigate
the context of ‘framing’ in visual communication where elements either have some
kind of ‘connectedness’ or ‘disconnectedness’.
 14

Research questions pertaining to this study include the following:

• Can one compare and relate the context of Van Leeuwen’s (2005:7) ‘framing’
of traditional print magazine designs to the environments in which experiential
brand activations are taking place?
• Can the theoretical base of social semiotics, underpinned by Van Leeuwen’s
theory of ‘framing’, form a theoretical basis of this study?
• How does the environment in which a brand experience takes place influence
the message as a form of social engagement?

1.3 Research Aims

The aim of this research is to identify how the interplay of social semiotics could be
used to interpret the current trend of user brand experiences in terms of experiential,
interactive marketing.

1.3.1 Link between Semiotics and Social Semiotics

This study will consider the history of social semiotics, how applied semiotics
utilizes the knowledge about signs and consumer behaviour and the consumers’
reactions in experiential marketing situations, which according to Mick (1986:200)
“is a doctrine of experience, a doctrine of consciousness”. Mick goes on to say that
social semiotics is a philosophy anchored in the real world with people playing an
important role in various environments, social institutions and through various
cultures. As with traditional print magazine advertising, viewers interpreted the
brand’s messages in a variety of ways. In so doing, one cannot discount the role of
Peirce’s interpretation of the sign as a “process of rendering signs meaningful”
(Merrell, 2001:31).

1.3.2 Semiotics according to Peirce

Messages are perceived and interpreted by audiences in different ways. The study
of signs assists in the interpretation of the message as developed by Charles
Sanders Peirce (1955). However, in order to be successful at experiential branding,
three semiotic approaches need to be considered:
 15

• Firstly, the brand experiencer needs to interpret, identify and decode the
message;
• Secondly, the participator must recognize the sign that is being created
(Goldman, 2006:332); and
• Thirdly, the consumer must understand the value of the brand.
Often, consumers may seek the assistance of others to validate the brand.

Peirce, a philosopher who was mainly concerned about “how we make sense of the
world around us” (Crowe, 2003:24), recognized a sign as being a symbol that
involved the consumer as the interpretant of the sign or message, and in so doing
related the sign to the object with various other associations. For example, WWF-
SASSI, working with large fisheries, private fisherman and other stakeholders, is an
organisation in South Africa that assists in educating issues for sustainable fishing
resources. In-store activations (2013) at fish counters in supermarkets attracted
consumers to a “singing fish”. This attention-grabbing animatronic Red Stumpnose
(a species from the endangered list in South Africa) directed consumers toward
awareness brochures promoting Green-listed sustainable fishing resources, with the
message being “not all seafood is abundant. Please choose wisely.” (Tronchin,
2013). Thus, the factual connection between the singing fish’s message and the
brand experience can be iconic, where the sign resembles or imitates the object as
proposed by Peirce (Schembri et al. 2010:631).

1.3.3 Social Semiotics According to Van Leeuwen

A further selection of brand experience examples will be analysed and discussed

according to Van Leeuwen’s social semiotics in this section. The relevance of
social semiotics with regard to brand experiences in order to address phenomena
such as audience interaction on an emotional level when responding to brands that
have a symbolic meaning, will be studied (as per the WWF-SASSI “singing fish”
example briefly discussed). The emphasis is on the social semiotic context of
‘framing’ text and illustration, as a form of communication that is applied to
mainstream or traditional advertising. Examples will be analysed according to the
way print advertisements are read with reference to social semiotics.
 16

Interactive marketing (or trigger marketing), is essentially the process whereby an

audience interacts with a brand at a one-on-one level, forms a way in which the
audience’s reaction can be recorded instantly as opposed to the more traditional
form of direct marketing. According to Genroe (2013), the reactions of customers
and prospective customers can vary from one to another and interactive marketing
is two-to-twelve times more effective than traditional direct marketing.

Van Leeuwen’s approach will form the framework for exploring whether social
semiotics is an underlying influence in today’s interactive, experiential marketing
tactics. Van Leeuwen names these collections of case studies “semiotic inventories”
(2005:6).

When one mentions ‘interactive marketing’ or ‘experiential marketing’, many

interpretations may spring to mind. The target audience participates in the brand
experience by interacting physically with the brand message, usually together with
an emotional response. Experiential marketing is not a gimmick. Experiential
marketing needs to dazzle the senses and touch the hearts to stimulate minds.
Audiences require an experience of the brand that is given to them, not just another
normal marketing message that can easily be forgotten (Lenderman, 2006:19).

This study utilizes the actions of audience engagement with brands in ‘surprising’
environments, where at times, the audience is least likely to expect the brand to be.
According to Lenderman (2006:1), one needs to make friends with brands, and to
reach the intended audience the brand needs to be in the right place at the right time
to create a memorable brand experience. In social semiotics, resources are signifiers
(sounds, words, images or experiences perhaps) that become signs in themselves,
whereby actions are observed by means of “objects that have been drawn into the
domain of social communication” (Van Leeuwen 2005:4).
 17

1.3.4 Peirce’s Sign

In brief, for Peirce the sign has three parts (this is discussed further in Chapter
Two): the representamen (this is the part that is the everyday “image” of the sign
and sets it apart from the other two parts); the second part of the sign is the object,
which in essence forms a relation with the representamen, and thirdly, the
interpretant assigns meaning by interpreting the relation between the representamen
and the object. The three components essentially work together to form an
“interrelation” (Merrell, 2001:30) and can be used to analyse the experiential brand
messages according to Peirce’s triadic sign system (this will be discussed further in
Chapter Two).

In the context of this study, the sign would be the brand experience – the way in
which the consumer responds to the brand activation and the environment in which
the brand experience is taking place. The way in which the message is received or
understood is changed into a language that has a symbolic code as Mick explains
“this notion of code is then shared and transmitted in a social environment” (Mick,
1986:199). The connection of Mick’s statement in relation to today’s social media
context is uncanny as with user experiences, social network plays an integral role in
sending messages, or in this instance, people can share their brand experience with
others by posting video clips on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and so forth. The social nature of brands means that
people tend to socialize and interact with each other around brands by creating a
kind of ‘fan culture’. This lends itself to the possibility of an emerging new set or
system of signs that are related to experiential brand marketing and are evolving
and being developed through the interconnectedness of virtual spaces. An analysis
of how the brand experience message, in terms of the situation and environment
and ‘sign’ occurs, will be analysed. How is this symbolic code of experiential
brand activations and responses used in the context of social media?

1.3.5 Experiential Brand Activations and Social Semiotics

The goal of this study is to identify the potential meaning of experiential brand
activations through the study of Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’ in
relation to experiential brand environments. Another aspect to be considered is the
 18

influence of technology on the expansion of the user brand experience, as opposed

to traditional marketing methods. De Lencastre (1999:496) mentions that the days
of distinction between the ways the brand was emitted and the way in which it was
received, are long gone. The roll-out of the brand was limited to only an internal
target market or audience that was controlled by those who owned the brand.
Nowadays, the distinction is blurred due to social media and the use of mobile
devices whereby an experience can be uploaded instantly and sent virtually by
means of social networking sites leading to uncontrolled diffusion of the brand.

Furthermore, the origin and development of the theory of social semiotics will also
be explored. Vannini (2011) states that social semiotics focuses on the many ways
people produce forms of communication and how people interact and interpret
these forms of communication related to particular social situations. Social
semiotics lends itself to producing inventories for analysis (Van Leeuwen, 2005:6)
that have the potential of discovering new semiotic resources. Social semiotics, as a
type of semiotics, does not necessarily study what particular signs stand for, but
rather how these signs are used to convey meaning (Vannini, 2011). The interplay
of social semiotics in experiential brand marketing, through a non-linguistic level
allows for the senses to analyse meaning that could be created through brand
awareness activations. In other words, the use of social semiotics also allows for
meanings in different contexts to be created which are based on situations and
practices of communication.

1.3.6 Design Thinking

A discussion regarding the design thinking process according to the University of

St Gallen’s Institute of Information Management (2005) will form part of the
content of Chapter Two, along with Peirce’s triadic sign system. This system gives
rise to the way messages are potentially understood in terms of visual
communication and will also be analysed with the intention of finding a link
between the traditional sense of the reading of signs and how this is interpreted in
terms of experiential brand activation. This in turn leads to design thinking, which
forms a crucial process in the way concepts need to be implemented in order to
create a successful interaction with the consumer. One of the challenges that face
present-day strategic marketers is the success of various brand management
 19

activities. Even though companies employ brand managers, there is still no

guarantee of the success of a brand - no clear-cut reason as to why some brands do
well and others fail. According to Ponsonby-McCabe and Boyle (2007:176)
“approximately 75-85% of all new brands fail”. Perhaps a reason for this is that
brand building is not only reliant on the brand managers and strategic marketers,
but also on the consumers themselves.

The University of St. Gallen’s Institute of Information Management (2005) states

that design thinking relates to creativity and creative design that is human-centred,
focuses on customers and their needs. It is a fundamental property in today’s highly
competitive marketing industry and is paramount in driving the success behind the
product being advertised. Experiential branding requires an innovative edge over
and above the traditional forms of advertising to enhance the brand message and to
ensure the target audience receives the message and responds to that message in a
way that will build brand loyalty. Marketing studies that are tuned into consumer
behaviour by means of observing potential and existing customers, interviewing
consumers and so forth will assist in creating the idea behind the relevant
innovative brand experience. The human-centred design thinking model will be
discussed along with the iterative learning process model. The iterative learning
approach which is, according to the University of St. Gallen’s Institute of
Information Management (2005), an approach where the idea generation process
needs to “redefine the problem, [need-finding], ideation, building of prototypes
[and provide] testing with the user.” This process allows for establishing different
results in human needs and makes way for experts’ assistance. The creative
thinking process should be a point of discussion which may or may not give rise to
a clearer understanding or focus of the end-design goal within reach (Ingle, 2013).

Ambient or guerrilla marketing forms an integral part of the history of advertising

and this will be discussed further in Chapter Three, along with differences and
similarities between guerrilla marketing and experiential marketing. The question
of whether experiential marketing could simply be an extension of guerrilla
marketing will be analysed. How has digital media influenced the role of
experiential marketing and how has technology shifted consumers’ interaction with
experiential brand activations? The aim of experiential marketing as well as
ambient advertising (outdoor advertising) intends to make the disinterested
 20

interested. Ambient media involves, amongst others, massive buildings wrapped in

an advertising messages, placing of posters onto trees and, for example, clever park
bench messages whereby the whole bench is turned into a Nestlé KitKat chocolate
bar with the message “Have a break, have a KitKat”. Simply, ambient media is
“advertising that occupies an environmental space that consumers encounter as part
of their daily lives.” (Tibbs, 2005:63).

Moreover, ambient media, in the traditional sense, can be found anywhere and
everywhere. As with experiential brand activations, ambient media challenges
designers to create new ways of thinking. How receptive are consumers to certain
brand activations and to what extent do the environments of these brand activations
have on the consumer reaction to the brand message? “It may be argued that
guerrilla marketing is not a new phenomenon”, says Tibbs (2010:65). For example,
the brand Adidas suspended actual football players by means of wires across streets
in the cities of Tokyo and Osaka; Microsoft spread butterfly stickers throughout
Manhattan and McDonalds had a “sleeping lady in her bed in a busy Hong Kong
subway station. These activities sparked tremendous interest as well as controversy
amongst the public” (Tibbs, 2010:65). Experiential branding could be derived from
guerrilla advertising which has been around for a number of years. However,
marketers in today’s age have taken it a step further with the intention of a
successful brand being to captivate consumers by means of providing a remarkable
brand experience that will keep customers satisfied and essentially create brand
loyalty (Mathieson, 2005).

1.4 Recontexualisation

The relationship between the product, consumer and the environment in which the
brand experience takes place in terms of social semiotics will form part of this
study. Fairclough (2003:139) mentions that one can ‘recontexualise’ a broad range
of social events. “In representing a social event, one is incorporating it within the
context of another social event, recontexualising it” (Fairclough, 2003:139). The
various principles of recontextualisation of social events will be analysed in order
to create an explanation and evaluation of the events being summarized (thus being
experiential brand activations). The following points will be analysed: the presence
(which elements in the brand activation are present/absent, featured/not featured),
 21

abstraction (degree of abstraction or generalization from the actual event or brand

activation), arrangement (the sequence of the experiential activation), additions
(extras added in the representation of the event: explanation – reason, cause,
purpose) (Fairclough, 2003:139). A similar view of representational elements by
Van Leeuwen will also be analysed. The participants’ response to the activations
will be analysed according to the circumstances which Fairclough (2003:141)
simply states as “process types”. Once again, Halliday (1994) and Van Leeuwen
(1995) have formulated a similar process of representational elements that could
form a comparative analysis.

The environment or brandscape, as stipulated by Wood and Ball (2013:47) are

places where the brand is exposed to the consumer in a particular landscape.
Semiotic visual codings allow for reassurance and familiarity of the brand with
consumers. Brandscapes in areas that are exposed to consumers allow for
experiential marketing techniques and “form the basis of the new affective
economy” (Wood et al, 2013:47). A brandscape is “a place that is totally given over
to providing consumers with opportunities to have an experience that is clearly and
exclusively associated with the brand concerned”. These could be stores, retail
outlets, park-like settings and even virtual spaces which can assist in creating value
with the consumer whereby, reality and fantasy often become one (Ponsonby-
Mccabe and Boyle, 2007:183). This experiential brand landscape links to the
symbolic meaning of the brand and the user experience with the brand in an out-of-
context situation which becomes a place-experience.

Van Leeuwen (2005:3) explains that social semioticians “contribute to the

discovery and development of new semiotic resources and new uses of existing
semiotic resources”. This study will attempt to formulate whether a new system of
signs has possibly arisen due to the virtual interconnectivity of brand experiences
resulting from certain experiential brand activations. In the past, there was no clear
distinction between the ‘emission’ and the ‘reception’ of the brand. It was difficult
to clearly define the difference in which the messages went out and when they had
been received by the consumer (De Lencastre, 2013:496). Nowadays, with the
advancement of technology and instantaneous communication through social
networking, brand messages are no longer only limited to an internal audience and
this makes it difficult for the owner of the brand to have complete control of the
 22

brand. Couldry (2009:438) surmises mass media changes as follows: “The

digitization of mass media contents … from a fixed point or via mobile devices,
means that, in principle, every point in space is connected through mediated
communication to every other point; and that connection is potentially two-way,
since either end may be sender or receiver, or both” (Couldry in Rose, 2012:84).

The immediacy of broadcast media, including on-line media and social media,
makes way for social regulation, says Van Leeuwen (2005:93), but one can argue
that this could be unregulated as the exposure of experiential branding that is often
uploaded and shared directly from the brand experiencer using non-traditional
broadcast media. Lenderman (2006:52) motivates this by saying that one of the
reasons for the existence of experiential branding in the “new marketplace” is
without a doubt, the Internet. This diverse channel has motivated conversations
between consumers to express their connections with the brand, which can be
favourable, or not. These interactions are encouraged by the experiential marketer
with the consumer – which could not be accomplished with passive marketing
(Lenderman, 2006:52). However, this association with sharing the brand experience
by means of social networking has lent itself to a new form of communicating the
brand experience by means of digital intervention. What began as an experiential
activation in a brandscape now becomes an experiential activation of a different
kind, evolving into a new experiential activation that becomes its own ‘language’
whereby interaction with on-line users creates a whole new system of meaningful
signs. Can Peirce’s semiotic, triadic sign system influence our perception or
interpretation of this new system of digital signs? This being said, could the
interplay of social semiotics of experiential brand activations by means of on-line
posts lend itself to creating a new meaning, in another entirely different context,
based on experiential brand situations and communication praxis?

Finally, the study will also make suggestions for future research that could be
undertaken on experiential brand marketing that would assist the graphic designer
and marketing team when planning a branding campaign.
 23

1.5 Research Design Methods / Procedures and Techniques to be Adopted

Gillian Rose (2012:82) states that besides the rigorous process of content analysis
which has often been used for mass media research, qualitative research methods
have flourished across social sciences and humanities based on the study of signs
“… which has been used in relation to photographs and advertisements” (Rose,
2012:82). Ely (1991) ascribes five attributes to qualitative research: Firstly, these
areas include certain situations/events or contexts to be studied. An immersion of
the qualitative researcher in the context of the brandscape forms one of the key
attributes. Secondly, this immersion allows for a natural evolution of enquiry and
social semiotics allows for the researcher to better understand social gatherings of
experiential brand activations. Thirdly, the way in which the audience participates
and interacts within certain contexts of social gatherings allows for various
responses from the consumers and participants in societies to be studied. Fourthly,
the whole experience is analysed. Fifthly, qualitative research allows for different
research methods to be used which allows for various results to be shown. Schroder
et al (in Rose, 2012:349) say that if one uses more than one research method, many
benefits are shown. Interesting points of interaction or visual interpretation can be
developed with the possibility of contradictory results.

In contrast, quantitative research forms a direct form of collecting data from people
by means of questionnaires and surveys that could be either on-line or off-line.
People are required to express their views in a structured manner for the researcher
to gain hard facts and statistics. Often, a large number of people are requested to
participate in quantitative research methods. For the purpose of this dissertation, the
qualitative research method will serve the purpose better than the quantitative
method. A critical method, using social semiotic theory based on Introducing
Social Semiotics by Van Leeuwen (2005) as well as Norman Fairclough’s
Analysing Discourse (2003) will serve as the framework for an analysis of the
respective experiential brand settings or brandscapes. By means of the qualitative
research method, the interplay of social semiotics and audience interactions within
a variety of brandscapes will form the basis of this dissertation. A variety of award-
winning brand experiences will be analysed according to the following social
semiotic elements discussed by Van Leeuwen (2005:13): disconnection: visual
rhyme, visual contrast; segregation and separation with overlap or without overlap;
 24

connection: pictorial integration and textual integration. The four elements of

audience studies will form part of the visual methodology, namely visual form or
content/context; material form which is made up of the physical form of the brand
experience and lastly, presentational form which is the particular way in which the
image is presented to the audience participating in the experience (Rose, 2012:287).

The methodological approach of the dissertation will include that of content

analysis of critical literature on the respective brands and the environment in which
the audiences or customers participate in the brand experience. The context of
‘framing’ based on Van Leeuwen’s (2005:13) ‘System Network Diagram’ and
grounded in social semiotics will form the basis of this investigation into
experiential brandscapes. Smith (2000) says that “content analysis is a technique
that can be used to extract desired information from a body of material. By means
of content analysis a large body of qualitative information may be reduced to a
smaller more manageable form of representation” (Smith, 2000). By means of this
research method, content analysis will indicate the relationships and themes that
can be identified to build on the proposed question of the interplay of social
semiotics of selected brand experiences in terms of experiential, interactive
marketing. In other words, the synthesis of data will hopefully enable a solution
posed in this research question that is related to the interplay of social semiotics in
brand activations.

As mentioned previously, experiential brand case studies including a number of

experiential brand activations such as WWF-SASSI (World Wildlife Fund and the
Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative) “singing fish” (Derrick, 2013), 7-
Eleven Slurpee, Australia “Bring your own cup day” (2012), The City of Cape
Town “Save Electricity” (Derrick, 2013) and, Coca-Cola’s “invisible vending
machines” (2014) and so forth will be analysed. Coca-Cola’s Valentine’s Day
brand experience during February 2014 based on ‘invisible’ vending machines will
also form part of the social semiotic inventory. Beverage dispensers on busy
pedestrian streets were lit up to passing pairs (Whitelocks, 2014) whereby the
surprised couples were given two chilled, personalised Coca-Cola cans. Could the
symbolic reference of sharing which is synonymous to the Coca-Cola brand and
this pedestrian brand experience, be an influence of Peirce’s theory between sign
and object and Van Leeuwen’s concept of ‘framing’?
 25

The theoretical basis of my study will also attempt to create a semiotic inventory of
experiential brands. Van Leeuwen (2005:6) mentions this can be created in several
ways, for example, by documenting different ways people walk or by collecting
descriptions of how people walk in certain contexts. The brand activation will be
categorised according to product, place of experiential brand and ‘framing’. The
consumer participates in the experiential brand activity, identifies with the product
(sign) and creates self-association with the object (Van Leeuwen, 2005:93). Van
Leeuwen’s inventory of magazine ‘framing’ in comparison to experiential
‘framing’ will be analysed. What exactly is ‘framing’? Van Leeuwen and Kress
(2005:7) introduced this concept in terms of visual communication. Essentially, it
means “the disconnection of elements in a visual composition”. In (magazine)
‘framing’, the border forms a boundary or, in an outdoor setting, the building
backdrop or the edge of a tree or building may form a boundary, where there is an
unoccupied space between elements and there may be variations of colour and so
forth.

Subsequently, in the next chapter will attempt to formulate the link between the
origin and theory related to social semiotics, with particular reference to Van
Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’, Peirce’s theory of the sign and the role of
design thinking in experiential brand marketing.
 26

CHAPTER 2
Social Semiotics and Creativity

The ever-increasing number of brands has lead to competition amongst brand

leaders in sustaining customer loyalty and marketers have realised that traditional
forms of marketing are not enough. Emotional connections with consumers are one
of the marketing tactics that have been utilised in experiential marketing activations
with the intention of securing customer brand loyalty. Brands are not merely a
product. Brands are an experience (Alvey, 2013). Socially, various brands belong to
the same market but to different sections of the market with the intention of looking
for various things in the way the consumer interacts with the brand or product (De
Lencastre, 2013:499), but how exactly are these messages interpreted by the target
audiences? How are these messages that marketers conceptualise so painstakingly
crafted, read?

This chapter will outline the following: i) the role that design thinking plays in
experiential brand marketing; ii) how Peirce’s model of the sign is applied to brand
experiences; iii) the use and application of the brand triangle; iv) social semiotics in
experiential branding; v) Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’ according to
various experiential brand activations in social semiotics, and finally; vi) the
relevance of design thinking according to the University of St. Gallen’s Institute of
Information Management. This will form the central discussion point and analysis
in this chapter.

Various experiential activations will form the basis of this study. Each example will
be approached according to social semiotician Van Leeuwen’s (2005:13) ‘System
Network Diagram’ to represent meaning potentials by creating a semiotic inventory
of experiential brands according to social semiotics. An example of an inventory,
according to Van Leeuwen (2005:6) can be created in several ways: by
documenting different ways people walk or by collecting descriptions of how
people walk in certain contexts. The brand activations will be categorised according
to product, place of experiential brand, ‘framing’ and Peirce’s sign, object and
interpretant. The consumer participates in the experiential brand activity, identifies
 27

with the product (sign) and creates self-association with the object (Van Leeuwen,
2005:93). Van Leeuwen’s inventory of magazine ‘framing’ in comparison to
experiential ‘framing’ will be analysed.

Van Leeuwen and Kress introduced the concept of ‘framing’ in terms of visual
communication. Essentially, it means “the disconnection of elements in a visual
composition” (Van Leeuwen and Kress, 2005:7). In (magazine) ‘framing’, the
border of the page forms a boundary or, in an outdoor setting, the building
backdrop or the edge of a tree may form a boundary, where there is an unoccupied
space between elements, there may be variations of colour and so forth.

By analyzing Peirce’s theory of the sign the researcher aims to gain an

understanding as to how consumers interpret messages or signs within a certain
social setting. Could the environment in which the brand activation takes place
amplify messages to the consumer that are linked to the brand being advertised?
Some of these messages may be subliminal, but the purpose of the brand activation
is for the marketer to document the responses from those who have interacted with
the brand experience, to form an inventory for further social semiotics resources
and research.

According to Nozawa (2007:4), Peirce’s theory of the sign is the simplified

combination of object, representamen and interpretant and can be used in numerous
situations. For example, managing air traffic including the aeroplanes, weather
patterns and actions. The representamen could be the actual image or picture of
traffic management on the display unit in the cockpit, and the interpretant could be
a representation of the pilot.

Peirce’s sign system (of all three elements) should exist concurrently with each
other, and not independently or as pairs. If one minimizes this triadic sign into
pairs, a separation problem may occur. This system of the triadic sign, according to
Nozawa (2007:4), can provide a scientific method that can be used by scientists and
engineers and perhaps advertisers. Can it be used in the context of brand experience
too? Can the theoretical approach of Peirce’s sign be used in the context of brand
experiences? Does Van Leeuwen’s ‘framing’ technique play an integral part of this
triadic system of the sign and message or interpretant?
 28

Social movements (employing on-line media tools) are considered to be pressurised

marketing tools (Lehner and Halliday, 2014:13). This means that consumers are
actively engaging in experiential branding by means of being ‘active agents’.
Consumers can now initiate on-line dialogue by means of actively participating in
social media. This will be discussed further in Chapter Three. Brands that could be
perceived as meaningless or not real in the eye of the consumer will find it difficult
to remain successful (Lehner and Halliday, 2014:14). Furthermore, “brand
communities and social aggregations of empowered consumers are not going away.
In fact society’s need for trust and security have rarely been more profound”
(O’Guinn and Muniz, 2005:270). What this means, is that brand managers need to
change the way in which brands engage with consumers. Consumers need to feel as
though they belong to something greater where brands evoke a feeling of
meaningfulness in society.

According to Reid (2014), creative innovators and inventors need to devise new
strategies to showcase their ideas to consumers and the rest of the world. This
approach is relevant to brands where experiential campaigns, that are not
mainstream, have recently shown to be more effective than traditional brand
procedures. Keller and Lehmann (2006:742) say that experiential branding forms
an integral role in marketing thinking whereby the consumer interacts with the
brand by means of a sensory experiences of feelings (emotive), creative and
cognitive responses, physical actions and the ability to relate to the experience by
means of making a connection with the consumer.

Kapferer (2012:2) mentions that communication is fundamental in creating a brand,

but it is not an isolated task. All points of contact with the customer need to be
managed, from product or service to all forms of communication channels and this
needs to be integrated, across the board. This chapter will focus on the theoretical
concepts that form the basis of how images produce meaning according to visual
methodology. These semiotic inventories can possibly lend themselves to searching
for different meanings that are created within the confines of experiential brand
activations.
 29

2.1 The Role of Design Thinking in Experiential Brand Marketing

The whole user experience with the consumer and interaction with the product or
service is experiential marketing (Thibodeaux, 2014). Meyburgh (2013) says that
the market place is extremely overcrowded with many different products and
services on offer to consumers. Companies are finding it difficult to stand out from
one another and it has become of utmost importance to devise a critical thinking
framework to solve these issues by making use of unconventional advertising.
Thibodeaux (2014) agrees, saying that marketers are under tremendous pressure to
conceptualise effective campaigns and techniques. The need for a unique brand
experience should be offered to the consumer or the customer. The user experience
devised for experiential brand activations consists of internal customer response
that can be subjective, depending on the consumer and interaction of the brand and
customer. This is often a combination of a company’s physical performance and a
set of emotions that the receiver experiences.

According to Du Plessis et al (2010:375) “experience can be perceived or felt and is

related to the stimulation of both the cognitive and the emotional faculties of the
consumer”. The user experience thus becomes personal and emotional as the
consumer interacts with the product or service. A memorable experience is the
ability to “retell and relive” whereby the consumer provides a story explaining the
brand experience. The need to create a bond with the product or service is
paramount and as with brand experience, the marketers aim to dazzle the senses and
touch the heart while challenging the consumers’ intellect (Du Plessis et al,
2010:375-6). However, the way in which the ideas are expressed and the way in
which the activations take place, need to work cohesively to enhance the
consumers’ perception of the brand as well as positively promoting the brand.

Furthermore, Lendermann (2006:19) mentions there should be the need to respect

the consumer in each experiential brand activation in terms of tactics and strategies
in order for a meaningful connection to be made. Each time the consumer or
customer is exposed to the brand or product, there needs to be a learning experience
taking place, not only about the product, but about the company it represents. This
could either be positive or negative in terms of the relationship that is created
between the two parties (Meyburgh, 2013). Experiential marketing should deliver
 30

campaigns that are meaningful and beneficial to the consumer. These activations
need to “entice consumers, touch their hearts and stimulate their minds.” An
experience needs to be offered, not just another marketing message. Experiential
marketing should not invade or violate the consumer, but it should rather enhance
the brand experience message (Lenderman, 2006:18, 28). Experiential marketers
ultimately take control of the site or space of where the experience takes place, but
the aim is to allow the consumer or customer to make a judgment on the product or
service and experience (Thibodeaux, 2014).

In addition to this, Nozawa’s notion of “information infusion” depicts how

consumers are receptive to brands, or rather, connected to brands. Nozawa (2007:2-
3) mentions that when people are awake, we constantly gather information that will
assist us in making decisions that consciously or unconsciously guide our actions.
Peircean semiotics involves an “open philosophy” of making use of the external
environment, a representation of that environment and the whole interpretation of
what is being represented (Nozawa, 2007:2-3). Thus, the place of brand activation
according to Van Leeuwen’s ‘framing’ of the environment of activation, may have
an impact on a user’s brand experience. Every insight and strategic tool needs to be
used to improve branded products and services. The use of semiotics assists in
delivering strategic research in ways where cultural interactions with signs and
symbols are embedded in the brand from various marketing communications and
packaging of products, which all assist in shaping consumer behaviour
(Utalkmarketing, 2011).

Experiential marketing’s main focus is to create a sensory experience and to engage

several senses at once. A simple example would be when a consumer is exposed to
a particular brand of coffee. The aroma, taste, warmth and pleasure from the
caffeine would entice the consumer to perhaps buy this product each time they visit
the supermarket. The feeling of alertness, flavor and happiness felt after the
experience adds to the sensory experience (Thibodeaux, 2014) Peircean semiotics
refers to this state of sign interaction as firstness which includes the category of
‘feeling’ (1964, Zeman). As Peirce (1931-58:303) explains this feeling consisting
of an “instance of that kind of consciousness which involves no analysis,
 31

comparison or any process whatsoever, [does not consist of] whole or in part of any
act by which one stretch of consciousness is distinguished from another… A
feeling, then, is not an event, a happening, a coming to pass, … a feeling is a state,
which is in its entirety in every moment of time as long as it endures”.

Brandscapes are semiotic in nature as the symbolic meaning is created by means of

signs and symbols (Ponsonby-Mccabe and Boyle, 2007:183). Chandler (2013:8,13-
4) mentions that semiotics forms part of a range of disciplines from art, reading
material, anthropology and mass media. It is not an “independent academic
discipline”. Semiotics not only relates to “intentional” communication but with any
other important ‘anything’ in the world. Time has allowed for semiotics to change
and as there are many differences to semiotic definitions, the researcher will focus
on a particular source which is, in this instance, Peircean semiotics (Chandler,
2013:8, 13-4) and how it effectively relates to reading signs, interpreting signs in
terms of the interplay of brand experience activations.

2.2 Peirce’s Model: Foundations of Semiotics

Peirce, an American philosopher, was concerned with the sign or the theory of the
sign and in particular with indexical signs which depict some kind of occurance of a
causal event (Crowe, 2003:33). For example, smoke could indicate fire and a frown
on a face could signify dissatisfaction. Pierce even went so far as to say that “every
thought is a sign” (Peirce, 1931:227). His triadic theory of semiotics (which he
labelled as semeiotics) linked to representamen/sign, object and interpretant and the
expansion of visual signs which included icons and indexes. Peirce’s history
regarding this theoretical approach to signs expanded across volumes of
philosophical inscriptions of which this study will focus primarily on the triadic
representamen/sign, object and interpretant. As a point of comparison between
Peirce’s semiotic approach to signs and the linguistic approach by Saussure, signs
are ‘relations, not things’ (Singer in Jenson, 1995:13). According to Peirce
(1995:66) “mass communication contributes to the maintenance of a sign”, or the
relation the sign has with the person who is experiencing the brand.
 32

Peirce mentions three categories that are needed for all human experience, which
link to the number sequence of first, second and third (firstness, secondness and
thirdness). Firstness is “a conception of being that is independent to anything else”
(Everaert-Desmedt, n.d). There is no cause or effect at this stage, but purely a level
of ‘being’ that is usually related to an emotional experience. The second stage of
sign interpretation is secondness whereby the consequence of something becomes
evident (for example, a stone thrown into water causes a ripple effect or one would
expect to hear a thud sound if a rock is dropped). In other words “secondness
corresponds to practical experience” (Everaert-Desmedt, n.d.). Thirdness links the
two categories mentioned above, and assists in forming a relation between the two.
Everaert-Desmedt (n.d) explains this as follows: “thirdness is the category of
thought, language, representation…it makes social communication
possible…correspond[ing] to intellectual experience” (Everaert-Desmedt, n.d).

In other words, Peirce’s semiotic elements could allow for some kind of association
or interrelationship whereby the consumer participates in the experiential brand
activity, identifies with the product (sign) and creates self-association with the
object (Van Leeuwen, 2005:93). For example: Coca-Cola’s “invisible vending
machines” (2013) provided an experience of sharing (iconic sign) with an iconic
interrelationship to Coca-Cola (the object), as it resembles the experience of
happiness and sharing. This could also be indexical as the couple participating in
the experiential branding activation may have had some kind of previous good or
bad experience with Coca-Cola which may have an indexical interrelationship with
the brand. Thus, Coca-Cola (as the object) has an indexical interrelationship to the
sign, due to the past relationship between the consumer and the object (Schembri et
al, 2010:633).
 33

Therefore, the satisfaction of the consumer with a particular product, or the way in
which the experience of the brand has taken place, is an indexical sign in the theory
of marketing, showing that the consumer’s need has been fulfilled (Mick,
1986:199). The consumer can identify with the core identity of the product, being
the shortest version of the brand essence, in this case, Coca-Cola (De Lencastre and
Real, 2013:493). Brands become sign systems that create an identity with the
consumer. The symbolic representation of the brand captures the hearts and minds
of the consumer by means of engaging with the consumer using visual, audio and
verbal signs (Oswald, 2011).

Crowe’s (2003:19) interpretation of Peircean semiotics states that the meaning of a

sign is created by the signs themselves and are organised into systems as well as the
context in which the signs appear. Peirce’s arrangement of signs are categorised
into the following: firstly, the icon, which physically resembles the thing it
represents. Often, there is a reliance on the viewer having some kind of
understanding of the icon, such as local knowledge i.e. a photograph of a person or
an image of a physical map. Secondly, the index or indexical signs have a direct
link between the sign and the object, for example, smoke is indicative of fire or a
wagging tail signifies a dog. The physical placement of the sign such as a traffic
sign is imperative in creating meaning of road rules. This could be the placement of
a T-junction sign at the end of a road on top of a hill. Direct or causal links could
relate to temperature (a thermometer indicating a person’s level of health or
temperature). Thirdly, symbols have no logical connection between the sign and
what it means. The viewer of symbols needs to learn the connections – an example
would be various countries’ flags, letters of the alphabet and so forth. There should
be a connection between the referent and the meaning of the sign in order to see
what type of sign has been created (Crowe, 2003: 19, 33-4). Whichever terms are
used, the three need to work together to create meaning.
 34

Figure 2.1 The semiotic triad

Source: Jenson (1995:22) The Social Semiotics of Mass Communication

Peirce (in Ketner and Putman, 1992:228) further explains the way in which a sign
may create meaning:

A sign, or representamen, is something which stands to somebody for something

in some respect or capacity. It addresses somebody, that is, creates in the mind of
that person an equivalent sign, or perhaps a more developed sign. That sign which
it creates I call the interpretant of the first sign. The sign stands for something, its
object (Peirce in Ketner and Putman, 1992:228).

The representamen/sign is thus the first order of signification, the first idea that
springs to mind of the person experiencing the sign or message (or brand
experience). In other words, the level of firstness, Peirce writes, “[Representamen]
stands for something, its object. It stands for that object, not in all respects, but in
reference to a sort of idea, which I have sometimes called the ground of the
representamen” (Peirce in Ketner and Putman, 1992:228). The object is the idea or
thought which appears in our consciousness, when we read a sign to assist in
creating an idea of what the sign expresses. The object forms a relation between the
representamen and the interpretant. Peirce’s object could include physical things,
ideas, actions as well as discourses composed of one word such as a library or a
group of texts and can be grouped as objects (Jenson, 1995:22). For the purpose of
this study, the researcher will look at the ‘object’ being the actual brand experiences
that include the concept (idea) of the brand experience.
 35

As previously mentioned, the interpretant forms a link between the subject/object

(or product) and the social action. The interpretants can be divided into groups that
relate to the subject and the social action taking place. Merrell (2001:30) mentions
that the interpretant gives meaning by interpreting the relation between the
representamen and the object. These groups of interpretants could be further
categorised into meanings: firstly, the actualized (in this instance of brand
experience of the product which is being exposed to the consumer), secondly, the
meaning that is created by the consumer who is exposed to the product and thirdly,
the consequences after the experience has taken place with the notion of what
happens next (Jenson, 1995:66). Peirce’s interpretant appears to mean the way in
which the audience or person interprets the sign or reacts to it (Mick, 1986:198),
and in this case, the sign or object would be the brand experience – the way in
which the consumer responds to the brand activation and the environment in which
the brand experience is taking place. The interpretant is changed into a language
that has a symbolic code: “This notion of code is then shared and transmitted in a
social environment” (Mick, 1986:199).

The connection of Mick’s statement in relation to today’s social media context is

uncanny, as with user experiences social networks play an integral role in sending
messages, or in this instance, people can share their brand experience with others
by posting video clips on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, YouTube and so forth. Berkland (2013:7) says “the interpretant is not
the final element of the sign: the interpretant itself becomes a new representamen
[sign] and this starts the whole process again. This ultimately places the new
representamen in “a relationship to a further object which, in turn, entails an
interpretant, which is transformed into a [new] sign/representamen which is in a
relationship to a further object, effecting another interpretant, and so on ad
infinitum” (Cobley, Paul and Jansz, 2004:25). The sign does not exist in a
signifying vacuum, but rather opens itself to further signs (Berkland, 2013:7).
Jenson (1995:22) mentions that interpretation is a never-ending process of the way
in which people interact with reality and signs and according to Peirce, the sign
interacts between the object and the interpretant through law or reason (Bopry,
2013). As Everaert-Desmedt (n.d) argue “the representamen has the ability to
trigger the interpretant, which in turn becomes a representamen by triggering
 36

another interpretant referring to the same object as the first representamen”. The
reader of the sign is continuously engaged in a process of thought that is
neverending.

To illustrate Peirce’s semiotics (Figure 2.1), an example is given namely the brand
experience of one of Australia’s favourite frozen beverages, 7-Eleven Slurpee, can
be analysed according to Peirce’s triadic (based on the three philosophical
principles of firstness, secondness and thirdness), semiotic approach. The three
terms are brought into relation with one another as: the sign or representamen, the
object and the interpretant (Everaert-Desmedt, n.d).

The threat of a major competitor to the Slurpee brand called for a brand activation
that was different, engaging and would allow for an integrated brand approach by
means of utilizing social media resources such as Facebook and Youtube (to name
a few) in order to market this ‘one-day-only’ campaign. This brand experience
campaign of “Bring Your Own Cup Day” (BYO Cup Day) took place during
September 2011. The activation was introduced in 7-Eleven stores across Australia,
where consumers were invited to bring one, clean container of their choice and fill
it with their favourite Slurpee flavour. The Slurpee Facebook page received
numerous hits regarding this experience, with consumers commenting on types and
sizes of containers for this once-off event. The best suggestions made use of
integrated branding such as print, outdoor and in-store branding. To build on further
visibility of the BYO Cup Day, guerrilla advertising was utilized where the Slurpee
brand hijacked existing competitor advertising a day before the event, to make their
presence known.

Over 80 000 customers participated in this BYO Cup Day across Australia with
sales increasing of over 270%. More than 320 000 litres of Slurpee were sold and
most machines were “slurped dry.” The customers responded by producing more
on-line content in one day than the entire history of the Slurpee brand, by uploading
30 images every minute and posting comments on their in-store brand experience
(Slurpee, 2012). Since then, numerous similar campaigns have followed on the
success of this one to other areas around the world. The thinking behind this case
study was implemented by Leo Burnett, Melbourne where the agency only changed
one thing about the brand, namely the cup (Bestadsontv, 2011).
 37

De Villiers (2014) argues that the youth or “generation-Y” are aware of corporate
scandals related to brands, due to the widespread messaging on social media
platforms. Brands are still important to this generation, however, for example there
is an understanding that brands are the “faces of corporations” and any corruption
involving the corporations filter down to the brands or the value of that brand to the
consumer. As De Villiers points out “the biggest challenge for marketers is to
unlearn advertising rules of the past and relearn the new ones in light of this
generation” (Bizcommunity, De Villiers: 2014). Each section of the market needs
to be understood in terms of the target audience to ensure the correct channels of
communication for a particular brand are met regarding the targeted consumer.

According to Gambarato (2013:431) each consumer that participates in a brand

experience will have a different interpretation of the same object, in this case, the
Slurpee BYO Cup Day experience or representamen/sign. In visual semiotics,
communication takes place as a system of various codes or a system of signs. The
codes of communication vary over time and these are dependent on different
cultures and historical influences. Lewis (2012) iterates “people who share the same
culture and language perceive signs in similar ways, as opposed to groups of people
from different cultures and who speak different languages”. This level of
interpretation will vary from person to person due to varieties of information levels
and cultural history of that particular person.

In terms of creating a visual experience, Gambarato (2013:431) mentions that the

“variability of signification is a desirable characteristic of design”. The generation
of the object (BYO Cup Day concept) into a symbolic character by means of the
simplification of its social use. In other words, the variety of the containers used in
this activation spurred public interest, interaction and a consistently fresh approach
to maintain customer delight. Audience interaction with the concept allowed for
interaction and dual conversations to take place between the customer and the
brand’s marketing department. Concepts assist with understanding the creative
process involved, which is critical in understanding new possibilities of design
(Gambarato, 2013:431).
 38

The semiotic perspective of experiential branding, as with branding in general, may

derive from what De Lencastre (2013:491) terms an “awareness” of logos and
brand names. Customers’ response to names and logotypes have shown that brand
associations are relevant in order to add brand value, regardless of the object (De
Lencastre et al, 2013:420, 491). A preconceived notion of a brand can have an
influence on the customers’ choice of buying a product or participating in a service.
However, the notion of utilizing the code of communication such as a
sign/representamen to directly address someone in order to create a message (or
even, a more developed sign, and so on) along with the object (brand
experience/subject) will allow for the first order of signification to take place
(interpretant). A company may develop an experiential brand activation
environment, brand awareness along with positive brand associations, but it is up to
the customer or consumer to create loyalty to the brand (Ponsonby-Mccabe and
Boyle, 2007:185).

2.3 The Brand Triangle

Peircean semiotics allows for an open-system that is human based with a level of
inquiry and provides a point of departure for major advancements in intelligence
(Nozawa, 2007:9). Human-centred interaction in terms of experiential branding
gives rise to the concept of brand response based on the brand’s identity, object and
response from the customer or consumer (De Lencastre et al, 2013:489). This links
to Peirce’s principles of firstness (the initial response to the message), secondness
(the association the consumer has with the product or brand message) and thirdness
(the mediator between the two to create meaning). De Lancastre and Côrte-Real
categorise this as the ‘core’, ‘actual’ and ‘augmented’ levels of identity within
brand response.

The founder of modern marketing, Theodore Levitt (1960) urged marketers to not
focus on the “product of marketing”, but rather the way in which the consumers
respond (Levitt in De Lencastre et al, 2013:492). This is evident in today’s
experiential brand activations where companies strive for a sustained competitive
advantage over rival brands (Ponsonby-Mccabe and Boyle, 2007:186).
 39

Figure 2.2 The brand triangle simplified - Based on the purest form of
Peircean triadic semiotics (adapted by the author)
Source: De Lencastre and Côrte-Real (2013:492)

Lancastre and Côrte-Real (2013:492) developed a model as “the brand triangle”

(refer to Figure 2.2), as a means of developing a strong semiotic theoretical basis to
bring various visions of branding together. Briefly, this model shows how each
element of branding needs to work together, very much like the Peircean object,
interpretant and representamen/sign.

Referring to the simplified version of the brand triangle, if one focuses on one
particular area without the other, problems in the visual output or interpretation of
the brand may occur as a lack of intellectual foresight or “myopia” as “…if one
focuses on one facet of branding: on its signs (label myopia), on its object seen as a
single product (product myopia) or on its main market (customer myopia)” (De
Lencastre et al, 2013:492). The brand builiding process is poorly understood,
emphasises Ponsonby-Mccabe and Boyle (2007:176). Approximately 75-85% of
 40

new brands fail. Consumers are as important in the brand building process as
strategic marketers, thinkers and brand managers (Ponsonby-Mccabe and Boyle,
2007:176).

Created by De Lencastre and Côrte-Real, this descriptive model in Figure 2.2

describes different elements of brands and their interactions. Peirce’s interpretant
(Jenson, 1995:66) can be divided into three basic classes namely, firstness,
secondness and thirdness. In terms of social semiotics in experiential branding, an
attempt to analyse these according to De Lencastre and Côrte-Real’s brand triangle,
as in Figure 2.2, may be suggested as follows:
• Firstly, the model comprises of an “identity pillar [which] includes the sign or
a set of signs”, these are the legal representation of the brands themselves, used
to identify the brands. In terms of firstness, this is the category of feeling,
which means immediacy (Zeman, n.d). The immediate reaction of the
consumer with the brand name/logo can also be termed as the “core identity”.
Bopry (2013) mentions firstness as a “mode of being that is associated,
according to Peirce (1958), with colour, texture, shape”. This is the instant
recognisability of a brand by the consumer before any other associations are
made.

• Secondly, the “object pillar includes marketing actions”. De Lencastre

(2013:493) claims this to be the direct actions or exchange between the
customers who participate with the product or service or as De Lencastre
stipulates “exchange relationships.” The researcher has included experiential
branding in this category as Tibbs (2010:63) mentions environmental branding
[or experiential branding] occupies a space that consumers encounter daily,
with endless creativity allowing for consumer interaction. A concept that is
well thought-out “will get consumers talking; better still if it can get news
media talking about it too” (Tibbs, 2010: 63-4).

The power of social media and on-line publishing allows for the immediate
distribution of experiential brand activations which give rise to consumer
interest and awareness. In some experiential branding activations, the core
identity is sometimes hidden and the consumer is exposed to the brand at the
 41

end of the ‘surprising’ experiential brand activation or there may be an initial

hint of the brand name without the awareness of the consumer.

For example, during the opening weekend of the James Bond film Skyfall in
2012 in Stockholm, Sweden, Sony mobile paired up with the film by means of
introducing the all new, waterproof Sony Xperia acro S cell phone, “secret
agent style”. The phone was placed in random soft drinks and given to cinema-
goers. During the advert activation in the movie theatre, lucky audience
members found a ringing cell phone in their drink, thus promoting the key
feature of the waterproof Sony Xperia acro S. In this instance, the cell phone
brand was unknown to the consumer until the lucky recipient opened up the
“ringing” soft drink (Experia Soda Stunt, 2012). This example links to Peirce’s
theory of secondness whereby an indexical sign represents its object. One
thing has to be recognized first before a connection is made to the second
interpretation. The ringing sound of the phone is indexical of the phone and the
placement of the phone in the soft drink liquid is indexical of its unique
waterproof quality; similarly, track prints in a forest represent a deer. In this
way, a direct, causal relationship takes place. (Bopry, 2013).

• Thirdly, the “response pillar [which] includes all brand associations”. This
category relates broadly to reactions which include behavioural actions which
could be cognitive, affective or conative, meaning “about to take action” (De
Lencastre et al, 2013:493). Experiential branding could possibly be included in
this third category along with the second category. When conceptualising an
idea for experiential branding, the audience is often blissfully unaware of
receiving the activation as it occurrs in an area where they least expect it. The
customer is often “hooked” before they even know it (Tibbs, 2010:65). Peirce’s
category of thirdness embraces interaction between the object (the brand
experience or secondness) and the interpretant (the first order of signification).
This level of thirdness is the mediator between the two (as mentioned above).
All levels of engagement are related to thirdness (Bopry, 2013).
 42

De Lanacstre and Côrte-Real’s model may be analysed in many ways, but for the
purpose of this study, the focus is on the three phases that correlates with Peircian
ideas of firstness, secondness and thirdness. Similarly, as with Peirce’s three groups
of sign/representamen, object and interpretant, the brand tiriangle model links to the
meanings created of the actualized (in this instance of brand experience of the
product which is being exposed to the consumer), secondly, the meaning that is
created by the consumer who is exposed to the product and thirdly, the
consequences after the experience has taken place with the notion of what happens
next (Jenson, 1995:66). The sign needs to create some kind of appropriate meaning
to the consumer by either improving or meeting a particular need of the consumer.

2.4 Social Semiotics in Experiential Branding

Jansen (1989:16) states that the American founding father of mass communication,
Robert E. Park, formed an interest, amongst other things, in the way in which media
controlled public opinions and the relationship the public had with mass media.
Park referred to mass media as newspapers (Park in Jansen, 1989:16): mass media
is essentially traditional media engaging audiences in a non-personal way, by
means of print, television and other broadcast services. However, in today’s day
and age, the rise of the Internet has allowed for consumers to interact and engage
with each other and brand companies using instant, on-line communication
platforms.

This form of communication, according to the researcher, is a form of mass

communication, however, this level of communication is more personalised than
that of traditional broadcast media such as television. On-line media platforms may
expose the participant’s identity. Jansen (1989:16) mentions that the oldest
approaches to mass communication namely, “behaviouristic and technological
approaches” include functionalist reasoning (Jansen: 1989:16).
 43

Functionalism in communication is based on the structure of different tasks

associated to communication channels in society. Lasswell (1972:84) discusses
three key functions of mass communication which includes observing the
environment, target audience demographics and psychographics and their response
to an environment and the reason why the audience may react differently to
messages due to differences in ‘social heritage’ and so on. According to Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2013), the concept of functionalism, in this study of
experiential brand activations, would perhaps be the state of emotion or feeling that
the consumer experiences as a result of the experiential brand activation. They go
on to say that “a thought, desire, pain depends not on its internal constitution but
soley on its function, or the role it plays, in the cognitive system of which it is a
part” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2013). The general functional
expectation is concerned with reality and people’s engagement. De Villiers, a
partner of Tomorrow Today (2014), says companies need to embrace difference in
strategy in order to maintain delight and to win over customers for future brand
engagements. This comment is based on today’s youth who is “tomorrow’s
customer”. The youth are “techno-literate”, familiar with digital devices and social
media and are in constant interaction with the world through mobile devices and
smart phones (Bizcommunity, 2014).

2.5 Van Leeuwen’s ‘framing’ based on ‘System Network Diagram’

In this section ‘framing’ in print advertisements will be discussed and secondly,

‘framing’ in terms of experiential brand activations will be discussed and analysed
with the intention of finding out whether Van Leeuwen’s ‘framing’ can be applied
to experiential brand activations. This will be expanded in Chapter Four with an
example of each forming the basis of this study. The semiotic potential discussed,
assists communication in experiential brand activations. Peirce’s purpose of
semiotics is to identify and specify a group of vital and adequate conditions for
distinguishing things from other things. Peirce (in Ransdell, 1976:98) also mentions
that some things “in the [real] world” have some kind of meaning, but others may
have no meaning, and as with semiotics, the idea is to differentiate meaningful
things (in this case, experiential brands) from various environments (Ransdell,
1976:98). This could form an interesting evaluation of whether experiential
branding environments involving audience participation is meaningful. Can social
 44

semiotics influence consumers who are involved in experiential brand activations?

Can Van Leeuwen’s model of The ‘System Network Diagram’ be utilized and
adjusted to incorporate experiential brand spaces by means of ‘framing’ and
contextualisation?

The synthesis of various experiential brand activations according to Van Leeuwen’s

‘System Network Diagram’ ‘frame’ method will be analysed. Physical areas where
the activations took place, technological interventions and contextualisation will be
taken into account. Van Leeuwen and Kress (1996) introduced the term ‘framing’
in visual communication as well as ‘framing’ in schools and office buildings as it is
a “multimodal principal”. Van Leeuwen mentions that ‘framing’ does not only need
to exist in visual composition, but it can appear in newspapers and magazine layout,
with co-workers in an office environment, seating in dining areas, an example being
a private seating booth in a restaurant versus an open plan dining area with many
tables. Van Leeuwen (2005:14) explains ‘framing’ further as “a common semiotic
principle, realised by different resources in different semiotic modes”. As with
semiotics, the idea of what is being represented is important (what the images
themselves represent, and how are they represented) and ‘hidden meanings’ of
images, or the creation of these meanings and their interpretation by the consumer
in experiential brand activations (Van Leeuwen, 2001:92). What does the meaning
and interpretation of the brand experience allow the consumer to do?

In addition to this, Van Leeuwen (2005:14) states that ‘framing’ in one print
advertisement may include many different forms of ‘framing’, and as with
experiential brand activations, the ‘framing’ of a certain brand experience may
contain more than one form of ‘framing’. The concept of ‘framing’ in magazine
advertisements is divided into general categories by Van Leeuwen (2005:13), based
on text and illustration; and picture and space. The reason for the general
interpretation is for the application of these terms to be used in broader contexts,
such as experiential brand activations. The categories include:

Segregation
two or more elements in a composition (or brand activation space) occupy
completely different areas, in so doing, they should belong to different orders
 45

Separation
two or more elements are set apart by empty space suggesting both similar and
different aspects simultaneoulsy

Integration
image and text dwell in the same space (text may be set over an image or the image
is set between the text)

Overlap
frames may not entirely form a border i.e. they may flow from one element to
another. For example, a section of the image or text or both, may break through the
frame

Rhyme
two elements, although separate, may have common qualities. For example, a
common colour or shape to link the two elements

Contrast
two elements may have variations in quality, such as colour, which sets them apart
from others

Bezemer and Kress (2012) stipulate that ‘framing’ begins from a particular marker
or an area of demarcation. It can originate from the decision of where the frame will
begin and end and be influenced by the idea of the frame or the type of material
used to create the frame; thus all these aspects “delimit space”.
 46

It is important to note that in the context of magazine ‘framing’, the space is often
defined by the trim area of the page. In experiential spaces of brand activation, the
brandscape may not have a defined border as such, but the frame may be made up
of defined spaces that include man-made walls, buildings, staircases as well as
natural frame elements such as trees, hills, embankments and so on. Each element
that appears in that particular space is treated as an integral part of the whole
composition. The various physical elements may act as indicators that lead the
audience to the particular message or brand activation installment. Furthermore
“the notion of ‘framing’ is also widely used outside multimodality, in any domain
where meaning is an issue” (Bezemer et al, 2012). In print advertisements, it is
important to note that various degrees of ‘framing’ may occur when images and
text are ‘blurred’ or ‘fuzzy’ and the frame or border may vary in terms of the
degrees of thickness. The general categories stated previously need to show the
potential of the meaning. This can be used in different contexts. For example, in
advertising and experiential branding, the meaning of ‘framing’ may be used as a
play on fantasy and reality. Van Leeuwen (2005:13-4) says “other contexts [will
denote] different kinds of things [that] will be disconnected or connected”.

Figure 2.3 ‘System Network Diagram’: ‘Framing’ of text and illustration in

magazine advertisements (Square brackets are ‘either’ ‘or’ choices, curly
brackets are ‘both-and’).
Source: Van Leeuwen (2005:13) Introducing Social Semiotics
 47

In print advertising, the image and the text may be entirely disconnected, in terms
of the visual composition, to form a new meaning. Each could ‘live’ independently
of each other. A number of factors are involved when analyzing the print
advertisements according to Van Leeuwen’s theory of ‘framing’. The frame lines,
borders around the image or print advert itself (or boundaries around a tree or
building shape), the empty, open space between different items in a composition
and variations in colour are used as disconnection elements in a visual composition.
However, Van Leeuwen (2005:7) goes onto say that disconnection elements do not
necessarily need to be shapes or pictures in a composition, they could be the
opposite. They could be visually connected by means of the absence of linear
elements, shapes and similar colour tones. What is the relevance of this? Van
Leeuwen says the semiotic potential is that sometimes disconnected elements in a
visual composition could be understood as separate meanings and connected
elements can possibly be understood as belonging together and thus being
complementary (Van Leeuwen, 2005:7).

An example of visual connectedness and disconnectedness can be illustrated further

in Abigail Heyman’s personal photo-journal “Growing Up Female” (1974). This
photo-journal is about women and the lives of women from a feminist point of
view, comprising of imagery that uses ‘framing’ to interpret different meanings in
the images presented (Figure 2.4). In this example, the mirror is used to frame the
message, being two “real [selves]”. The notion of ‘separate and disconnected’ is
evident: two or more elements are set apart by empty space suggesting similar and
different aspects. Van Leeuwen interprets the message as the woman’s face in the
mirror as a representation of herself as the ‘real self’ and all the beauty items placed
on the shelf below the mirror, as the ‘mask’, which she applies when showing
herself to the rest of the world. The thickness and prominence of the dark frame is
perhaps used to divide herself from her ‘real self’ and her ‘presentable self’ (Van
Leeuwen, 2005:7).
 48

In this example of a photographic composition, the element of ‘framing’ works well

as it proposes the semiotic interpretation of meaning within the context of
‘framing’. In this purely photographic grey scale image, note that no text has been
used in this composition. The semiotic potential may differ from one example of
‘framing’ to the next, however, disconnection or connection of meaning may be
evident.

Figure 2.4 Abigail Heyman (1974) Growing Up Female

Source: Van Leeuwen (2005:7) Introducing Social Semiotics

Disconnection in experiential branding could be the blurring of reality and fantasy.

For example, SNCF Europe in connection with TBWA, Paris developed an
experiential campaign to promote the idea of travelling to other European cities
such as Stuttgart, Milan, Geneva, Barcelona and Brussels by “simply opening a
door”. SNCF Europe is a travel service, railway company which services customers
with travel options throughout Europe.
 49

The outdoor brand experience took place in Paris, France in November 2013.
Brightly painted, interactive doors were placed in popular and prominent public
areas around Paris. The potential travellers were attracted to these highly visible
doors by means of their colour and prominent positioning. A destination plaque on
the front of the door enticed curious pedestrians to open each door which hid “full-
bleed LED screens” connected to live broadcasts in other European cities,
representing cultural attractions from those particular cities. The concept of
“Europe is just next door” allowed potential travellers the ability to experience real-
time events taking place in those cities. For example, “pedestrians could watch a
mime performance in Milan, have their portraits drawn by a sketch artist in
Brussels, or join a hip-hop dance crew in Barcelona” (Minov, 2013). The
interactive, fun experiences created multicultural links among Europeans while
maintaining the concept of Europe as a travel destination that is literally, next door
(Coverstories, 2013).

Figure 2.5 SNCF, ‘Europe is just next door’ experiential brand

campaign.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGW6Rm437tE.
 50

In the context of Van Leeuwen’s ‘framing’ and the ‘System Network Diagram’,
disconnection and separation are evident from the outset of the placement of the
doors (Figure 2.5). People who walked past the doors were curious. Disconnect
and separation of the two elements - the environment and the door placement were
set apart, however, they were brought together by the suggestion of similarities of
visual rhyme and visual contrast. The brightly painted door colours, even though
they were not the same colour in each space of activation, clearly defined the door’s
separation from the environment in which it was placed. The destination plaques
placed on the doors allowed for text to be integrated, however, in terms of visual
composition, the text did not overlap the frame itself. Meaning was created by
means of a semiotic approach to the message being conveyed of “Europe is just
next door”. The relationship of the representamen (the brand message by SNCF)
and the object (of what was physically being represented) allowed for meaning to
be created between the representamen and the object. The public’s interaction with
each door was different, however the feeling of curiousness and delight was the
common factor of this particular brand experience of real-time exposure of what the
destination cities had to offer.

The semiotic principal of arbitrariness is present as the random colours used were
assigned as a type of identification that was utilized in this particular campaign. The
colours used were intentionally bright to attract attention, however, any colour
could have been used. Kress (1993:173) mentions that the “signs are always
motivated by the producer’s ‘interest’, and by characteristics of the object”.

The three philosophical categories of Peircean semiotics firstness, secondness and

thirdness are all present in some way. For example, the actualized interpretation or
feeling / core identity (the first order of interpretation or firstness) of the brand is
not exposed at first glance to the consumer. It is not entirely evident from the outset
as there is no clear evidence of SNCF branding on the actual doors, however, there
is a degree of connection in the colour of the doors and the colour of the signs on
the doors. Van Leeuwen (2005:9) says this colour of ‘rhyme’ allows for the visual
connection between the signboard and the door by means of the same colour tones,
hence a ‘degree of connection is made’ (Van Leeuwen, 2005:9). This connection
 51

is linked to Peircean semiotics of secondness where the consumer responds to the

practical experience (Everaert-Desmedt, n.d). Meaning takes place once the
participant has opened the door, whereby evidence of travel and destinations comes
to the fore and thirdly, the consequences of opening the door and experiencing, in
real-time, what is taking place in the destination city allows for the third brand
pillar to be linked which is the notion of what happens next. All levels of
engagement are related to thirdness as one cannot provide accurate meaning
without the other (Bopry, 2013).

The sign created was appropriate to the consumer, meeting their needs and enticing
the participant to interact with the SNCF Europe brand in a delightfully, emotional
manner. ‘Disconnection’ according to Van Leeuwen’s ‘framing’ theory, also
includes ‘segregation’. ‘Segregation’, in text and illustration, means two or more
elements in a composition take up very different areas or territories. Van Leeuwen
(2005:13) says “this indicates that they should be seen as belonging to different
orders”. In experiential branding, the place of activation may be different. That is,
in this example for SNCF, the doors were placed in different environments, but all
the placements involved areas of high visbility with high foot traffic. All were
outdoor. ‘Segregation’ does not apply in this instance, however, ‘separation’
applies, where the placement of the doors in similar environments allows for
similarities and differences.

As part of Van Leeuwen’s (2005:8) inventory of the ‘framing’ of print

advertisements, he makes use of a shower advertisement placed in House Beautiful
(1998:34) as a point of reference of text and image placement of ‘framing’ in a
visual composition. In this advertisement seen in Figure 2.6, an image of the
shower and model occupies two thirds of the composition. The heading above the
image is simply centred in a white space and the details of the adverts are centred
below the image, in a white space. Van Leeuwen (2005:8) states the “text and
image occupy distinct territories”. This form of ‘framing’ is slightly different to
Heyman’s (1974) Growing up Female in Figure 2.4. However, Van Leeuwen
mentions that one print advertisement may occupy many forms of ‘framing’, and
not only one or two. Can this be said in the case of experiential brand activations?
 52

Kress and Bezemer (2012) interpret the context of ‘framing’ as semiotic, which
could include text or an event. There is often some kind of unity that occupies an
internal space, as well as a sense of consistency, although a clear differentiation
between units or events of the same kind can be evident (Kress et al. 2014).
Boundaries that form frames in print advertisements can be distinctly different by
means of variations in frame thicknesses as well as being ‘iconic’. In the brand
experience of SNCF “Europe is just next door”, Figure 2.5 experiential brand
activation, the theoretical view of ‘framing’ pertains to the doors as ‘iconic’
representations of a message representing a whole new country behind the closed
door. In Figure 2.6 an intentional mark that separates elements is evident where
the two white areas separate the text from the image. Another example would be
punctuation such as a full stop in a sentence that separates two sentences. This
‘empty’ space of variation or colour contrast (in this instance, colour tones and
intensity of colour) assists in creating a boundary or frame.

Figure 2.6 Shower advertisement (House Beautiful, September 1998:34)

Source: Van Leeuwen (2005:8)
 53

Similarly, Fantastic Delites created a brand experience by enticing people to

interact with the brand. The product itself, according to Cruz (2012) does not
necessarily need to be brilliant or unique, but people tend to enjoy doing or
consuming something out of the ordinary. People like to participate in something
that makes them happy and allows for an experience of enjoyment and fulfillment.

Fantastic Delites which was introduced to the Australian food market in 2008 has
become a popular snack choice amongst Australians. This rice snack is a flavoured
treat, healthier than oily crisps and gluten free. The brand activation campaign
entitled “How far would you go for the taste of Delites?” was implemented across
Australian city centres with high foot traffic. Vending machines known as ‘Delite-
O-matic[s]’ were devised and positioned in such a space as to encourage shoppers
and passers-by to perform tasks in order to claim their free packet of Delites.
Consumers were requested by the machine to activate a button numerous times or
bow down to the machine and so on, in order to receive their free product which
they ‘earned’ from participating with the ‘Delite-O-Matic’ machine. The ‘taste test’
also requested consumers to ‘run in a giant mouse wheel’ in order to receive their
product sample (Cruz, 2012). These challenges were delightfully appealing to
participants and attracted attention from passers-by. The concept of experiencing
true taste sensations regarding the many flavours offered by Fantastic Snacks
allowed consumers to participate in the brand, first-hand and try the product
(Figure 2.7). By utilizing the concept of instantaneous brand activities with
consumers, eager participants are willing to take part without being prompted by a
salesperson.

The majority of these brand activations do not require sales people to promote the
brand. The vending machine itself becomes the sales person as it encourages
participation with the brand. In the traditional sense of marketing a product in a
retail environment, the free sample product is given to consumers who may not be
willing to take it. In this instance, participants engage with the product out of their
own, free will and a subliminal message of a fun brand is sent out to the happy
participants. Similarly, the SNCF “Europe’s just next door” campaign makes use of
the same concept of denoting a level of willingness to participate in the brand
experience.
 54

Many of these sensory experiences relate to Schmitt’s (2014:60) “strategic

experiential modules” which is discussed further in Chapter Three. This strategic
framework for managing experiences forms a guideline for marketing strategists to
assist in conceptualizing brand experiences.

A similar ‘framing’ technique to the SNCF “Europe is just next door” campaign,
has been deployed in the Fantastic Delite experiential brand marketing activation.
Van Leeuwen makes use of ‘rhyme’ in text and illustration through similarity of
colour. When comparing Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’ ‘framing’ of
text and illustration in magazine advertising to the Fantastic Delite “How far would
you go for the Delite” experiential activation campaign, similarities occur. As
mentioned previously, print advertisements may contain more than one type of
‘framing’. In the Lenor Care print advertisement in House Beautiful, September
1998 (Van Leeuwen, 2005:9), a monochromatic colour tone is evident with a link
between the photographed product and similar colour tones of the logo in the
bottom right hand corner. Colour ‘rhyme’ exists between the image and text which
denotes a ‘degree of connection’ for the viewer. Separation occurs between the
headline, image and body copy. The headline is separated from the body copy
below the headline by means of an empty white space, to signify differentiation and
the headline is separated from the image by means of the image being placed in a
block shape. Degrees of connectedness of text and illustration or text and
photographic representation can vary from one print advertisement to another. Text
may overlap images to assist in linking the visual component with the text. Hence,
different territories may be occupied but with a degree of connectedness by means
of linking images and headline capital letters to unify the print advertisement design
within a certain frame.

In Figure 2.7, a degree of connectedness is made between the Fantastic Delites’

product, as well as the vending machine and the product which finally pops out of
the vending machine once the consumer has engaged with the brand activation.
Separation of the vending machine by means of the empty space around it allows
for the machine to stand out from its surrounds. One could argue that integration
between the space the vending machine occupies occurs when the customer
participates with the vending machine. The isolated vending machine does not seem
 55

to be as separate from the environment when interaction between the customer

takes place. Engagement of shoppers around the vending machine, whether
emotional outbursts or actively recording the activation by means of mobile usage
seems to lessen the impact of separation. As with text and illustration, the
overlapping of text over an image integrates the message. This can be said in this
example of brand integration and audience interaction in terms of Van Leeuwen’s
(2005:13) theory on ‘framing’ separation where “two or more elements are
separated by empty space, and this suggests that they should be seen as similar in
some respects and different in others”. This serves to illustrate the aspect of a frame
being ‘porous’ whereby elements of the picture break through into the surrounding
space. Owing to audience interaction with the Delite brand activation this allows
for the integration of the brand with the surrounding shoppers who are viewing the
brand activation. Thus, ‘fuzzy boundaries’ may occur (Van Leeuwen, 2005:13).

Figure 2.7 Fantastic Delites Brand Activation

Source: http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com (2012)
 56

Semiotics allows the receiver of the sign to not simply take ‘reality’ for granted, but
it assists the viewer in understanding the ‘reality’ of the sign system. An awareness
of who is responsible for constructing the sign and where the construction has taken
place is formulated through semiotics. When a message is relayed to the receiver,
the meaning of the sign is not instant, but only through a system of codes and
conventions do we become aware of the message (Chandler, 2013:14). These
messages may be disguised in the way that we do not always realise we are
‘reading’ the sign. This applies to experiential branding exercises whereby the
customer is not always aware of the brand that is being advertised or that the
experience involves a brand, as it often occurs in an environment which is normal
to the consumer, but with an element of surprise and emotional response. As
Chanlder (2013:13) argues “we need to learn that even the most ‘realistic’ signs are
not what they appear to be”.

Van Leeuwen states that ‘framing’ can be used in other genres and not only in
magazine advertising. A whole new system of categories can be developed for all
types of ‘framing’. However, ‘framing’ can have various end results due to the
context, broad cultural differences of the audiences that participate in the
experiential brand activations. Van Leeuwen mentions that people make different
choices from the same “overall semiotic potential” or situation and in so doing, the
responses are different as various meanings are created. A group of semiotic
choices that are similar in nature are typically a ‘register’ which could lend itself to
a new research discussion on the context of ‘registers’ in social semiotics (Van
Leeuwen, 2005:14).

Consumers are exposed to between 3000 and 4000 marketing messages as opposed
to 560 daily messages thirty years ago (Lendermann, 2006:19-20), and as a
consequence, there is far too much “commercial noise”. Lendermann acknowledges
“white noise” which is the commercial clutter that unassumingly fills our daily
lives, hence the need for “pop-up blockers” on websites and rules and regulations
regarding the erection of billboards and so on in urban areas (Lenderman, 2006:19-
20). A form of protection from intrusive marketing perhaps? He goes on to say that
advertising conceptualisers have not run out of ideas or media, but are rather
thinking of new ways to market products at an alarming rate.
 57

Lendermann (2006:307) devised experiential marketing descriptions which he uses

as chapters in his book Experience the Message (2006):
• Campaigns should deliver a clear message that is meaningful and beneficial
to the consumer;
• One-on-one interaction with the marketer and consumer;
• Authenticity consisting of genuine activations with no “flowery bits”;
• Engagement of the consumer in memorable ways;
• Deliver apposite messages in spaces where the consumer is most
responsive;
• Success of experiential marketing utilising innovative ways that are creative
and compelling;
• Innovation of ideas and output that will make or break the future of brands.

From a company perspective, the customer experience should be initiated across the
board from HR to IT to back office and so on, with the end goal being a company-
wide philosophy that includes top management. All should share the same ethos
when developing a brand experience, building on emotional bonds with the
customer. (Meyburgh, 2013). Experiential marketers should focus their ideas and
strategies towards the consumer experience, not just an impression of the brand.
This links to the idea of a human-centred approach to interacting with consumers
on an emotional, one-on-one level. Conversations between consumers and brands
need to be respectful dialogues which are driven by the sophistication of
technology’s instantaneous ability to connect (Lendermann, 2006:50-2).

Taking a look at traditional television advertising in 1995 Semenik (2012:49)

observed that it took three television commercials to reach 80% of women
television viewers. During 2003, 97 television spots were necessary to reach them.
New and increased media options have resulted in advertising clutter that continues
to make minimal difference to the consumer. The need for rethinking and reshaping
of ideas and to gain market reach using greater integration of brand promotion is
continuously driven in today’s design thinking. For example, the American Super
Bowl is considered to have extraordinary advertising costs (Semenik et al, 2012:49)
 58

with approximately $2.5 million to $3 million for a 30 second television spot. To

save costs, Miller Brewing distributed thousands of inflatable branded chairs at a
Super Bowl game that linked to a national advertising campaign and in so doing,
consumers were given direct, unexpected interaction with the Miller’s Lite brand.

Experiential marketing appeals to many different people at various levels and may
be negative in that the product or service may not interest everyone, thus it can be
difficult to capture the intended target audience. However, careful consideration of
the placement of the brand activation needs to form part of the strategy, as with
traditional advertising placement such as magazine advertisement placement and
television and radio advertisement flightings (Thibodeaux, 2014).

2.6. The Relevance of Design Thinking

One of the challenges that face present-day strategic marketers is the success of
various brand management activities. Even though companies employ brand
managers, there is still no guarantee of the success of a brand - no clear-cut reasons
as to why some brands do well and other fail. As Ponsonby-Mccabe and Boyle,
(2007:176) point out “approximately 75-85% of all new brands fail.” Perhaps a
reason for this is that brand building is not only reliant on the brand managers and
strategic marketers, but also on the consumers themselves.

The University of St. Gallen’s Institute of Information Management

(http://dthsg.com, 2013) says that design thinking relates to creativity and creative
design that is human centred, focused on customers and their needs. It is a
fundamental property in today’s highly competitive marketing industry and is
paramount in driving the success behind the product being advertised. Experiential
branding requires an innovative edge over and above the traditional forms of
advertising, to enhance the brand message and to ensure that the target audience
receives the message and responds to that message in a way that will build brand
loyalty. Marketing studies that are tuned into consumer behaviour by means of
observing potential and existing customers, interviewing consumers and so forth
will assist in creating the idea behind the relevant innovative brand experience.
 59

Figure 2.8 Human-Centred Design Thinking Model

Source: http://dthsg.com/what-is-design-thinking/

In the diagram entitled Figure 2.8, innovation is at the intersection of business,

technology and people. The one cannot function without the other. The diagram
indicates that the consumer is the one who will decide on the success of the product
or service that is being offered but how can one ensure customers’ loyalty to the
brand? (DTHSG, 2005). Bopry (2013) indicates that there has been a change over
the last two to three decades in levels of inquiry – levels in which people question
things. Bopry (2013) says that semiotics can form the common language of visual
and experiential inquiry. Signs that occupy our busy daily lives are an essential
common denominator and are able to bridge communication levels with persistence
of the product or experiential activation taking place. Does repetitive viewing or
participation in a brand lead to customer loyalty or is a once-off experiential brand
activation enough to drive a new or existing product? Tibbs (2010:53) observes that
ambient or guerrilla marketing is very much still a new form of marketing that
needs to continually strive towards revolutionising creativity for new brand
messages to be presented in innovative ways. Simply put, guerrilla advertising
“occupies an environmental space that consumers encounter as part of their daily
lives” (Tibbs, 2010:63).
 60

In order for media to work harder, creative ideas that are unremarkable need to be
exposed in a seamless and innovative way in front of people (Tibbs, 2010:53). This
is where experiential brand activations need to be inventively incorporated into new
or existing advertising campaigns. Integrated brand promotions (IBP) is the way in
which a variety of promotional tools are used to work together to create widespread
brand exposure (Semenik et al, 2012:13).

As with idea generation, IBP is a process that can be complicated if not managed
correctly. Many successful experiential brand activations will utilise traditional
marketing venues (modes of delivering a message) such as advertising in mass
media, sales promotions, in-store advertising or promotions, direct marketing,
personal selling, event sponsorship, social networking including blogs, public
relations and billboard or vehicle advertising to assist the brand exposure and to
drive a campaign, either before or after the experiential activation has taken place.
However, experiential branding is unlike any other form of advertising as it
captivates and mesmerises the consumer by means of a personal, one-on-one
intervention that is sometimes surprising and out of context. This is where the
choice of media at campaign launch will make or break [the campaign]. Increasing
use of outdoor or ambient media, guerrilla techniques (of which experiential
branding forms part) and digital advertising are all sections of the selection process
for media buyers. Tibbs (2010:53-4,63) also mentions that experiential branding
can be used as a means to add support to an advertising campaign.

Figure 2.9 Iterative learning process model

Source: http://dthsg.com/what-is-design-thinking/
 61

2.6.1 Iterative Learning in Experiential Brand Activations

A consumer purchases a can of their favorite brand of deodorant. What makes the
consumer loyal to this favorable brand? They either like the fragrance, it fulfills the
required function, it is priced correctly or they have seen the advert on television
(perhaps a number of times), heard it on the radio, seen the bus shelter advert and
so on. In terms of repetition, the brand has become noticable amongst the consumer
and is first to mind, regardless of price. That is essentially where all brands would
like to be positioned – by having a loyal customer base. If the brand was exposed to
new or existing customers at say, a football game, with scantily clad female
promoters readily handing out free samples to discerning potential customers,
would it entice the customer to purchase the brand during their next visit to the
supermarket?

According to Mathieson (2005:61), “Over 90% of participants in one study on

consumer tolerance of advertising in emerging media say they’d be very interested
in advertising if it were based on a pre-submitted user profile that ensured ads are
relevant to them.” The experiential brand activation campaign for Brazilian sport
Club Recife encouraged faithful Club Recife fans to obtain an organ donor card,
specifically for club fans. The campaign entitled “Immortal fans” encouraged fans
to become organ donors as extended, after-death support for their football team.
The campaign which was flighted on television, featured real people requiring
organ donations. The campaign was a major success with a 54% rise in donations
and with 51 000 people signing up for cards – a result of experiential brand
activation and the traditional mode of advertising via television. The transplant
waiting list went down to zero (Contagious, 2014).
 62

The iterative learning approach which is, according to the University of St. Gallen’s
Institute of Information Management (DTHSG, 2005) an approach where the idea
generation process needs to “redefine the problem, need-finding, ideation, building
of prototypes, testing with the user” (Figure 2.9). This process allows for different
results being established in the aspect of human needs and makes way for experts’
assistance. As in the Club Recife “immortal fans” experiential brand campaign, the
repetitive, traditional form of advertising of television commercials prepared the
fans for the experiential brand activation which took place at the Brazilian Club
Recife soccer stadium. Idea generation of finding the problem (which was a lack of
organ donors), redefining it (process of analysing why there are few organ donors),
researching the need for organ donors, creating a unique idea to promote this
concept by means of creating personalised organ donor cards (promoting customer
loyalty and passion) and testing this with the user, enabled the success of the
“immortal fans” campaign. There is a clear indication that conceptualisers behind
this campaign made use of this iterative learning approach. Ponsonby-Mccabe et al
(2013:184) say that through repetition, consumers may become used to the setting
or the place of brand activation and to the behaviour that is expected of them. New
behaviour settings tend to constrain the actions of consumers. In this case study of
Cape Recife’s “immortal fans”, the place of activation, which was the Cape Recife
stadium, encouraged a sense of reassurance as the fans were familiar with the
surrounding. This reassuring reality of a sense of place could perhaps have
influenced the loyalty of the “immortal fan”.

2.6.2 The Creative Thinking Process

Conceptualisers of idea generation make use of the first set of ideas that spring to
mind or, levels of firstness in terms of Peircean semiotics where pre-existence of an
idea is the firstness of possibility (Bopry, 2013).

When conceptualizing for campaign, the first idea one comes up with is not usually
an isolated one, but consists of many first ideas which are then put to task in terms
of “making them happen and asking whether there is plausibility in making them
real, then testing the ideas” (Bopry, 2013). Testing involves feedback from
resources.
 63

Peirce’s firstness relates to the ‘distinctive sign’ in semiotics which allows for one
to return to the roots of the branding practice, or experiential branding practice.

Ransdell (1976:101-2) specifies that Peirce’s concept of semiotics is a sensible

form of communication where credibility will lie in the future of feasible ideas
where communication and thought are identified as having the same form.
Laurence (2014) says that a consumer is most receptive when they do not expect
something to happen, they are taken by surprise and it arouses attention. One’s
brain is essentially a “machine that is most interested in changes in our
environment”. The changes that take place are relevant as they can signify
something different is about to take place, which could be favourable or
unfavourable. In other words, one’s brain is continuously on the lookout for an
extraordinary, attention grabbing experience. This is where experiential marketing
comes into play where thought processes and ideas need to be different, engaging
and thought-provoking.

Figure 2.10 Creative Design-Thinking Process

Source: http://www.resilientbydesign.com/design-thinking/
 64

Design thinking should be structured with defined goals according to a timeline.

Usually, projects are built with the intention of reaching the defined goal from the
onset, but with design thinking, the outcome may be ambiguous until the solution is
reached (DTHSG. 2005). In Figure 2.10, the Creative Design thinking process in
design research, there is initially an involvement of uncertainty which then leads to
patterns or a logical order of thinking with clearer insights. During this process the
concept and/or prototype is extracted which gives way to a clearer understanding or
focus of the end-design goal within reach (Ingle, 2013).

Figure 2.11 Design Thinking Model

Source: http://dthsg.com/what-is-design-thinking/

The Creative Design thinking process model by Ingle (2013) does not clearly define
the initiation of the problem area from the outset which is evident in DTHSG’s
(2005) design thinking model. However, there are similarities in the two models,
namely being that both models begin with brainstorming and researching to create
many different ideas or needfinding. Thereafter, the prototype is developed or
designed where testing occurs. This is where the overlapping between the two
models’ “protoype build” and “design” intersect. Ingle’s model tends to end at
design, whereas DTHSG’s model extends the “design” process to testing.
 65

It is interesting to see that DTHSG’s Design Thinking Model indicates that design
never ends. There needs to be a tangible experience taking place during the testing
and beyond, a process which forms the essential basics of design thinking (DTHSG,
2005). By developing prototypes during the design process, the end-user can
participate early enough in the process to avoid later problems in innovation.

Lenderman (2005:232) says that experiential marketing’s aim is to succeed by

creating innovative ideas and tactics to reach consumers in enticingly, creative
ways. However, public awareness of a brand’s presence is not always a guarantee
that customers will become loyal to the brand. Positive brand associations, repeat
purchase behaviour and consumption, assist in creating brand loyalty (Ponsonby-
Mccabe and Boyle, 2007:177). Mootee (2013) explains that innovation is about
building a brand that is strong and in so doing, creates a market place for the future
of the brand with strategic innovation. Innovation should not be separated from the
brand. Brands should be the guiding force behind innovation. This could be moving
beyond communications to inventive ways of becoming brand innovators. The
potential to be innovative should not be contained within boundaries.

Ideas that are innovatively radical should maintain values within that particular
industry pertaining to the product or service (Mootee, 2013). Sir Richard Branson
of Virgin Group says, “I’ve never been particularly good at numbers, but I think
I’ve done a reasonable job with feelings. And I’m convinced that it is feelings – and
feelings alone – that account for the success of the Virgin brand in all its myriad
forms.” Innovation involves the application of design thinking utilising the right,
capable people in one place (Mootee, 2013).

Gambarato (2013:430) observes that the basic reason behind design or the
“language of design” [and design thinking] is the ability to create freely with lack
of parameters and to avoid stating the obvious… which are necessary to create new
ideas, since the only way to convey new ideas is by means of a complexus of icons.
We can only create new ideas by transforming existing images” (Nöth, 2000:26).
 66

In order for an idea to be different and compelling, it is necessary to find

similarities to escape the “conventional and the arbitrary”. These similarities could
relate to the intended target audience, their interests, demographics and so forth.
This beginning of new idea creation, which Gambarato names “conscious creation”
needs to work in relation to replacing the relationship between sign/object and
interpretant (Gambarato, 2013:430).

In conclusion, the theoretical framework of visual methodology of semiotics relates

to how images make meaning and the context of the image is extended to that of a
“brandscape” which is a dedicated area or place which allows consumers to interact
and experience a particular brand (Ponsonby-Mccabe and Boyle, 2007:183). Not
only will a descriptive analysis of the brandscape be analysed in the following
chapter, but the tools related to the ‘framing’ of the environment in which the brand
activation takes place in terms of visual methodological interpretation. The
complexity of semiology will focus on Van Leeuwen’s social semiotics. Art
historians Mieke Bal and Norman Bryson (1991:174) say, “human culture is made
up of signs, each of which stands for something other than itself, and the people
inhabiting culture busy themselves making sense of those signs”. Brandscapes
allow reinforcement of the brand’s symbolic meaning and the experience the
consumer has with the brand (Ponsonby-Mccabe and Boyle, 2007:183).
 67

CHAPTER 3
Historical Overview of Experiential Marketing

According to Smilansky (2014:5-6), experiential marketing is a way in which

customers’ needs and aspirations are satisfied. The marketer needs to identify those
needs in order to engage in a profitable relationship with the consumer through
“two-way communications that bring brand personalities to life and add value to the
target audience” (Smilansky, 2009:5). Smilansky goes on to say that the
combination of experiential marketing should make use of integrated
methodologies through brand-relevant connections. The way in which this can be
done is through one big idea involving the two-way communication channel
“between the brand and the target audience in real time, therefore featuring a live
brand experience at its core” The marketer should choose to use other
communication channels namely ‘amplification channels’ which build on the big
idea of the live brand experience (Smilansky, 2009:6). Through the use of
integrated branding promotions (also known as IBP), marketers opt to use an
extensive range of promotional marketing tools for optimum, widespread exposure
to the brand.

Many of these big ideas are associated with ambient and guerrilla marketing as well
as Schmitt’s Experiential Sensory Modules (2014:60) which will be discussed
further in this chapter. The differences and similarities between guerrilla marketing
and experiential marketing and the question of whether experiential marketing
could simply be an extension of guerrilla marketing, will be analysed. How has
media influenced the role of experiential marketing and how has technology
changed consumers’ behaviour with experiential brand activations?

3.1 Historical Overview of Ambient, Outdoor and Guerrilla Marketing

The word ambient relates to the immediate surrounds of something. Ambient

advertising is linked to outdoor advertising as a method that places messages in
designated areas where the audience is least likely to expect it, however, it does not
always have to be outside (as outdoor advertising). The aim of this form of
advertising is that it intends to make the disinterested interested. Ambient media
involves, amongst others, massive buildings wrapped in advertising messages, the
 68

placing of posters onto trees and, for example, clever park bench messages whereby
the whole bench is turned into a Nestlé KitKat chocolate bar with the message
“Have a break, have a KitKat” (Figure 3.1). Simply, ambient media is “advertising
that occupies an environmental space that consumers encounter as part of their
daily lives” (Tibbs, 2005:63). Other forms of ambient media include messages
placed in shopping trolleys, aeroplane trays and so forth.

Figure 3.1 Ambient media: park bench

Source: http://onlywilliam.blogspot.com/2011/08/have-break-find-bench-
creative-designed.html

Most ambient advertising messages use the element of shock, humour and surprise
in order to evoke a response from the target audience (Figure 3.2). As with
experiential brand activations, ambient media challenges designers to create new
ways of thinking. One can ask the question of how receptive consumers have been
to ambient media messages in the past, and to what extent do the environments of
these ambient messages have on the consumer’s reaction to the brand message.

Figure 3.2 Wristwatch: ambient advertising

Source: https://www.pinterest.com/shruthibs/interactive-ads/
 69

According to Arens et al (2013:499), outdoor advertising has been around for many
years and has achieved great success “it was probably the first advertising medium
ever used, dating back more than 5 000 years to when hieroglyphics on obelisks
directed travelers” (2013:499). Thousands of years ago, messages were relayed
from one small settlement to another by means of how loud people could shout.
Products were produced on a very small scale and there was no real need for
advertising as a promotion tool for mass purchases, nor was there mass media as a
medium for sending out messages (Arens et al, 2013:38). The 1800s saw outdoor
advertising becoming a popular form of marketing. Poster paintings by artists such
as Manet and Toulouse-Lautrec (Figure 3.3) were found in public spaces and
during the Middle Ages auction sale handbills were posted onto notice boards in
and around towns and cities.

Figure 3.3 "Moulin Rouge - La Goulue" by Toulouse-Lautrec, 1891

One of the earliest forms of guerrilla marketing.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poster#/media/File:Henri_de_Toulouse-
Lautrec_049.jpg

Guerrilla marketing dates back to 4000 BC where papyrus was used by the
Egyptians to create sales messages as well as wall posters (Sharma & Sharma,
2014:83) and “it may be argued that guerrilla marketing [today] is not a new
phenomenon” (Tibbs, 2010:65). The early 1900s saw marketing develop from not
only educating the consumer about a product or service, but as sort of entertainment
value that was created to engage with the consumer (Sharma & Sharma, 2014:83).
 70

Marketers today, have taken this marketing tactic a step further by using technology
as a form of engagement, with the intention of creating successful brands that
captivate consumers by providing a remarkable brand experience that will keep
customers satisfied and essentially create brand loyalty (Mathieson, 2005).

The term “Guerrilla Marketing” was established in the 1980s by an American

marketer, Jay Conrad Levinson (Belic & Jönsson, 2012:14). It is strongly linked to
military- and war-related terms whereby this kind of marketing is more aggressive
than the traditional form of marketing and most of these unconventional marketing
methods consist of campaigns and/or strategies that make astonishing promotional
effects (Belic & Jönsson, 2012:14). Consumers became bored with the mainstream,
traditional form of advertising by means of radio and television and this led to the
use of these unconventional, refreshing and compelling marketing ideas - “Profits
and joy, with unconventional methods, such as investing energy instead of money”
(Kaden in Sharma & Sharma, 2014:83). Sharma and Sharma (2014:83) pinpoint
guerrilla marketing as something that is “more about matching marketer’s creativity
than matching marketing budgets”.

Contemporary examples of guerrilla marketing include the brand Adidas which

suspended actual football players by means of wires across streets in the cities of
Tokyo and Osaka; Microsoft spread butterfly stickers throughout Manhattan and
McDonalds had a “sleeping” lady in her bed in a busy Hong Kong subway station.
These activities sparked tremendous interes, as well as controversy amongst the
public (Tibbs, 2010:65). By means of creating something extraordinary out of the
ordinary, consumers are able to remember the marketing message as opposed to the
more traditional form of advertising, where consumers become so familiar with
these types that they eventually create a mental block against the message and tune
out completely. Hutter and Hoffman (2011) express that “being exposed to the
same types of messages repeatedly will make the consumer familiar with these
types, causing them to increase their ability to block them out.”

Guerilla marketing is designed to achieve instant results is what guerrilla marketing

is designed to achieve. The ability to try something new by using different
approaches are based on the following (Sharma et al, 2014:83):

• Guerrilla marketing was a popular form of marketing amongst small

businesses as many of these businesses had very low budgets and they can
 71

receive publicity easier than larger companies. However, low budget does
not necessarily mean poor results. Many public service announcements
make use of guerrilla marketing tactics as a form of promotion as the return
on investment is high which is backed up by the exposure in various media
outlets;

• Human psychology plays an integral role in guerrilla marketing, as it is not

merely based on an experience, guessing or on one’s judgement;

• Time, energy and imagination and not budget;

• Diversity in the sale of products and services is not conducive to guerrilla

marketing, but rather focusing on something small but with a high standard
of excellence.

For example Count Chiquinho Scarpa, a billionaire in Brazil, South America, is

well-known for his scandalous acts. In 2013, Scarpa provided a hint on Facebook
that he was to bury his U$500,000 Bentley in his own back yard. Many Brazilians
were appalled by this idea which led to massive media coverage. Live news reports
and press feeds covered the countdown. On the day of the burial, Scarpa’s PR stunt
turned out to be the introduction to a campaign relating to “National Organ
Donation Week” in association with Leo Burnett. The concept of burying one’s
organs which could in turn save many, many lives became a valuable brand
activation (Adage, 2013). More than 172 million impressions were made on social
networking sites alone and more than U$22,000 of earned media. It is important to
note that the media cost was zero and the production cost of the campaign was
merely U$6,000. The campaign became the number one trending topic in Brazil
and number two throughout the rest of the world (Leo Burnett Tailor Made Brazil,
2014).
 72

Figure 3.4 Guerrilla Marketing actively used to promote National Organ

Donor Week in Brazil.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2425452/Brazilian-businessman-
buries-310-000-Bentley-use-afterlife.html.

As demonstrated in the example above, strategic, careful planning formed the basis
for this successful guerrilla marketing tactic. Leibing (2008) makes use of seven
various tactics according to the rules of warfare which significantly illustrate the
principles used in guerrilla marketing. Belic and Jönsson (2012:15) reiterate these
principles as follows:

Firstly, the companies’ resources such as time, place and topic are used in order to
achieve a superior standing in comparison to the companies’competitors. Belic and
Jönsson (2012:15) say that instead of creating many, small marketing activities,
focus should rather be on a promotional activity that is situated at the right place in
order to attract attention.

Secondly, one should aim at selling the product along with the message. The aim is
for the consumer to become one with the brand, not only the product. In so doing,
the consumer experiences the message and the product simultaneously, hence the
relevance of creating an engaging message.
 73

Leibing’s third tactical rule relates to establishing patterns and overcoming these
patterns. In other words, a unique experiential marketing activity should be
achieved every time. If a company follows the same message for a different
product, it will not have the surprising effect as its predecessor.

The fourth tactical rule is to create a synergy between the consumer and the brand
message, by means of combining two or more influences. A strong message should
have an influential effect on the consumer participating in the brand experience.

Fifthly, the unique selling point of the product/service should be smart and it should
be exposed to the consumer in a surprising way.

Leibing’s sixth tactical rule hints at choosing an alternative way of sending out the
message. If it is different and compelling, the consumer is more likely to take notice
of the message and product.

Lastly, the seventh tactical rule according to Leibing (2008) is to remain flexible
and remain in line with contemporary with media changes. If this is lost, then the
consumer assumes the task of not relating to the message and it may fall into just
another ordinary, mundane marketing activity.

Jenson (1995) states that according to the first order of what constitutes social
semiotics, mass communication can be determined through a level of “first
instance”. This level of enquiry links to the seven tactical rules by Leibing (2008)
and this determination of “first instance” (Jenson, 1995:61) can be described as
follows:

Firstly, messages are determined by means of the technological resources available

at the time, this allows social engagement over a specific time or space. These
messages could be written, printed or having made use of audiovisual techniques in
preparation of new forms of social interaction;

Secondly, communication is also dictated according to the economy or what

budgets are used to shape the diversity of a message;

Thirdly, various levels of idea development are organized and the message output is
determined by the organisation’s professionalism.
 74

In other words, organisational, economical and technological studies are essential

parts of mass communication. All these levels of enquiry as stated by Jenson are
determinants in the first instance of semiosis (Jenson, 1995:61). This first instance
relates to Schmitt’s theory of the sensory levels of engagement in experiential
marketing, whereby the customer should actively engage with the brand or product
being advertised.

3.2 Schmitt’s Sensory Levels of Engagement in Experiential Activations

The whole user experience with the consumer and interaction with the product or
service is experiential marketing (Thibodeaux, 2014). This involves the need to
feel, hold, touch, hear as well as connect with the brand using one, two or all
sensory levels. Schmitt (2014:60) reiterates this by saying that experiential
marketing includes “sensory experiences (THINK), physical experiences,
behaviours and lifestyles (ACT), and social-identity experiences that relate to a
reference group or culture (RELATE). Schmitt illustrates this process in the
diagram below (Figure 3.5).

Figure 3.5 Experiential Sensory Model (Schmitt, 2014:60)

Source: http://econoca.unica.it/public/downloaddocenti/Schmitt%20JMM99-
Experiential%20marketing.pdf

Schmitt (2014:60) further explains that the “Sensory” model as a form of marketing
that makes use of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell which can be used to
influence customers’ buying decisions. These are essentially “affective
experiences”. A unified concept forms the basis of the promotional idea, however, a
 75

fresh and enticing approach using “senses”, fortifies the message and assists in
making it consistently fresh.

Absolut Vodka used this ‘fresh’ approach for over 25 years. Greenfield (2014)
states that Absolut’s campaigns in the past were extremely creative and successful,
particularly their traditional print ad campaigns. In the past, the brand collaborated
with artists such as Andy Warhol who created his own interpretation of the Absolut
Vodka bottle back in 1986. This art piece then became one of the first print
advertisements for Absolut. Today, marketing activities, have shifted their focus to
“live events and legendary parties”. The brand continues to use artists to create an
‘experiential strategy’ in clubs and Art Bars, where customers are served Vodka
drinks and from pop-up bars where they can physically experience the brand. The
brief given to artists is to “create the best bar ever for Absolut” (Greenfield, 2014).
This “living art project” entices people to the brand as it creates a memorable
experience.

“Feel” invokes a sense of emotional connection. “A close understanding of what

can trigger certain emotions as well as the willingness of the consumer to engage in
perspective-taking and empathy” forms this sense of emotional connection
(Schmitt, 2014:61). Customers involved in the experiential brand activation often
emit a sense of delight, joy, shock or empathy, however cultural diversity across the
globe can lead to difficulties in creating similar emotional responses. An example
of “feel” is the Clinique’s #StartBetter campaign. Instead of using the traditional
“anti-aging” demonstrative advertising technique of showing what the product can
do, the marketing agency tried something a little different by using digital and
social media as a platform that later developed towards in-store displays and events.
The concept provided hope relating to a new start: new relationship, new job or
even the dawn of a new day. A #StartBetter video was posted on Youtube which
“generated 1.4 million views… in two months and mostly positive comments on
social media” (Neff, 2014). Consumers actively communicated with the marketers
on how they could make a fresh start. Each and everyone has to start something
some time, and Clinique successfully tapped into that human truth, evoking an
emotional connection with the product and the brand.

The third experiential sensory module is “Think”. Schmitt (2014) states that this
form of marketing allows for an intellectual, stimulating experience which makes
 76

customers use different degrees of thinking through surprising, engaging and

questioning the product. Examples of technological products make use of this
marketing technique. IBM launched a remarkable outdoor “think” campaign
namely ‘smart ideas for smart cities’. Ogilvy France applied a level of functionality
to their concept of taking simple outdoor advertising billboards and changing them
to create effective, functional objects that could quite simply, make someone’s life
a little easier (Figure 3.6). The simplicity of this concept was effectively applied to
IBM’s philosophy of being smarter: connecting with the world in an instrumental,
interconnected and intelligent manner (IBM: n.d).

Figure 3.6 Application of “Think” Sensory Model in IBM activation

(Schmitt, 2014:60)
Source: http://adage.com/article/creativity-at-cannes-2013/cannes-2013-recap-
grand-prix-winners/242805/

3.3 Why is Communication Necessary in Terms of Experiential Marketing?

In order for successful communication to take place, the product, price and place
needs to be taken into account, however, the need to inform and persuade
customers to buy or participate actively with the product or brand needs to be just
as compelling (Koekemoer, 2011:24). This is where experiential marketing is
paramount. The future of marketing is experiential marketing as it is a “two-way
experience-oriented strategy” (Smilansky, 2009:6). This two-way communication
channel involves common thinking between two parties whereby information is
exchanged between one person and another. Koekemoer (2011:24) goes on to say
that this may be a difficult task to achieve and many first attempts to convey or
communicate a message often fail dismally. Communication involves how to say
something to your market, when to say it and who you are addressing.
 77

The exchange of information in a clear and informative manner to encourage

participation with the consumer is key when planning an experiential marketing
campaign. This action forms part of the marketing tactics that are related to
guerrilla marketing and experiential brand activations. Koekemoer (2001:25)
mentions that the vital components in communication such as information, people,
time and format can influence the receiver’s attitude and interpretation of the
message and as well as the environment in which the message is place. One must
not discount the personality of the brand that is being advertised in the experiential
activation. The brand personality needs to identify with the consumers by
recognizing the symbolic and emotional appeals of the consumer (Arora and
Stoner, 2009:272).

In Chapter Two, Van Leeuwen’s ‘framing’ technique in print advertisements

suggested that the frame lines, borders around the image or print advert itself (or
boundaries around a tree or building shape), the empty, open space between
different items in a composition are used as disconnection elements in a visual
composition (Van Leeuwen, 2005:7). This can then apply to the space or place that
the experiential brand activation occupies. In turn, the placement of the activation
suggests an exchange of information in terms of social semiotics, whereby the flow
of meaning from an existing source (the marketer’s idea) placed within an everyday
context (via media professionals and audiences) denotes meaning. The way in
which audiences perceive or react to experiential brand messages all relate to
“Peircean, infinite semiosis”. Forms of thinking; the way in which messages are
perceived including interaction between message and receiver are based on reality
and this in turn, is mediated by signs (Jenson: 1995: 21,62).

A form of communication has taken place once the consumer reads, interprets and
reacts to the message being displayed. The process of reading the sign and forming
an understanding of the message can be based on three models of communication:
linear, interactive and transactional (Open University, Malaysia, 2008):

i) The linear model is a one-way process that involves the

speaker and a listener. Lasswell’s model (1948) consists of
five questions that are asked: “who (said) + what + in what
channel: to whom = with what effect” (Open University,
Malaysia). Stern (1995:1) states that this model fails in that
 78

it does not capture the interactivity of the communication

process between an advertiser and its consumer. Arens et
al (2013:13-4) reiterates Stern’s point of view by saying
that this model oversimplifies the process as it lacks the
structure and the creativity involved in creating an
advertising message as there are numerous complexities
that one needs to take into account, especially when
dealing with interactive media.

Figure 3.7: Linear model of communication (Wood, 2009:10)

Source: http://lms.oum.edu.my/e-
content/OUMH1303KDP/content/24094922OUMH1303_OralCommunication_v1/
OUMH1303_Topic1/OUMH1303_1_2.html#1

ii) The interactive model of communication involves a

blurring between the source and the receiver and it
becomes an ongoing process. Arens (2013) says that “the
interactive model better represents marketers’
understanding of their relationships with consumers today”
(Arens et al, 2013:14). There is no real beginning or
ending in this interactive model described by Arens. This
model allows the consumer to extract the information they
 79

need, use that information and then act on it, in real time. It
may begin with the encoder/source/decoder who receives
the message which is then decoded by the receiver or
encoder. Feedback is then given to the
encoder/source/decoder and the cycle starts again. (Arens,
2013:14). By using this model, Arens says that marketers
create a relationship with their consumer; they do not
dominate the marketing message:

Long gone are the days when audiences could be considered passive
receivers of impersonal mass messages. They are active decision
makers who control what communications they receive and choose the
information they want about a particular product (Arens, 2013:17).

A conversation between the receiver and the marketer

remains an ongoing process whereby the receiver sends
and receives messages and in turn, sends it back to the
receiver and on to other consumers. This acts as a reminder
that marketers do not control messages as they used to in
traditional forms of advertising and marketing. The ability
to listen and respond to their customers becomes necessary
in responding to the consumer. This interactive model can
then be applied successfully to experiential marketing
messages, however, what is lacking in this model is that it
does not actively show that everyone involved in this
communication process sends and receives messages at the
same time.

iii) The transactional model of communication according to

Wood (2009:12) does just that. This model of
communication illustrates that at different times, messages
can be interpreted differently. When participants are
actively engaging in an experiential marketing activation,
their response may be different. Noise levels may influence
the reaction of the consumer. This ‘noise’ does not
necessarily mean sound that distracts the person engaging
with the activation, but one’s thoughts and “mental
 80

preoccupation”. Wood (2009:12) goes on to say the

“feature of time reminds us that how people communicate
varies over the history of their interaction”. The ongoing
process of communication is constantly changing. An
experiential brand activation that is taking place during the
day may have a different effect on consumers if it were
taking place at night.

Figure 3.8 Transactional model of communication (Wood, 2009:12)

Source: https://books.google.co.za/books?id=9EMQPX-
PI1wC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ViewAPI&redi
r_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

For example, during 2008 De Beers Diamond Jewellers (a leading diamond

manufacturing organisation) created the “Unbreakable kiss mistletoe” in a diamond
shaped logo in New York City’s Madison Square Park. The aim of the experience
was to create a unique element of surprise to the usual holiday season’s diamond
advertising. Sixty still cameras along with selective lighting were strategically
positioned around a ‘stage-like’ setting and couples, friends, family members and
even pet owners could capture that exact moment and ‘freeze it in time’ (O’Brien,
n.d). According to Sree (2009), the campaign’s Executive Creative Director,
Madison Square Park does not usually encourage advertising, but this activation
 81

was much more than the traditional sense of advertising. An experience was created
whereby couples could enjoy this special moment, frozen in time. The digital
recordings of these moments were uploaded onto the campaign’s website and
participants could download their mini-movie moment and share it with the rest of
the world using social media and Youtube. Some couples even chose to send these
‘forever moments’ as Christmas cards. Over 600 couples participated in the
experience with a total of more than 300 000 hits on the designated website. More
than $4.6 million in free publicity was created from this brand activation and foot
traffic in the park increased by more than 10 000 people.

The environment in which the brand experience took place was in a casual, park-
like setting. Consumers were relaxed and a sense of curiosity was evident which
urged the participants to actively engage in the brand experience. (Youtube, 2015)
However, consumers who could not physically interact in the brand experience at
Madison Square Park, could actively engage with the brand on-line and through the
use of technology, create their own “forever began” moment.

It is important to note that various contexts affect the meaning of the

communication and these contexts are influenced by what people have in common
with the brand. This could simply be the environment or brandscape (which will be
discussed further in Chapter Four), and the shared experience by means of the
individual’s friends or associations. Another important aspect to note is that the
transactional model of communication excludes the sender and receiver.
Communicators, on both levels, now participate and interact simultaneously, as
with the De Beers “Unbreakable kiss” brand experience. Brand association can be
attributed to many different aspects, but one that is effectively associated to this
particular brand activation for the De Beers campaign is the spiritual type of brand
value. According to Ponsonby-Mcabe (2006:81) this type of value is the most
important as it “transports consumers to an idyllic utopian place, a place that offers
them ‘exaltation’ and rapture, ‘supreme value … good… above all other goods”.

Schmitt’s (2014) experiential sensory modules of “relate, sense, feel, act and think”
are linked to- and influenced by Wood’s (2009) transactional model of
communication where the shared experience and symbolic interaction over time
influences the consumers’ experience with the brand activation.
 82

3.4 The Differences and Similarities Between Guerrilla Marketing and

Experiential Marketing

Messages need to be designed or conceptualised in such a way that the audience

will experience some form of instant gratification. The marketing message should
be clear and the marketing organisation should have a relevant, strategic plan in the
process of exposing the message to the target audience. There are, however,
differences and similarities between guerrilla marketing and experiential marketing
messages and the channels used to target audiences and marketing methods are
interlinked in more ways than one.

As mentioned previously, guerrilla marketing is mostly successful amongst small

businesses (Sharma et al, 2014:83) with low budgets using unconventional
marketing ideas and methods. A strong imagination and element of surprise is often
used to create an impression, and the same applies to experiential marketing.
Trixstar.com (2012) states that “guerrilla marketing tactics are not as risky for small
businesses as they run less of a risk and can more easily recover from a failed
attempt” and thus, smaller companies can recover quicker from a failed attempt at
guerrilla marketing. An example of an unconventional marketing method used in
film was the Blair Witch Project, created by a group of college students. The
filming technique was that of a “shaky, often first-person camera work”
(Trixstar.com, 2012). D’Angelo (2014) says the film premiéred in 1999 along with
an on-line marketing campaign (the Internet was a relatively new experience during
that time). This further compounded the idea of the film being non-fiction and the
on-line persona was also driven by the traditional marketing method of ‘word-of-
mouth’. This tactic assisted in creating enough interest in order to create awareness
of the film amongst the public. According to D’Angelo (2014) “This art film was
sold to the public as mainstream entertainment. The filmmakers tried to make it
more accessible, but there wasn’t much they could do” besides using the Internet
and the traditional route of advertising. The success of this guerrilla tactic is evident
in the Figures grossed by the film. The initial budget was a mere U$50 000 and it
grossed around U$250 million “making it one of the most profitable films of all
time” (D’Angelo, 2014).

Experiential marketing makes use of the customers’ senses to create a sensory

experience rather than using visual and verbal methods. The space of activation is
 83

usually in a large, public area such as a sporting event, park or shopping mall area
(graggadv.com, n.d). Consumers physically experience the product and therefore
gain a better understanding of the product or service being offered, as opposed to
the usual traditional method of advertising. Customers engage with the product on a
personal level and there is often an emotional connection. A level of entertainment
along with an enticing game is often used as part of the experiential marketing
tactic. According to Trixstar (2012) this marketing tactic can be more expensive
than guerrilla marketing and is more popular amongst larger companies. However,
guerrilla marketing and experiential marketing tactics are based on “creating an
experience and involving the customer, with a focus on fostering a personal or
emotional connection by engaging on a sensory level” (trixstar.com, 2012).
Activation marketing or experiential marketing “generally tries to attract you to …
[participate in] an experience, whereas guerrilla marketing actively seeks out the
potential customer” (graggadv.com, n.d).

The question remains, can experiential marketing simply be formulated as an

extension of guerrilla marketing? Both marketing tactics can be used independently
of each other, and have successfully been doing so for years. However, each
method will mostly be determined by the size and concept of the company’s
marketing goal (graggadv.com).

The founders of Street MarketingTM, Saucet (2013) and LCA Consulting are
specialists in marketing operations. The similarity between Street MarketingTM and
experiential marketing is based on messages to the public using open spaces by
means of creative, non-traditional ways (LCA-Group.net, n.d). This form of
marketing is in fact a derivative of guerrilla marketing and ambient marketing but
uses the streets to showcase various branded messages. As with ambient marketing,
messages are conveyed to consumers using any and every available surface, in an
intelligent, flexible manner making use of nearby surroundings whereas Street
MarketingTM or experiential marketing often uses an integrated marketing approach
using new media and technology as a driving force for consumer enjoyment and
engagement.
 84

Street MarketingTM can further be categorized into the following:

i) street/ambient – sections of the environment are used to promote a

concept using available surfaces. This can be indoor and outdoor;

ii) ambush/parasitic – brands associate themselves with other brands in

order for the consumer to gain awareness and attention;

iii) stealth/undercover – a secretive approach to branding which allows the

consumer to engage with the product or service without the consumer
being aware they are actively engaging in the campaign;

iv) viral/buzz – messages are exposed to other audiences by means of social

networks and word-of-mouth. Many of these messages begin with one
source and spread like a virus. Mostly, the person who experiences the
message first is encouraged to send the message (Cova & Saucet: 2014).

3.5 Media and Technology’s Influence on Experiential Marketing

The end of the 1950s paved the way for the postmodern age with a technological
shift “expected to have a considerable impact on knowledge” (Lyotard, 1979:4).
The commercialization of machines enabling the transfer of messages along with
the transferring of sounds and visual images in media has had a substantial effect on
knowledge and branding in particular. One of the most radical changes to media
and communication was the invention of the Internet, mobile devices and other
electronic computer equipment. It is important to note that media’s influence on
technology forms an extension to modernism, leading to postmodernism, however,
it is a continuous state of motion that is accelerating all the time (Lyotard, 1979:79).
As visual communicators in this postmodern era, messages relayed to consumers
should not simply be replicas of reality, but should possibly extend beyond that by
creating new inventions that would usually be inconceivable; hence the introduction
of experiential marketing.

Smilansky (2009:27) refers to the importance of marketers driving brand

experiences to form an integral part of their marketing strategy. The shifting of
marketing communication strategies to focus on experiential branding “have
benefited from significant increase in market share” (Smilansky, 2009:27).
 85

Agencies who have adopted this method now utilize the live brand experiences in
their adverts as a form of promotional advertising.

An experiential marketing campaign featuring a local, small Italian restaurant

claimed its fame to brilliant cooking (Smilansky, 2009:27). The travelling
roadshow engaged target audiences and encouraged them to make their own
calzone while brand ambassadors handed out free samples of the restaurant’s own
pasta to the public. Consumers were able to engage with the product, first-hand, and
add their own ingredients and flavouring. Those visiting the roadshow entered a
competition to win exclusive three-course family meals. Customers were also given
vouchers, encouraging them to visit the local restaurant chains; a clever marketing
tactic which not only entices customers but also increases sales. The local press
were invited to the experiential brand activations to record the roadshow. Even
though this campaign began on a small-scale, it escalated into successful marketing
campaign using a simple idea which allowed a revival in the restaurant brand.
Smilansky (2009:25) states through the use of live brand experiences, companies
can expect long term return on investment to be greater when experiential brand
activations form the main driving concept of the campaign.

Sensory experiences have been used as a marketing tactic for a number of years, in
order to allow consumers to engage with products and services. Schmitt (2014:60)
draws on the various senses of thinking, the role of action and how the audience
relates to the brand experience.

Motion picture screens have been around for over a century and have recently been
revived for the creation of advertising messages. Marketers and conceptual artists
often omit this form of theatrical exhibition as a form of advertising, however, due
to innovation of sound and technology, the historical motion picture theatre has
been revived in more ways that one in order to create memorable brand experiences
as forms of customer engagement. Austin (1986) promotes the power of motion
picture advertising to contemporary audiences and strongly motivates this venue of
brand activation as “[a] long-neglected medium [that] should be adopted for the
dissemination of information by the consumer marketing and advertising
industries”.

Vizeum in Johannesburg made use of cinemas as an area of activation to launch the

new BMWi8 to the public in 2015. The cinema space allowed for a complete,
 86

captive audience to engage with this revolutionary brand. “Bolts of light crawled
down the cinema walls, towards the screen” says Storie (2015). Surround sound,
vibrations and the dark cinema created a complete sensory experience in this unique
environment and combined the BMW brand with cutting-edge audio-visual
technology (sacreativenetwork.co.za, n.d). BMWi8, amongst others, has utilized
this medium by engaging with audiences using audio-visual sensations when the
captive audience is at their most relaxed and ready to receive any messages.

As mentioned previously in Chapter Two, Sony Xperia acro S also made use of the
motion picture environment to launch the all-new waterproof mobile phone during
the opening weekend of the James Bond film Skyfall in 2012 in Stockholm,
Sweden. The audience was prompted via messages on the motion picture screen
and were pleasantly surprised when the lucky recipient opened their “ringing” soda
to find the product immersed in the soft drink liquid (Experia Soda Stunt, 2012).
This form of advertising can be limitless and marketers can make an incredible
impact on their captive audience. Diogo (2015) says “if you want advertising that
packs punch, cinema is the way to do it”.

According to Edwards (2014), one of the highlights of 2014 was Staropramen’s

Dracula which also made use of a multi-sensory cinema experience. Audiences
were entertained by a string quartet, echoing the cinematic music reminiscent of
Dracula. This was supported by “scent-infusion” to mimic that of the movie’s
character (eventmagazine.co.uk, n.d). The combination of this multi-sensory
encounter enabled the captive audience to use all their senses including sight, touch,
scent and their ability to hear and experience the Dracula brand which was
previously exposed to audiences by means of the traditional motion picture only.

The traditional method of ‘Street Marketing’ was simply a person between two
boards with an advertising message on either side - better known as a “sandwich
board”. Today, brand activations, through the use of technology and strong,
conceptual ideas, relay messages to consumers using integrated marketing methods
which still include traditional methods to enlighten consumers using different and
compelling ways. According to Arens et al (2013:9), integrated marketing
communication or IMC is both a concept and a process “the concept of integration
is wholeness”, meaning an integrated form of communication that creates synergy
 87

across all advertising mediums. Each element used in the creative mix needs to be
supported and reinforced by using other mediums or marketing venues.

Duncan (2013:9) points out that “IMC is a process in which communication

becomes the driving, integrating force in the marketing mix and throughout the
organisation”. If an organisation chooses to use an IMC approach, the message
created is a stronger one that becomes more meaningful as opposed to only
promoting a service or product by only using the slogan alone, for example.
Smilansky (2009:25) says it can be argued that brand experiences do not reach a
large number of people as the traditional, mass-media approach. If a company
conceptualizes a “quality brand-relevant interaction or engagement… factor in
word-of-mouth reach (each person who interacts with a live brand experience is
likely to tell 17 people)” the reach compared to that of traditional media is high
(Smilansky, 2009:25).

In the United Kingdom, Coca-Cola embarked on a Christmas truck tour during

2014. This travelling, festive campaign was supported by means of traditional print
and television commercials to enlighten consumers about the festive road show
using their forty-five winter wonderland venues. Consumers were encouraged to
tweet #HolidaysAreComing @ChristmasTruck to remain up to date with the
Christmas cheer campaign. At each of the brand activation sites, consumers were
given free samples of the Coca-Cola beverage and were entertained by a choir
singing Christmas songs. More than 3 367 tweets were posted and the campaign
had more than fifty-one thousand followers, with more than four thousand
following and over three-thousand five-hundred favourites. Tyler (2014) stated that
besides the Christmas cheer brought by the Coca-Cola truck, a romantic moment
was also generated when a marriage proposal took place in front of thousands of
people in Birmingham, England. Not only were consumers directly involved in the
experience of the brand, but many tweeted the moment and posted photos of the
marriage proposal in front of the Coca-Cola Christmas truck via social media
platforms. “A special ‘marry me’ sign was revealed at the crucial moment and
when Amie said yes, the crowd cheered and the choir sang Mariah Carey’s hit ‘All
I want for Christmas is You’” (Tyler, 2014). This social engagement is defined by
Fairclough (2003:25) as a form of social practice; comprised of expressions “which
are associated with particular areas of social life.”
 88

Figure 3.9 Sensory experience of the Coca-Cola Christmas Road Show’s

marriage proposal

Source: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/coca-cola-
christmas-truck-proposal-watch-8275128

Elements of social practice that Fairclough refers to include the following:

i) action and interaction – ways in which the audience responds to the messages
created by the marketers;

ii) social relations;

iii) persons (with beliefs, attitudes, histories etc);

iv) the material world.

These sections of social praxis are clearly evident in experiential brand activations
as Holtz (2014) states ways in which consumers behave in certain situations can be
used positively in social environments and Harvey responds (in Fairclough
2003:25) by suggesting that social events are shaped by social practices.
Experiential brand activations are considered to form part of social praxis as
consumers are encouraged to act, interact, form social relations with the product or
service being advertised. It is paramount to note that each engagement can differ
according to various beliefs, attitudes, historical references and culture of each
participant.

Everyday practices can become habitual and are routinely performed such as
brushing one’s teeth and doing the laundry. The use of social media, for example,
has become a habitual daily routine for many consumers who simply use their
smartphones and other handheld devices to access social networking sites.
According to American PEW Research Centre (2014), 74% of online adults make
use of social networking sites: social networking sites used are Facebook (71%),
 89

Twitter (23%), Instagram (26%), Pinterest (28%) and LinkedIn (28%). 40% Of cell
phone owners use their mobile phones to access social networking sites with 28%
using their mobile phones each day for this purpose alone.

It may be argued that social networking sites can isolate people, however, regarding
the use of social networking for brand exposure in terms of brand activations,
marketers can use the following information as a means of support regarding levels
of consumer engagement. The benefits of using social networking and technology
are as follows:

• The average user has close associations to other people as this form of
interaction allows for consumers to engage closely with others socially;

• Trust amongst Facebook users is high, with a level of close relationships;

• Support amongst Facebook users is high;

• The use of Facebook allows for the revival of “dormant” interactions or

relationships between users.

Consumers are more likely to post their experiences of compelling and engaging
experiential brand activations using Facebook, as this form of social networking has
indicated a high level of positive user engagement, socially, as stated by the
American PEW Research Centre (2014). Another form of social interaction and
networking is blogging. “Having a blog means you still count, you matter,” says
Hoar, founder of blogging site Textamerica.com (in Mathieson, 2005:180). The
average age of a blogger is about twenty-five and according to PEW research, this
age group is more likely to play on-line games, download music and make use of
instant messaging (Mathieson, 2005:180). This form or social engagement with
other people is analysed according to Jenson’s (1995:69) theory of social semiotics
of mass communication where he suggests that “the social context of each instance
of mass communication [social networking] includes the entire public-sphere
model”. One of the points Jenson mentions is the social setting of mass media as a
“con-text” which is literally a set of texts or discourses that need to be understood
in order to make media sense (Jenson, 1995:68).

The sharing of brand experience activations via social networking platforms could
possibly form a new system of signs to communicate the social engagement and
 90

participation with the brand (this will be explored further in Chapter Five).
Marketers need to constantly be aware of digital marketing trends amongst their
selected target audiences and strategically manage these social platforms, not only
to maintain an online presence, but rather to be instantaneous in their response to
consumer messaging. One should take note that when consumers post their
engagement with the brand experience activation online, an immediate promotion
of the brand is taking place. Marketers aim to make this a positive user experience,
however, negative experiences may also be posted online. During brand activations,
marketers should acknowledge that they are now handing over the reigns of
promotion to the public at large and should strive to maintain a positive
engagement through the experiential activation. Any negative publicity caused,
may become a marketer’s nightmare and could spiral completely out of control.
Many large corporations now employ damage control experts who continuously
search the worldwide web for negative or positive online communication relating to
the company’s brand.

Companies who employ brand ambassadors need to choose the particular person
extremely carefully. Marie Claire South Africa created an online brand awareness
campaign, namely “In Your Shoes” against domestic violence. The campaign brand
ambassadors consisted of popular South African celebrities, all wearing high heels.
However, one ambassador, DJ Euphonik was allegedly involved in a domestic
violence abuse case. Even though the charges against this DJ Euphonik were
eventually dropped, the damage had already been created. The campaign was
largely promoted via Twitter whereby each tweet “featur[ed] the phrase I stand for
women, with the hashtag #MCInHerShoes” contributed a monetary donation to a
shelter for abused women through the popular magazine, Marie Claire. However,
the power of social media and Twitter followers angrily tweeted saying “it [is] a
gimmick… [promoting] the magazine more than standing up against women abuse”
(ww.bizcommunity.com, 2015).

Through the use of social networking sites and word-of-mouth, the role of the
consumer has shifted to that of an advertiser and promoter for the particular brand.
“Consumers will become brand advocates and even brand evangelists, who give
personal recommendations, ultimately doing the most important marketing [for the
marketer]” (Smilansky, 2009:2). Before an experiential activation begins, marketers
should take into account who will be visiting the experiential brand activation site
 91

(or brandscape) and by means of using behavioural targeting, intentionally position

a place of activation that is suited to that particular target audience. Marketers
should also be aware of their target audience’s online interests and become familiar
with where the consumers are most likely to share their brand experience and what
types of social networking sites could possibly be most favourable. Drummond in
SA Creatives (2015) says “behavioural targeting… delivers highly relevant ads to a
receptive, action-defined audience. This allows brands to present their advertising
only to those consumers demonstrating an active interest in the area of their
products or services”. For an integrated marketing approach, marketers should aim
at possibly expanding on the shared user experience by creating an immediate
response back to the consumer once the consumer has posted their brand experience
online. This form of communication is reiterated by the interactive communication
model. Arens et al (2013:17) refer to marketers creating relationships with their
consumers; they do not dominate the marketing message.

In advertising, feedback can take many forms…website visits, tweets,

Facebook posts…This offers companies the chance to nourish
relationships with their customers, ones that will be more fruitful for
both sponsors and consumers (Arens et al, 2013:17).

Marketers should aim at gathering a substantial amount of market information to

develop possible consumer profiles of potential consumers. Consumer behaviour is
“the mental and emotional process and the physical activities of people who
purchase and use goods and services to satisfy their needs and wants” (Arens et al,
2013:151). The conversation between the consumer and the marketer or sponsor
remains an ongoing process whereby the consumer sends and receives messages
and in turn, sends it back to the source/marketer and on to other consumers.

Evans (2015) points out that brand experiences may be affected by trends in digital
or on-line marketing. Expenditures making use of digital media could overtake all
traditional media as it continues to grow annually. This can be achieved by the
amount of consumer growth and time spent on-line. Mobile advertising is
progressing rapidly in South Africa with expenditure almost doubling to $19.3bn
between 2012 and 2013 (IAB in Evans, 2015). South Africans are more inclined to
receive advertising on their phones as opposed to other countries worldwide and
PWC predicts an increase in advertising from 16% in 2014 to 26% in 2017. The
importance of geo-fencing, which allows geographical information to direct
 92

messages to certain consumers, can assist brands in reaching the right audience at
the right time. “Word-of-web” is one of the fastest means of media relations
making use of viral marketing. “As successful viral campaign creates word-of-web
at exponential rates allowing a message to travel as fast as a virus, hence the name
(Smilansky, 2009:4).

Another area regarding consumers’ behaviour in terms of experiential activations

takes the form of direct marketing tactics. Traditionally, marketers posted messages
via direct mail to people’s homes in order to gain a direct response or sale. This
formed part of building their customer relationship with the consumer (Smilansky,
2009:4). Experiential marketing activations are a form of direct marketing as
consumers are exposed to the brands directly, but it is a new way of direct
marketing and customer engagement. Now, more than ever, messages need to mean
something to the audience and need to relate to the brand at all times to promote
engaging experiences. This in turn, encourages marketers to constantly invest in
unique content which can be uploaded and shared amongst consumers, not only via
word-of mouth, but via word-of-web.

Fisher (2014:7) mentions that the demands made on society using technology has
changed the way in which people have previously operated. It may seem that
technology has had a dramatic response in the engagement process, but few
companies have actually managed to do so. However, the one form of technology
that has had a dramatic effect on communication is social media (Fisher, 2014:7).
The speed and power of Internet connectivity, the use and advancement of mobile
technology and other handheld devices has led to a new way of communication.
Matheison (2005:183) considers the advancement of technology as being a
“democratization of digital media represented by blogging, chat rooms, and other
ongoing, online conversations” which have become extremely relevant for
marketers. For argument sake, place a group of teenagers in one room and observe
the communication process. Even though they may be seated next to one another,
there is hardly any verbal form of communication taking place between the
members of the group. One may observe the speed at which their fingers are
moving on their mobile devices which signifies a form of electronic
communication. The group may be tweeting, posting message on Facebook, using
WhatsApp to engage with friends, but the one common discussion point is they are
all communicating using technology. In order to engage with consumers on a
 93

personal level, as well as for “true engagement to happen in a single organisation

[or amongst brands and their consumers], we all need to be on the same platform
and [use] the same shared media” (Fisher, 2014:7).

Prior to the Internet and before the introduction of Internet activity on mobile
devices, marketers found it rather difficult to reach consumers, specifically at
reaching particular target segments. Nowadays, it’s much easier to be more target
specific as there are many different ways in which to reach consumers. However,
the kinds of persuasion tools have become more difficult in some regard, but also
and easier in others (Duffy 2012:42).

Today, consumers are inundated with the usual, invasive advertisements persuading
the purchasing behaviour and many of these messages are lost amongst advertising
clutter. Furthermore, “consumers aspire to lifestyles that their favourite brands
portray; they want to be a part of the brand and what is associated with it, and they
want to immerse themselves in the brands they love” Smilansky (2009:5). So why
not immerse these consumers in spaces that make them feel comfortable, in spaces
where the consumer is relaxed and at ease: a space where consumers can enjoy an
experience?

The next chapter will focus on brandscapes incorporating experiential brand

messages and the environment and context in which they take place as areas of
activations. Various examples of experiential brands will be used as a point of
analysis using Van Leeuwen’s ‘ad framing’ technique in relation to Van Leeuwen’s
‘System Network Diagram’ as a point of departure. “In representing a social event,
one is incorporating it within the context of another social event, recontexualising
it” (Fairclough, 2003:139). The examples will also be analysed according to
Fairclough’s recontexualisation method based on a broad range of social
interactions. The author will try and establish whether the theoretical frameworks as
mentioned above are applicable to experiential brand activations in different
brandscape environments.
 94

CHAPTER 4
‘Framing’ and Recontexualisation

This chapter will focus on various principles of Fairclough’s (2003:139)

recontextualisation of social events and will be analysed to formulate an
explanation and evaluation of the experiential brand activations. The principle of
recontexualisation, as stated by Fairclough (2003:140) in terms of social events can
be highlighted by specific events, the place of activation and the participants who
form part of the experiential activation.

Discussion points for analysis and interpretation will include the presence (which
elements in the brand activation are present/absent, featured/not featured),
abstraction (degree of abstraction or generalization from the actual event or brand
activation), arrangement (the sequence of the experiential activation), additions
(extras added in the representation of the event: explanation – reason, cause,
purpose) (Fairclough, 2003:139).

In this sense, Van Leeuwen (2005:13) shares the views of Fairclough (2003:141)
regarding representational elements by simply naming participant responses to
brand activations as “process types”. The representation of events can further be
broken down into varying degrees of abstraction (Fairclough: 2009:137); for
example, social events or gatherings can be represented at different levels of
abstraction namely:

• Most concrete: representation of specific social events;

• More abstract/generalized: abstraction over series and sets of social events;

and

• Most abstract: representation at the level of social practices or social

structures” (Fairclough, 2009:137-8)
 95

Halliday (1994) and Van Leeuwen (2005) formulated a similar process of

representational elements, namely the ‘System Network Diagram’. Van Leeuwen
(2005:14) states that ‘framing’ in one print advertisement may include many
different forms of ‘framing’, and as with experiential brand activations, the
‘framing’ of a certain brand experience may contain more than one form of frame.
As mentioned in Chapter Two, Van Leeuwen’s traditional form of ‘framing’
ultimately has an effect on the space that experiential brand activations occupy.
Van Leeuwen’s categories within a print framework include:
• Segregation and or Separation;
• Integration;
• Overlap and
• Rhyme (Van Leeuwen, 2005:13)

Fairclough’s representation of a recontextualised inventory-based social semiotic

approach of experiential brand activations include:

• Presence;
• Abstraction;
• Arrangement and
• Additions (Fairclough, 2003:139)

Similarly, Van Leeuwen (1993) developed a view on representation including

deletion, addition, substitution and rearrangement of elements (Fairclough, 2003:
140) In Figure 4.1, the researcher has combined Van Leeuwen and Fairclough’s
various degrees of representation within that which may be more conducive to a
social event or series of events (in this instance, brandscapes where experiential
brand activations take place). I will attempt to analyse various experiential brand
activations by utilizing the model depicted below as a framework for analysis.
 96

Figure 4.1 Model depicting representation of elements in a brandscape based

on Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’ and Fairclough’s
representation.
Source: Van Leeuwen (2005:13); Fairclough (2003:139) (adapted by author)

4.1 ‘Framing’ in Brandscapes

Ponsonby-Mccabe et al (2007:183) define a brandscape as “a place that is totally

given over to providing consumers with opportunities to have an experience that is
clearly and exclusively associated with the brand concerned”. Brandscapes could be
stores, retail outlets, park-like settings and even virtual spaces which can assist in
creating value with the consumer whereby, reality and fantasy often become one.
Wood and Ball (2013:47) describe brandscapes as places of brand exposure to
consumers in particular landscape settings. Within these brandscapes, messages or
signs are read by the participant to create meaning. According to Bal (2006:290),
the message is interpreted by a system of regulatory signs known as codes and the
participant becomes the interpreter who chooses whether or not to take part in the
experiential brand activation within that particular brandscape.

Furthermore, Bal mentions that “each act of reading happens within a

sociohistorical context or framework, called frames, which limit possible
meanings” (Bal, 2006:290). Meaning can be created within the framework which is
found in the environment or brandscape. Messages sent out to consumers in that
particular setting are semiotic visual codings which allow reassurance and the
familiarity of the brand with consumers. Brandscapes in areas that are exposed to
consumers allow for experiential marketing techniques to take place and “form the
basis of the new affective economy” (Wood et al, 3013:47). This experiential brand
 97

landscape links to the symbolic meaning of the brand and the user experience with
the brand in an out-of-context situation that becomes a place-experience.

Sensory experiences created in these out-of-context situations form an emotive

connection between the consumer and the brand. As discussed in Chapter Three,
Schmitt’s (2014:60) sensory model is composed of relation, sense, feeling, acting
and thinking and these form essential components within the brandscape
concerning the brand activation. Shimp (2010:14) says IMC practitioners should
make use of any appropriate, available touch points to connect with the consumer
“in many respects, this amounts to surrounding present or prospective customers
with the brand message at every possible opportunity…” The name given to this
aspect of surrounding the consumer with the brand message is known as 360-degree
branding (Shimp, 2010:14).

Accordingly, Sherry (1998:115) observes that this brandscape can even lend itself
to become a 3D advertisement for the product or service on offer. Signs created
about the brand can be semiotic in nature, with meanings related to various signs
and symbols. The brandscape ultimately recodes the message that is created for the
brand experience, by utilizing the space as a place to emphasize interaction and a
desire to create buying behaviour with the consumer. Notably, branding is a form of
marketing which developed as a part of advertising in the late 19th century. Visual
artists linked images and products with the sole purpose of creating sales. As
marketing developed, spaces became an important outlet for offering products to
consumers with the eventual outcome of delighting the consumer (Wood et al,
2013: 48-9).

Brandscapes are influenced by “movie sets” where “virtual worlds of cyberspace

and pseudo worlds of theme parks, hotels, heritage centres and hyperreality
involving the creation of consumption sites that are ‘more real than real’. The
distinction between reality and fantasy is momentarily blurred.” (Ponsonby-Mccabe
et al, 2007:183-4). The postmodernist philosopher, Baudrillard explains this
strange formulation of ‘more real than real’ as being linked to hyperreality where
something that is artificial seems to be more definitive of the real than reality itself
(UH.EDU, n.d). Klingmann (2007:1) regards cityscapes as brandscapes and
buildings as advertisements and destinations and not mere objects.
 98

In today’s branding environment, the experience one has with a particular brand has
become the product, which includes sensations and one’s feelings with the brand
(Klingmann, 2007:1). The way in which the customer has experienced or
participated in the brand experience may choose to relay the experience as “word of
mouth” which is in essence, today’s on-line social media platform. How the
communication with others takes place is as important to the brand as the actual,
physical experience “a good story will be told and retold” (Brandscape Group,
2014).

Behaviour settings of how the consumer may respond to the sign should form part
of the marketing strategy when developing experiential brand activations.
Behaviour settings may consist of “cues… which signal the likely consequences of
enacting specific purchases and consumption activities” (Foxall et al, 1998:204).
Rivalry between products and services forms the focus of marketing strategists,
where the competitive advantage of one product over another needs to be sustained.
Marketing strategists have come to realise the relevance of the consumers’ input in
the brand building process. Brand loyalty cannot be assumed by marketers. It is
ultimately up to the consumer to choose which brand they would consistently
purchase, however by creating brandscapes that allow for consumers to positively
experience the brand in a communual place could enhance the consumer’s
perception of the brand, or as the marketing mangaer of Ford trucks said, “…we
want to be everywhere that makes sense for our customer. We go to the places they
are” (Schmitt, 2010:14).

Brazilian sport Club Recife’s “immortal fan” campaign encouraged consumer

loyalty to the brand by using a brandscape that was familiar to its consumers. The
brand activation took place in an existing stadium thus eliminating any extra venue
costs - no props or sets were created. If one were to create a set-like brandscape, it
could become a costly exercise to the company concerned and in many instances,
non-profit organisations do not have these funds available. Many companies are
choosing to utilize on-line, virtual brandscapes in a ‘cyberspace’ environment
which is a more cost-effective alternative (Ponsonby-Mccabe and Boyle,
2007:185). This on-line system of a brandscape may, to some degree, lose the effect
 99

of a sensory, tactile experience with the brand. The participants’ emotions in

experiencing the brand activation cannot be physically recorded by the marketing
company and the personal, person-to-person touchpoint may be lost. Methods of
interpretation and understanding of the brands’ key messages may be perceived by
means of enticing visuals and audible sound by utilizing on-line brandscapes,
however, smell, taste and touch sensations are not experienced in an on-line
environment. Most, if not all, of the experiential brand marketing activations make
use of IMC or the integrated marketing communication approach. This process
should always be strategically managed and coordinated to relay the correct
message across various media platforms (Arens et al, 2013:29).

Alternative media in the form of “skywriting” allows for brand messages to be

displayed in a cloud-like formation. These sky messages were made visible during
a US Open tennis tournament in Flushing Meadows, New York, where tennis
spectators were exposed to “brands such as Heineken, Dunkin’ Donuts, Geico and
Song Airways” (Schmitt, 2010:437). Other messages similarly used were exposed
to audiences at the brandscape as such, became the seamless sky and the frame was
created around the messages or words. The formation of the cloud-like words were
made visible to the tennis audience, but for only the length of time allowed by the
wind currents - thereafter, the words disappeared. One can utilize a myriad of
media to expose messages to customers, however, the relevance of the message
must remain consistent and one should ensure a non-conflicting, single voice
message is created throughout the whole advertising campaign.

4.2 Why These Brands in Particular?

Creativity in design can change the world we live in. According to brand strategist
Talgo (in Shaw, 2009:183) “a brand that captures your mind gains behaviour. A
brand that captures your heart gains commitment”. Every aspect of the brand has to
be thought out carefully. Creative thinkers need to ensure that their idea is ahead of
its time. Creativity allows for a brand to evolve and adapt with its consumers, but
there needs to be enough freedom for this evolution to take place and for it to
remain consistently strong (Shaw, 2009:183). Xenopoulos (2014) says that
 100

creativity at the international Cannes Lions is aligned to the fast-pace of

technological inventions. Designers and collaborators are “on the verge of a new
era, on the frontier of a new age” (Xenopoulos, 2014) by positively creating change
by means of award-winning ideas that ultimately make a difference.

Some of the selected brands in this chapter consist of experiential brand activation
winners from the international Cannes Lions awards over the last few years,
amongst others. Cannes Lions International Advertising (2014) is one of the most
prestigious advertising festivals that relates to all forms of communication; “it’s the
home of great ideas changing the ways brands interact with their customers”. The
jury consists of more than 250 international members who judge over 20 000 pieces
of the most creative advertising from around the world; “this is a celebration of
where we are going. All eyes are on this event. It’s a benchmark” emphasises
Droga (2014).

For example, many award-winning concepts based on the marketing of healthcare

are simply, life changing. According to Mackenzie (2015) many of the brand
activations for entries in the Health Category at Cannes Health are based on the
following insights:

• Social media drives results. “Most PR and integrated campaigns had big
results around [the] value of media… and social media exposure.” The use
of traditional media were spun into social media campaigns for added value
(Mackenzie, 2015);

• Cultural insights: work that had a significant impact was driven through
meaningful, culturally relevant insights;

• Brand link is essential: brand relevance is key – one cannot simply tag a
logo onto the end of an emotive story;

• Intelligent simplicity: if the message is less complicated, the consumer is

more likely to engage with the product or service in a more meaningful
way;
 101

• Emotion: the winning work at Cannes based on the Lion Health category
was at an emotional high which drove the success to that of 95%
(Mackenzie, 2015).

Technology and ever-increasing design related tools, along with creativity and
courage instills positive change (Xenopoulos, 2014). All are evident in the selected
brands being analysed. Risk taking and fearlessness is what is necessary in today’s
competitive advertising environment to stay ahead of the competitor and to make a
remarkable difference to not only the consumer, but to anyone who participates in
the product brand or service. Simmonds (2014:101) reminds marketers and
conceptualisers to create messages that build on long-term relationships with their
customers and stakeholders: “When events, activations and tactics are introduced
without the presence of a community, your potential customers will see it as a
suspicious flash-in-the-pan, one-hit-wonder One Night Stand!” (Simmonds,
2014:101). Conceptualisers need to be brave in creating ideas that result in positive
change based on long-term customer engagement.

4.3 Brand Experience Examples

Van Leeuwen (2005:106) mentions that discourses comprise social practice as well
as ways in which people interact with brand experiences. Attitudes and versions of
attitudes could become a discourse of their own. However, according to social
semiotics: actions, manner, actors, presentation, resources, time, as well as spaces,
all contribute to experiential brand activations. The examples mentioned in the next
few pages form a discourse related to the interplay of social semiotics in selected
examples of experiential brand marketing.

4.3.1 The Tate Britain

The Tate Britain in London embarked on a brand awareness campaign aimed

towards capturing a selected target audience - motorists. Inspired by the static
poster, the fourteen-day digital poster advertising campaign featured combinations
of imagery and text which changed according to the time of day, weather patterns
 102

and even the moon. Audiences driving past the posters in West London using two
high-rise sites owned by media company Ocean, were pleasantly surprised in a fun
and unexpected manner. Williams (2014) says that “over 10 million poster
combinations [were] created, with triggers including traffic speed (if the road is
slow, longer copy will appear), the time of day, and the weather” (Williams, 2014).

Figure 4.2 Responsive digital posters utilising London’s city skyline to frame
the messages promoting Britain’s Tate Museum.
Source: http://creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2014/june/ad-of-the-week-tate-britain-
welcome-to-london?cmpid=crnews_335985.

The brandscape relating to the placement of the responsive digital posters forms a
crucial aspect of the campaign. For example, posters placed near Heathrow Airport
digitally changed artwork according to flight arrival times as well as messages in
various languages to include international, non-English speaking visitors. This real
time, data-led marketing concept is expected to revolutionize outdoor poster
displays, not only for large corporate companies, but smaller SMEs by focusing on
audience demographics and psychographics (Williams, 2014). The Tate Britain
digital poster display received an award for the Creative Techniques category in
The Art of Outdoor Digital Competition in 2014.
 103

To Fairclough (2003:139) recontextualisation is a broad term that can be used to

represent a social event. In this example, the social aspect relates to the targeted
audience being the general public driving past the digitised posters on the busy
highways (see Figure 4.1 and Figure 4.2). Fairclough’s element of representation
in terms of this interactive digital poster forms the branding of Tate Britain
depicting visuals of interesting, historical artworks plus text as messages to the
audience by means of combining of image and text. This is directly related to Van
Leeuwen’s use of pictorial and textual integration as per the ‘System Network
Diagram’ (Van Leeuwen, 2005:13). Presence which relates to the sequence of
digitisation as a “chain of events” (Fairclough, 2003: 139) with the degree of
abstraction being that which is associated directly to the brand – Tate Britain. The
sequence of the messages relates to what Fairclough (2003:139) describes as
arrangement. This describes the ordering of the events of the specific brand
awareness campaign, with the addition of using international languages to promote
the message as well as the combination of time of day and weather patterns to alter
the messages accordingly.

In this example, Van Leeuwen’s method of representation of pictorial and textual

integration combined with Fairclough’s (2003:139) method of substitution (foreign
language in digitised poster substitutes English language) has been effectively
combined to create a brand experience message that reaches out to a larger,
international audience.

It can thus be surmised that the arrangement or rearrangement will have an effect
on the consumer’s response with the brand message by analysing what is being
presented visually using visual rhyme or contrast; segregation or separation and
pictorial and/or textual integration.

Often, a level of disconnection and separation takes place in experiential branding

when there is a blurring between fantasy and reality. This disconnection and
separation is evident in this brand experience of Tate Britain’s responsive digital
posters, as a level of disconnection is often related to the actual time and message,
making it a relevant message that drivers can understand (for example, the “it’s
3:42pm and we’re excited to meet you” seen in Figure 4.2).
 104

Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’ emphasises the strong use of visual
contrast against the city’s ‘brandscape’ setting, allowing for posters to be separated
from the skyline. Meaning is created through the systematic visual codings of signs
whereby the audiences, driving past the digital posters are able to interact with the
messages and interpret them. A combination of pictorial integration, as well as
textual integration (as used in the traditional form of print media), has been cleverly
combined with digital animation to promote the visual form of communication.

It can thus be said that this example of the Tate Britain has successfully applied a
combination of both Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’ as well as
Fairclough’s representation of social events using this theoretical framework
associated to experiential brand activation. The use of cultural insights along with a
strong brand link is the driving force behind this example where technology has
been intelligently integrated as a form of visual communication. The four vital
components in communication, according to Koekemoer (2011:25) include
information, people, time and format in relation to the placement of the brand
activations (Koekemoer, 2011:25). All four components are evident in this example
of Tate Britain’s digital poster campaign and form a definitive link to Van
Leeuwen’s social semiotic analysis of:

1) information (what has been provided to the customer regarding Tate

Britain),

2) product (what is being advertised, Tate Britain),

3) consumer (the receiver of the message, in this case, the drivers) and

4) brand environment (place of brand activation: digital posters placed near

Heathrow Airport).
 105

Levitt (in De Lancastre et al., 2013:490) denounced the narrow-mindedness of

marketing saying that the technical traits of a product (the technical outputs of the
media used) should not outweigh the benefit of the product to the customer.
Horsfall (2015) is of the opinion that one should remember the basics behind the
creative idea before the use of interesting technology to execute the idea. He also
encourages the nurturing of ideas using writing and sketching techniques. Keep
asking, “why are we using tech? How does it enhance what we are trying to say?”
(Horsfall, 2015).

However, one should not lose sight of the fact that regardless of what technological
interventions one is utilising to sell a product, the concept should remain first and
foremost. One should not be easily influenced by the technological aspect of these
outdoor poster displays. According to Ray (2004:2) many companies are possibly
focused on “action tactics rather than strategy”. This may result in tactical
communications that are not often strategically aligned with the company. Planning
often needs to be strategically reshaped in order for the full benefits of integrated
marketing communications to be acknowledged (Ray, 2004:2).

4.3.2 Stimorol Gum

Stretch Experiential Marketing is a company based in Cape Town, South Africa.

This small team of creative experts produces experiential, event and marketing
interactions that create memorable brand experiences for consumers. A team of
specialists in client liaison, strategy, creative and production ensure unique brand
experiences are exposed to the consumer conceptually, in delightful and surprising
ways (Stretchexp.com, 2015).
 106

This team was responsible for a Stimorol brand activation at the University of Cape
Town (UCT) where students, lecturers and visitors were pleasantly surprised when
the usual sombre Monday was turned into a fun day with a giant, branded Stimorol
Gum slide. This insight turned an ordinary Monday into a fun day when this giant
slide, strategically placed along one of the most popular stairs on the UCT campus,
was transformed into a space where one could actively engage with the Stimorol
Gum brand. Both students and lecturers were involved in taking ‘the fun way
down’ (Fastmoving.co.za, 2015). The slogan “#SeeWhatUnfolds” was used as a
marketable Twitter handle where those who engaged with this brand activation
could tweet, record and post their videos on-line using social media platforms. A
giant, branded Stimorol photo frame formed the backdrop for students to have their
photos taken which could also then be posted online and shared amongst friends
(Youtube.com, 2013).

Figure 4.3. University of Cape Town students participate in the Stimorol Gum
brand activation.
Source: http://www.mediaupdate.co.za/marketing/57096/stimorols-seewhatunfolds-
campaign-lifts-the-mood-at-uct
 107

The placement of the giant Stimorol slide (Figure 4.3) is directly related to Van
Leeuwen’s ‘framing’ technique and the ‘System Network Diagram’. Students and
lecturers who approached the slide were given the choice of either using the stairs
or those who were brave enough, could take the slide down. The influence of
disconnection and separation occurs as the environment or place of activation
suggests that through visual colour and contrast (visual rhyme and visual contrast)
the brightly coloured giant slide is clearly separated from the grey cement stairs.
The slide is framed by means of the buildings on either side as well as buildings
behind the slide, which allows for a strong visual presence that is noticeable from
all angles.

The level of disconnection is evident as the participants do not expect to see a giant
slide in a place that is usually uninspiring and mundane. Van Leeuwen emphasises
the semiotic potential of disconnected elements in a visual composition as separate
meanings, that is, stairs versus slide, but the function of the two could be connected
as each serves the same purpose, being that of descent. Connected elements can
possibly be understood as “belonging together… complementary” (Van Leeuwen,
2005:7). Should the giant slide be placed in a different environment, for example,
on a flat area with no stairs, it would not have the same message and experience of
taking ‘the fun way down’ (Fastmoving.co.za, 2015).

The Stimorol logo and #SeeWhatUnfolds was placed on the side of the enormous
slide which allowed for meaning to be created by the audience using a semiotic
approach of interpreting or understanding the message. Not only could the audience
actively participate in the activation and sample the product, but they could
retweeting the #SeeWhatUnfolds message, share it with friends using an online
media. The brandscape setting, being that of the cement stairs on the UCT campus
becomes a 3D advertisement for the Stimorol Gum product (Sherry, 1998:115). The
relationship of the representamen (of the Brand message by Stimorol Gum) and the
object (of what was physically being represented) allowed for meaning to be
created between the representamen and the object.
 108

Following Peirce’s theory of the sign, Fairclough’s varying degrees of abstraction

(as explained earlier in Chapter Four) and representation can be regarded to be
more abstract or generalised since the brandscape can affectively be applied across
different university campuses. However, each place of activation should involve a
busy thoroughfare with people having access to stairs. Fairclough (2003:138) refers
to abstraction as “… over series and sets of social events”. In other words, the city
or town of activation may be different, but similar brandscape settings would most
likely lead to similar reactions from both staff and students or consumers (should it
not be on a campus).

The Stimorol Gum activation also made use of additions, which also forms a
category of the representation of social events by both Van Leeuwen and
Fairclough; “students were offered Stimorol chewing gum [to sample by branded
Stimorol salespeople] to assist with a mind shift from mundane moods to being
open to fun. They were then offered the chance to take ‘the fun way down’,
grabbing a high five and helium balloon from ‘High 5 man’ ” (mediaupdate.co.za,
2013). The salespeople became an additional communicative element which
assisted in formulating the understanding of the messages being created.

The Stimorol Gum brand activation at the University of Cape Town successfully
incorporated both Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’ as well as
Fairclough’s representation of social events. In terms of communication, all four
components have been utilized which includes: information (what has been
provided to the customer regarding Stimorol Gum salespeople); the product
(samples of Stimorol Gum given to the public); consumers interacting with the
giant slide (the receiver of the message, in this case, the students and lecturers) and
lastly, the brand environment being the place of brand activation framed by the
university buildings on the University of Cape Town’s campus frequented by
students and lecturing staff. The sign created was appropriate to consumers,
meeting their needs and encouraging interaction with the Stimorol Gum brand in a
delightful manner. The team from Stretch strategically aligned this experiential
activation with Schmitt’s message of “be[ing] everywhere that makes sense for our
customer. We go to the places they are” (Schmitt, 2010:14) and this is clearly
noticeable in this activation where the brand engages with existing and potential
consumers.
 109

An experience with a meaningful brand will allow the consumer to identify with the
brand message, emphasizes Simmonds (2014:91). This is impossible if the products
or services are unwilling to create an experience that is “unique, fresh and
stimulating to make them share it with their friends [and]… family and on social
media” (Simmonds, 2014:91). Brand ambassadors and brand salespeople are as
responsible for enabling a positive customer experience as the brand activation
itself.

The purpose of visual semiotics is to identify and specify a group of vital and
adequate conditions for distinguishing things from other things. Peirce refers to
some things “in the [real] world” having some kind of meaning, but others may
have no meaning, and as with semiotics, the idea is to differentiate meaningful
things (in this case, experiential brands) from various environments (Ransdell,
1976:98). The involvement of the lecturing staff and student with the Stimorol Gum
experiential brand activation is ultimately the driving force behind the purpose of
developing a loyal customer base for the product, brand or service.

4.3.3 Coca-Cola ‘Hello Happiness’

Coca-Cola’s mission statement is “to refresh the world; to inspire moments of

optimism and happiness [and] to create value and make a difference” and the brand
aims to “inspire creativity, passion, optimism and fun” (coca-colacompany.com,
2015). The Young and Rubicam agency in Dubai, in conjunction with Coca-Cola
created a series based on “where will happiness strike next” (Vara, 2014). The
concept behind the campaign was aimed at enabling people to celebrate a unique
experience by means of “[being] surprised by something they didn’t expect” (Clark
in Vara, 2014). Similar brand activations based on the abovementioned concept
took place in Singapore and Bangladesh where Indians and Pakistanis positively
interacted with each other through Coca-Cola. One of the most successful brand
activations which received more than eight-hundred-thousand hits was based in
Dubai (Vara, 2014).

Blue collared, migrant workers based in the United Arab Emirates were exposed to
a thoughtful and engaging campaign namely “Coca-Cola Hello Happiness”
 110

(penkengpedia.com, 2014). Many of the workers moved to the UAE from countries
such as South Asia, for long periods of time in search of better wage earnings.
According to Vara (2014), many of the workers earned $6 per day, and a phone call
cost around $1 per minute. Money was sparse and the migrant workers could not
often speak with their family and friends back home.

Delivering on the Coca-Cola brand statement of “… creativity, passion [and]

optimism” (coca-colacompany.com, 2015), five unique “Hello Happiness” phone
booths were developed that functioned using only Coca-Cola bottle caps as a form
of currency to pay for phone calls. The caps found on the Coca-Cola bottles
originally cost the workers fifty-four cents and these caps became the currency used
to make long distance, 3-minute phone calls. These unique phone booths were
strategically placed in the workers camps and during the campaign, more than one
hundred and thirty-four thousand phone calls were made (youtube.com, 2014).
Workers saved the caps in order to engage in conversations with their loved ones
(Vara, 2014). Phone conversations sparked delight and happiness, which, if not
attributed by the “Hello Happiness” campaign, could not have taken place.

The short documentary was placed on social networking sites where the overall
message has been shared with close to a million viewers because, as Clark (in Vara,
2014) states “…the overall context of our campaign and our film… seeks to include
everyone. That’s a tall remit with seven billion people in the world” (Vara, 2014).

Figure 4.4. Migrant workers in Dubai engage with the “Hello Happiness”
Coca-Cola campaign.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlA9tXYxD8g

Supporting and serving customers should remain at the forefront of any marketing
strategy - keeping their attention as well as building on customer relationships lends
 111

itself to positive, loyal customer engagement. Simmonds (2014:91) states that

“consistency – and how you enable them to share their experiences around your
brand with their friends and followers they have influence over” leads to positive,
unforgettable customer experiences. The “Hello Happiness” campaign successfully
combined a unique, customer experience that not only allowed for the consumer to
engage with the brand, but they were able to share their happiness and show their
joy by means of having meaningful conversations with their friends and families.

Figure 4.5. The strategically placed phone booths related to Fairclough’s

(2003:138) more abstract representation of events.
Source: https://www.behance.net/gallery/16753657/Coca-Cola-Hello-Happiness

This social event, according to Fairclough’s (2003:139) recontextualisation process

representing Coca-Cola’s “Hello Happiness” phone booths, was strategically placed
in environments where the target audience frequented. Similarly to the placement of
the Stimorol #SeeWhatUnfolds giant slide activation, the “Hello Happiness” phone
booths according to Fairclough’s (2003:139) representation can be categorized as a
more abstract/generalized level of representation. The reason is that, instead of the
booths being unexpectedly placed in the workers’ camps, the phone booths had to
be easily accessible to the migrant workers, and easily visible, often placed next to
or near an outlet that sold refreshing drinks. The level of representation could then
be generalised, and not concrete, meaning the phone booths could be placed in
similar areas, in different towns or cities or even countries where workers could
take part in the same brand experience (Fairclough, 2003:138).
 112

Representation of social events as recontextualisation according to Fairclough

(2006:139) can be explained as follows:

In representing a social event, one is incorporating it within the context

of another social event, recontextualising it. Particular social fields,
particular networks of social practices, and particular genres as
elements of such networks of social practices, have associated with
them specific recontextualising principles. (Bernstein in Fairclough,
2006:139).

As mentioned by Fairclough above, various recontexualising principles have been

utilized in the Coca-Cola “Hello Happiness” activation. The red phone booths (red
being the corporate, dominant brand colour of Coca-Cola and semiotically, red is
also visibly an attention-grabbing colour), along with the script-like font that is
synonymous to the Coca-Cola logotype forms a strong visual presence (Fairclough,
2003:139). The combination of Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’ (Van
Leeuwen, 2005:13) of pictorial and textual integration have been effectively
combined to create a visual presence that dominates the brandscape. The sequence
and placement of the “Hello Happiness” message relates to Fairclough’s (2003:139)
arrangement describing the ordering of the experiential activation with the addition
of using bottle caps as a form of currency to make the long distance phone calls. A
clever and engaging activation that not only made life a little easier for the migrant
workers, but successfully implemented recycling of the red, plastic bottle caps.

‘Disconnection’ according to Van Leeuwen’s ‘framing’ theory, also includes

‘segregation or separation’. Relating to text and illustration in a print ad, for
example, two or more elements in a composition may take up different areas. When
applying this technique to the brandscape setting for the Coca-Cola “Hello
Happiness” activation, this is evident. This in turn relates to Fairclough’s varying
degrees of abstraction over series and sets of social events – being more generalized
in terms of placement of activations.
 113

Visual rhyme and visual contrast along with segregation or separation have been
effectively combined in the brandscape setting of this Coca-Cola experiential
activation. If one were to compare the visual placement of the booths to that of
elements which make up a print advertisement (as mentioned in Chapter Two,
according to Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’), there are strong
associations of similar elements. The placement of the phone booth which is framed
on either side by the buildings draws the viewer or consumer towards the red phone
booth. The integration of visual contrast is evident, as the bright red colour and use
of textual integration of typography on the booth is combined with symbol of the
Coca-Cola bottle which entices the consumer to open the booth’s door and
participate in the “Hello Happiness” experience (Figure 4.5).

This campaign is in contrast to the notion of saturated image markets where

Goldman and Papson (2006:329) describe saturated image markets as uninspiring
which leads to consumers disengaging from the brand messages. The challenge of
branding one’s product or service is exceedingly difficult and the “collective
practices of branding make it harder than ever for brands to effectively boost
perceived value of a product or a company” (Goldman and Papson, 2006:329).

A brand such as Coca-Cola has not stopped advertising its brand to consumers,
across the globe, even though its brand name probably does not need advertising.
However, many consumers identify Coca-Cola as a favoured soft drink. How has
Coca-Cola effectively lived up to its reputation of “happiness”? Lenderman (2006:
183) is of the opinion that “when trying to create value… companies need to
routinely collaborate with consumers to create a personalized value through
cocreation”. The successful integration of creating “happiness” between the migrant
workers and the Coca-Cola product is a level of cocreation as “the experience of
cocreation is more important to drive value than the result of the process itself”
(Lenderman, 2006:184).

Marketers must have an understanding of brand values and who the intended target
audience is. Once this is acknowledged and understood, brilliant brand experience
concepts can be implemented which share the brand values, features and benefits of
the product or service (Smilansky, 2009:17).
 114

4.3.4 Tesco’s Virtual Grocery Store

Outside of the United Kingdom, Tesco in South Korea (or better known in South
Korea as Homeplus) is one of the largest retail outlets “with over 400 stores, 500
franchise stores and over six million customers served every week” (tescopic.com,
2015). Some of the core values Tesco offers to their customers is simply to help
them have an easier way of living and to enjoy a good, quality life. Buying Tesco
products easily and delivering them correctly, directly to the customer forms part of
the company’s core purpose (tescopic.com, 2015).

This core value of the Tesco brand was cleverly implemented by Chiel Worldwide,
an on-line advertising group, who initialized a print advertisement for a ‘virtual
shopping wall’ during 2011 in Seoul, South Korea (Creevy, 2011). The response
from the trial advertisement led to what has been claimed by Tesco Homeplus, as
one of the world’s first virtual stores in Seoul (Creevy, 2011). During 2011, Tesco
Homeplus in South Korea chose to expand their online users by introducing virtual
stores.

Since the introduction of the first virtual store, 22 more virtual stores in South
Korea have assisted customers who are pressed for time, to shop “on-the-go”
making use of the app on their smartphones (tescopic.com, 2012). The need was
recognised by Tesco, South Korea as a timesaving device. The brandscape relating
to the placement of the virtual stores formed an integral aspect of the campaign.
Most commuters made use of the subway transport system for access to and from
work each day and many did not have the time to visit a store on the way home for
convenience goods. “Just like everybody else, South Koreans are busy at home and
tired after a long day at work so offering the opportunity to shop while doing
something else has a lot of value” (telegraph.co.uk, 2011).
 115

Ponsonby-Mccabe et al (2007:183-4) reiterate the influence of “virtual worlds

…[of] hyperreality involving the creation of consumption sites that are ‘more real
than real’. The distinction between reality and fantasy is momentarily blurred.”
Many of the backlit graphics formed a replica of a virtual grocery store displaying
products, as they would usually appear in ‘real’ stores (Figure 4.6). Images of
products were applied onto the glass walls in subway stations (telegraph.co.uk,
2011). While waiting for trains to arrive, shoppers could view the virtual grocery
displays, scan the relevant barcode or QR (quick response) code with the Homeplus
App and the selected products would be delivered directly to their homes on the
same day. The Tesco Homeplus Smartphone app is “the number 1 shopping App in
Korea, with over 900 000 downloads since it launched” (tescopic.com, 2012).

Figure 4.6. Tesco Homeplus introduces the world’s first virtual store in Seoul’s
subway in South Korea. Due to popularity, the virtual stores were expanded to
bus shelters.
Source: http://www.retail-week.com/technology/tesco-opens-virtual-store-in-south-
korea/5028571.article;
http://www.tescoplc.com/index.asp?pageid=17&newsid=593

The success of the virtual grocery stores expanded the idea of creating new virtual
stores in bus stop shelters. Lee (2012) mentions the popularity amongst shoppers
was between 20 and 30 year olds and this paved the way for the virtual stores to be
positioned around university campuses and other high foot traffic areas. The
innovative approach of creating a conceptual virtual store through the integration of
technology was widely praised and the Virtual Store brand experience was
nominated by the London Design Museum as one of the ‘best digital designs’ in
2011 (tescopic.com, 2012). The experiential brand activation also won the Grand
Prix award at the International Festival of Creativity in Cannes during 2011. The
success of the campaign furthermore led to a remarkable sales increase for
 116

Homeplus stores in South Korea of 130 per cent in three months and the number of
registered on-line users increased by 76 per cent (telegraph.co.uk, 2011).

The interplay of social semiotics of the Tesco Homeplus Virtual Stores can be
recontextualised according to the model shown in Figure 4.1 in terms of
representation (Fairclough, 2003:138). There is a degree of disconnection as the
idea of the grocery store should ultimately fill a physical presence of the usual
building or store ‘on the corner’, but in this instance the physical representation is
replaced by the abstract, virtual on-line shopping store, with the grocery shop being
moved to that of a subway – in an out-of-context environment.

The retail shop is further removed from the concrete set of social events
(Fairclough, 2003:138) to a more abstract representation, meaning the concept and
activation becomes an out-of-store activation with a seemingly in-store presence,
resulting in a more abstract/generalized approach. In other words, the physical
presence of the grocery store is non-existent in this brand experience, however it
has been replaced by the prominent visual appearance of the virtual stores in a
surprising environment, that being the subway station. The generalized set of
abstraction could possibly occur over a series or set of social events which relates to
Fairclough’s interplay of social semiotics’ degree of representation in an event
situation. The brandscape consisting of the physical placement of the virtual store’s
graphics, whether in the subway station and at various bus shelters links to the
theoretical framework that Fairclough (2003:138) discusses as an “abstract
representation of events” (Fairclough, 2003:137). Other elements of presence
include the Tesco Homeplus branding, which relates to Van Leeuwen’s ‘System
Network Diagram’; composed of the arrangement of visual textual integration with
pictorial integration that is made up of highly motivated photographic images of
products and textual descriptors. There is also a level of segregation as the brand
activation is essentially completely out of the ordinary, occupying a completely
different space, with the virtual store positioned in subways. The level of visual
contrast is evident as the subway environment contrasts with the grocery store
images in a surprising and engaging manner. The physical shopping store is
substituted by the assistance of technology creating an on-line virtual store with the
addition of the QR code and smartphone app successfully providing a positive
shopping environment.
 117

“The ability to connect with others begins with understanding that they do, too,
want to be heard. This is why we need to listen and understand them first so they
will respond,” says Simmonds (2014:35). Tesco Homeplus effectively applied an
easier alternative to physical shopping by creating an on-line environment that
saved consumers time by simply coming directly to them in a place they would
least expect. Tesco Homeplus reconsidered their consumers needs and wants and
delivered an effective solution that linked directly to the core values of the Tesco
brand which is simply to provide their consumers with an easier way of living
(tescopic.com, 2015).

Elliott and Percy (2007:143) mention the demand for innovative technology can
sometimes be somewhat of a challenge and can be viewed negatively. However, a
shift of this trend can be “turned into a successful strategy of [either] deliberately
limiting supply and replacing products well before their sales decline” (Elliott &
Percy, 2007:143). Through innovative use of technology, Tesco Homeplus
successfully revived the brand to create a social brand activation that physically
engaged Tesco Homeplus consumers using technology that was familiar to the
consumer.

4.3.5 Climate Smart Cape Town

“The creation and staging of a compelling personal memorable experience that can
be a major part of the brand strategy can be guided by... design principles” (Elliott
& Percy, 2007:140). Climate Smart Cape Town created a brand experience at
COP17 held in Durban, South Africa during 2011. Organized through the United
Nations, a group of representatives from more than 190 countries gathered to meet
at one place to discuss the worldwide threat of human-made climate change.

The 17th meeting incorporated events such as the Climate Change Response Expo
displayed, amongst others, the actions of local governments and businesses
regarding climate change initiatives. Tronchin (2014) says that Cape Town has
been involved in many projects to combat climate change, but the city lost the bid
to host the COP17 meeting to Durban. This led to the challenge of bringing the City
of Cape Town to Durban: “The perfect platform to show off Cape Town’s great
 118

many projects to combat climate change was at COP17… we did this by taking a
showcase of Cape Town all the way to Durban with the tiniest carbon footprint”
(Tronchin, 2014). The success of the expo stand received an award for the best
outdoor and best overall stand at the COP17 Expo (Smith, 2011). The boutique-
advertising agency Derrick, prides itself on creating concepts that begin with
sustainability. The company philosophy states “we try to offset as much of our
carbon consumption as we can. We re-use, reduce and recycle…we develop ideas
and campaigns that create jobs and enrich communities” (Derrickcapetown.com,
2015).

Figure 4.7. Cape Town Climate Smart Pavilion framed against the Durban
skyline at the Durban Convention Centre.
Source:
http://www.capetowngreenmap.co.za/sites/default/files/inline/climate_smart-
1344.jpg

Utilizing the brandscape setting of the Inkosi Luthuli International Convention

Centre in Durban, South Africa, the outdoor exhibition stand was framed against
the backdrop of the convention centre building. Visual contrast (Van Leeuwen,
2005:13) between the large glass exterior of the convention centre and that of the
completely sustainable expo stand formed an impressive polarity of effects.

The Climate Smart Cape Town Pavilion could be completely dismantled after the
event as it was constructed from 1884 recycled plastic milk crates and over 22 000
plastic bottles (capetown.travel, 2011). Organic lettuce was planted in some of the
milk crates which formed the seamless outer wall of the expo stand. These
vegetables were then served to the delegates and any left after the event were
 119

donated to the less fortunate. Through the ingenious collaboration with architectural
firms and solar experts, the stand’s electricity was maintained by the installation of
solar panels as well as a wind turbine, thus making the stand completely self
sufficient. Lamb (capetown.travel.com, 2011) writes “the pavilion [as being] a bold
statement about getting off the energy grid…[creating] a stand [that is] local, it’s
lekker and fun for people to experience” (Lamb in Smith, 2011). The strategically
chosen, sustainable resources that comprised the Climate Smart pavilion drew the
likes of United Nations climate change advisors as well as public officials to visit
the outdoor stand.

In order for consumers to be involved with a brand, one needs to be creative and
utilize opportunities of engagement (Miletsky, 2009:158), which is exactly what the
Climate Smart Cape Town Pavilion initiated. Consumers will notably embrace a
brand if the brand promise of “community involvement and values” is clearly
visible (Smith, 2009:159). The expo stand made use of filtered, rainwater that was
collected from the roof of the pavilion. This refreshing drink was then flavoured
and handed out to delegates. The expo not only attracted dignitaries, but also
involved discussion amongst school-going visitors and successfully integrated a
learning experience around the notion of living sustainably.

This form of experiential marketing generated a buzz for the brand, which
according to Hall (2014) is “a significant factor that contributes to the success of
a[n] [experiential] campaign is the involvement of the audience…”. Experiential
marketing or guerrilla marketing successfully combines messages related to social
change with the youth market as this tactic reaches consumers in a way that
“understands the consumer mindset and lifestyle” (Todd in Hall, 2014). The
personal interactions with the brand, such as the Climate Smart Cape Town
Pavilion, adds to the consumers’ ability of engaging socially with the brand and in
so doing, spread messages by word of mouth or Internet blogging and tweeting.

Social semioticians such as Fairclough (2003:138) and Van Leeuwen (2005:13)

combine an array of elements related to ‘framing’ and interaction. In terms of
brandscapes, and in particular, this example of the Climate Smart Cape Town
Pavilion, the recontextualisation of representation is evident. This means that the
expo stand contains a degree of disconnection. The physical placement of the stand
 120

is more abstract or generalized as the activation can, in essence, be brought to the

public at large at any given social environment or space. As the stand is completely
sustainable, it does not rely on being closely situated to places where power is
necessary and so on – it is completely sustainable and can be constructed using
local labour and materials from any city. This relates to social cohesion in
environmental spaces.

There is a combination of pictorial representation as well as textual integration

(Van Leeuwen, 2005:13) on the stand itself (exterior and interior) which relates to
the audience gaining an understanding of the key message of the physically
defined, sustainable solutions. Peirce’s triadic semiotic theory of the sign (climate
smart concept), representamen (the exhibition stand made-up of smart, eco-friendly
elements) and object (what the sign represent: climate smart) is evident in
formulating meaning to delegates. The rearrangement of recyclable building
materials (crates, timber and so forth) relate to Fairclough’s (2003:139) level of
arrangement of how the concept towards the event has been structured. Elements
that one would’ve thought to be unsustainable have been replaced or substituted by
sustainable ones (Fairclough, 2003:139).

If one were to compare the setting or environmental space of the Expo Stand to that
of a print advertisement for example, separation (Van Leeuwen, 2005:13) occurs as
the Climate Smart Expo Stand is separated from the Convention Centre as it makes
use of alternate recycled building materials to construct the pavilion. However, as
with the traditional form of a print advertisement where the whole page becomes an
element used to capture the audience’s attention, so the environmental space
occupying the Expo Stand does just that. The brandscape forms the framework
which leads the viewer or visitor towards the Expo Stand. Van Leeuwen (2005:13)
uses the general terms of ‘framing’ (as seen in Figure 4.1) as the need to be
extended across different contexts creates meaning potential.

In conclusion, it can thus be deduced that both Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network
Diagram’ as well as Fairclough’s representation of social events has been actively
associated to varying degrees of experiential brand activations. “Framing presents
two things as belonging to different orders… whether it is the general and the
detail, or history and the present” (Van Leeuwen, 2005:14).
 121

The interplay of social semiotics involves a ‘language’ of visual communication.

“In different contexts people make different choices from the same overall semiotic
potential and make different meanings with these choices. The set of semiotic
choices [of the five brand examples discussed have typically been] given the
context of a semiotic register” and this register relates to the various experiential
brand activations that occur as social engagement (Van Leeuwen, 2005:14).

Social engagement of brand activations such as the examples discussed in this

chapter rely heavily on PR and social media to get consumers involved with a
brand. Miletsky (2009:158) mentions that one should remember that involvement
with the brand is not ultimately a direct involvement with the product (Miletsky,
2009:158). Blogging and video extension of the brand experience enables
participants to use on-line social networking sites and YouTube to further promote
the brand experience.

The following chapter will attempt to formulate whether a new system of signs has
possibly arisen due to the virtual interconnectivity of brand experiences resulting
from certain experiential brand activations. The chapter will also suggest future
research that could possibly be undertaken that is related to experiential brand
marketing to assist the graphic designer, conceptual artist and marketing team when
planning a branding campaign.
 122

CHAPTER 5
Conclusion

The purpose of this study set out to investigate the interplay of social semiotics,
Peirce’s semiotic influence of reading signs and Van Leeuwen’s ‘framing’ used in
selected examples of experiential brand marketing. Brandscape settings of
experiential activations were compared to compositional elements, amongst others,
according to ‘framing’ used in the ‘System Network Diagram’ (Van Leeuwen,
2005:13). Not only did the researcher discover many similar influences between the
two ‘frameworks’, but the recontextualisation of representational elements, as
described by Fairclough also became a linking influence of social semiotics (see
Chapter Four). Peircean semiotics assisted in understanding the way messages were
read and interpreted by the consumer and social semiotics sought to understand
how communication took place in a variety of social settings. The components that
made up the composition of print advertisements were compared to those placed in
brandscape environments where the experiential brand activations occurred. The
researcher set out to explore current case studies of experiential brand activations
that included unusual environments, and analysed the case studies. Through these
interactive marketing activities, target audiences actively engaged with the
marketing tactics by physically participating with the brand, mostly in an emotional
manner.

The messages used in these marketing activities needed to be interpreted and

understood by consumers, but for one to make sense of the messages, the Peircean
semiotic theory of signs and messages required understanding. The sign or symbol
(in terms of Peircean semiotics) acted between the object (that which was being
represented) and the interpretant (the way in which the receiver responded to the
sign). The recognition of the semiotic sign as a symbolic vehicle involved the
consumer as the interpretant of the sign or message, and in so doing related the sign
to the object with various other associations. The reactions by customers and
prospective customers varied from one to another and proved that interactive
marketing could mostly be two-to-twelve times more effective than traditional
direct marketing (Genroe, 2013).

In order to explore and further develop ideas related to experiential brand

marketing, the researcher undertook to review distinctive ways of communication
 123

related to different social settings or brandscapes. Various modes of communication

were analysed according to different examples of experiential brand activations and
how the consumer interpreted the messages.

5.1 Summary of Chapters

Chapter One outlined the aims and goals regarding the origin and developmental
theory of social semiotics. The forms of communication relating to social semiotics
focuses on the many ways people produce forms of communication and how people
interact and interpret these forms of communication related to particular social
situations. Social semiotics lends itself to produce inventories for analysis (Van
Leeuwen, 2005:6) that have the potential of discovering new semiotic resources,
and these inventories were explained in this chapter. Social semiotics, as a type of
semiotics, does not necessarily study what particular signs stand for, but rather how
these signs are used to convey meaning (Vannini, 2011). The interplay of social
semiotics in experiential brand marketing, through a non-linguistic level allows for
the senses to analyse meaning that could be created through brand awareness
activations. In other words, the use of social semiotics also allows for meanings in
different contexts to be created which are based on situations and practices of
communication.

In Chapter Two, the emphasis was on the social semiotic context of ‘framing’ text
and illustration, as a form of communication that had been applied to mainstream or
traditional advertising. The research question of whether Van Leeuwen’s theory of
‘framing’ could form a theoretical basis of this study was investigated in this
chapter.

The ‘System Network Diagram’ devised by Van Leeuwen (2005:13) formed the
basis of this exploration whereby the ‘framing’ techniques used in mainstream or
traditional print advertising was analysed. The disconnectedness or connectedness
of visual communication related to compositional elements was documented and
recorded. Van Leeuwen’s ‘System Network Diagram’ along with the context of
‘framing’ of text and illustration as a form of communication, formed an impactful
contribution to the way brand experiencers interpret brand messages. The
researcher established that ‘framing’ could be used across various genres and not
 124

only in the traditional form of magazine advertising. It can effectively be applied to

experiential brand activations.

Another point of review was related to the design thinking process according to the
University of St. Gallen’s Institute of Information Management. This approach
explained the relevance of design thinking in experiential brand marketing which
lead to formulations that required an innovative edge over and above the traditional
forms of advertising. The reason why this is relevant is that one needed to enhance
the brand message and to ensure the target audience received the message and
responded in a way that built brand loyalty. Every insight and strategic tool needed
to be used to improve branded products and services.

Furthermore, in order for consumers to interpret the brand messages, Peirce’s

triadic sign system was also analysed in this chapter. A link was found between the
traditional sense of the reading of signs and how these messages were interpreted in
terms of experiential brand activations. The crucial process of design thinking and
understanding of messages encouraged unique concepts to create successful
interactions with consumers. Human-centred design thinking as well as the iterative
learning process model systematically applied to concepts established that the
creative thinking process gave rise to a clearer understanding or focus of the end-
design goal. Peirce’s triadic model recognized the importance of the semiotic sign
in experiential branding as a symbolic vehicle involving the consumer as the
interpretant of the sign or message, and related the sign to the object. The response
to the message created was read and understood by the viewer and then transmitted
to others socially. Audience interaction with brand messages allowed for dual
conversations to take place both online and off-line. This would not have been as
successful if unique concepts were not created to formulate the brand experiences
that were kept alive by means of online transmission.

Chapter Three firstly provided an historical overview of experiential marketing and

the researcher identified the difference between ambient, outdoor and guerrilla
marketing. A formulation of how one is linked to the other was also discussed in
this chapter and was concluded that each is linked and each inspires conceptual
thinking related experiential brand activations.
 125

It then came to light that experiential branding is a sensory experience. Schmitt’s

Sensory Levels of engagement was analysed and put to the test according to
experiential activation case studies. The researcher can conclusively formulate
these levels of activation as being elements marketers should take into account
when strategizing future brand engagements with consumers. Lewis (2012) iterates,
“People who share the same culture and language perceive signs in similar ways, as
opposed to groups of people from different cultures and who speak different
languages.” Schmitt’s (2014) experiential sensory modules of “relate, sense, feel,
act and think” are linked to- and influenced by Wood’s (2009) transactional model
of communication where the shared experience and symbolic interaction over time
influences the consumers’ experience with the brand activation.

The second part of Chapter Three explains the role of media’s influence on
experiential marketing. De Villiers, a partner of Tomorrow Today (2014), says
companies need to embrace difference in strategy in order to maintain delight and
to win over customers for future brand engagements. The researcher could not
agree more with this sentiment as based on the postmodern consumer, today’s
youth who are “tomorrow’s customer”. The influence of technology on the youth
makes them “techno-literate”; they are familiar with digital devices and social
media and are in constant interaction with the world through mobile devices and
smart phones (Bizcommunity, 2014). The tech-savvy, postmodern consumers,
amongst others, want to be immersed in the brands they love.

After having established the media’s influence on experiential marketing, Chapter

Four focused on the ‘framing’ and recontextualisation of social brand engagements
with particular reference to Fairclough’s recontextualisation of social events. A
comparative analysis of Fairclough’s recontextualisation and Van Leeuwen’s
‘System Network Diagram’ formulated similarities between case studies of
experiential brand activations with particular reference to representational. The
research question of how the environment in which a brand experience takes place
influences the message as a form of social engagement formed a level of departure
in this chapter. It was concluded that the symbolic meaning of the brandin
brandscapes led to ‘place-experiences’ where consumers were pleasantly surprised
in out-of-context brandscape environments. This chapter also answered the
research question of whether the context of Van Leeuwen’s (2005:7) ‘framing’ of
 126

traditional print magazine designs had an influence on the environments in which

experiential brand activations are took place.

The researcher formed a link between the way in which traditional print
advertisement messages were designed and framed within a page format, and
similarly, compared to the ‘framing’ of the area of brand activation. Both formats
attracted consumers to the brand messages using elements positioned in the
environmental spaces and this in turn, assisted in conceptually relaying the brand
message to the consumer. Various case studies were examined whereby the
researcher concluded that these brandscapes could form a 3D advertisement with
the consumer. It was established that Peircean semiotics has a resounding influence
on the way experiential consumers understand and read signs or messages. Socially,
the brandscape ultimately encouraged the consumer to interact with the brand
message and in so doing, reminded the consumer about the brand being advertised.
In most instances, the brand was brought to the consumer instead of the consumer
going to the brand. It was noted that consumers who actively engaged with the
brand were more likely to upload the messages on social media. A personal, one-
on-one level of engagement encouraged consumers to spread the brand activation
messages or videos amongst family and friends. This reiterates Fisher’s (2014:7)
sentiment of creating true engagement amongst brands and their consumers, only if
they are on the same platform, using the same shared media.

5.2 Contributions of the Study

This study contributes to both the relatively new phenomenon of experiential brand
activations by analysing the brandscape in which the activations take place.
Conceptualisers and marketers need to take heed of the fact that the space of
activation is as important as the message itself. The message needs to be direct,
simple and engaging in order for the consumer to understand and actively
participate in the brand experience. The place of activation can be emphasised by
similar elements that have worked so well in traditional print magazine
advertisements: the principles and elements of design assisted in creating
compelling messages to selected target audiences and in so doing, similar principles
need to be applied in experiential brand marketing. Technology is literally a button
away, however, one should not let technology dictate the concept. Technology
 127

should assist the concept. It might be useful to broaden and extend the brandscape
setting and marketers should make use of the model used in Figure 4.1 in Chapter
Four to assist in outlining the brandscape setting to ensure optimum brand exposure
at all given points.

5.3 Suggestions of Further Research

Van Leeuwen (2005:3) explains that social semioticians “contribute to the

discovery and development of new semiotic resources and new uses of existing
semiotic resources”.

In the past, there was no clear distinction between the ‘emission’ and the
‘reception’ of the brand. In other words, it was difficult to clearly define the way in
which messages went out and difficult to gauge when and how they had been
received by the consumer (De Lencastre, 2013:496). Nowadays, with the
advancement of technology and instantaneous social networking, brand messages
are no longer only limited to an internal audience and this makes it difficult for the
owner brand to have complete control over their brand.

Couldry (in Rose, 2012:84) surmises mass media changes as follows:

The digitization of mass media contents … from a fixed point or via

mobile devices means that, in principle, every point in space is
connected through mediated communication to every other point; and
that connection is potentially two-way, since either end may be sender
or receiver, or both (Couldry in Rose, 2012:84).

Suggestions of further research could be undertaken regarding whether a new

system of signs has possibly arisen due to the postmodernity of virtual
interconnectivity of brand experiences, resulting from experiential brand
activations.

Postmodern culture is most often centred with the ‘general conditions of life’ and
the movement includes massive changes in communication systems (Poster, 1995)
as well as different cultural movements. Lyotard (1979) shares his view of
“societies enter[ing] what is known as the postindustrial age and cultures enter what
is known as the postmodern age”. The rise of the 20th century created awareness
towards various activities that led to people questioning and re-interpreting the
modernist actions. Through the development of technology and compelling brand
messages being posted on-line, amongst others, these actions have further
 128

developed the postmodern consumer to form an association with brands that

“empower people to enhance the way they live, work, learn and play” (Mathieson,
2005:212). Lyotard (1979) links this to “a society whose communication
component is becoming more prominent day by day, both as a reality and as an
issue, it is clear that language assumes a new importance”.

Postmodernity relates to the immediacy of broadcast media, including on-line

media and social media, making way for social regulation, says Van Leeuwen
(2005:93). This could be, however be unregulated as the exposure of experiential
branding is often uploaded and shared directly from the brand experiencer using
non-traditional broadcast media such as mobile devices, computers and so forth.
Lenderman (2006:52) motivates this by saying that one of the reasons for the
existence of experiential branding in the postmodern marketplace is without a
doubt, the Internet. This diverse channel has motivated conversations between
consumers to express their connections with the brand, which can be favourable, or
not. The experiential marketer encouraged these interactions with the consumer –
which would not have been accomplished with passive marketing (Lenderman,
2006:52). However, this association with sharing the brand experience by means of
social networking has lent itself to a new form of communicating the brand
experience by means of digital intervention. What began as an experiential
activation in a brandscape now becomes an experiential activation of a different
kind, evolving into a new experiential activation that becomes its own ‘language’
whereby interaction with on-line users creates a whole new system of meaningful
signs.

An understanding of new communication systems and the postmodern consumer

shows an emergence towards creating an individual identity with the consumer
through the usage of the Internet and online media. The postmodern consumer
needs to feel empowered by the brand message or activation and they, in turn,
become their own marketers for the brand. Documenting, recording and tracking of
individual consumers on-line could lead to the new development of online language
that is currently being used by people who have participated in experiential brand
activations. This new system of signs can be recorded and analysed and marketers
could use that valuable source of information to get to know their target audiences
even further. If the brand activation is not worth sharing online by the consumer, it
could possibly be deemed as being unsuccessful and therefore, a highly compelling
 129

brand experience needs to be implemented in order for marketers to connect with

the postmodern consumer. Technology, to the postmodern consumer, is an
extension of an idea; however, one of the negative implications of technology is
that often, many advertising and marketing campaigns lead with technology and not
with real human insight.

This gives rise to the power of the Internet using on-line media and social media to
make way for social regulation and conversations about brands, says Van Leeuwen
(2005:93). However, one can argue that this could be unregulated as the exposure
of experiential branding uploaded and shared directly from the brand experiencer
using non-traditional broadcast media motivates conversations between consumers
to express their connections with the brand, which can be favourable, or not. Today,
these interactions are encouraged by the experiential marketer with the consumer –
which could not be accomplished with passive marketing (Lenderman, 2006:52). A
company’s on-line reputation may become convoluted and complex as it becomes
more and more difficult to manage. “The engagement with customers in the local
media space is growing wider, to the point that there is a disconnect between policy
and practice” says Munslow (2015). Social media has become a tool that allows
everyone to voice his or her own opinion at any given time. If a company chooses
to ignore the on-line conversations, the messaging does not actually go away.

According to Simmons (2008:300) media, television, music and film have similar
qualities and mimic each other with “collages of fleeting moments that excite
senses, yet rarely connect to a central theme or focus” (Simmons, 2008:300).
Simmons goes on to say this leads to a fragmented approach when one uses a
variety of media outlets, giving rise to postmodern consumers being unable to
commit to a single, chosen lifestyle or a set of beliefs. Emotions and feelings are
evoked in the target audience through the brand activations, but these brand
messages need to be managed strategically when relaying them to the intended
consumer.

The postmodern consumer is one that is eager to avoid commitment, however, this
consumer still strives for acceptance amongst friends and social media followers
and so, creative, appropriate brand messages will only be passed on to their
followers if it is desirable or likeable (Simmons, 2008:300). Consumers of the
postmodern era differ from the modern consumer, as they are more acceptable of
 130

experiencing ideas and messages differently. They are not afraid to participate and
be seen as individuals. Venkatesh (1995:40-1) posits that “…according to
postmodernism, many of the fundamental idea(l)s regarding the individual, self,
freedom, agency, and structure are arbitrary and ephemeral rather than essential and
fixed”.

Connectivity, across all forms of communication needs to be acknowledged as

societies are constantly changing and technology is developing at break-neck speed.
Future research could be undertaken on experiential brand marketing to assist the
graphic designer and marketing team when planning a branding campaign. The
findings offered in this study regarding placement of brand experiences, ways of
communication, design thinking as well as relevance of creating messages that are
meaningful with particular audiences could be considered by marketers when
drafting marketing strategies for postmodern consumers using an integrated
marketing approach.

Phippen (in Simmons, 2008:302) says “it is important for marketers to note [how]
web analytics is not just concerned with website statistics but the relationship and
interaction between a website and its customers”. This leads to why consumers feel
the need to upload their own, personalised brand experience with others using
social networking sites. The Internet can be considered the “postmodern marketing
champion” (Simmons, 2008:304) with a free-for-all explosion of communication
and it has the ability for companies to create a personal, one-on-one communicative
message.

This leads to the message of a brand being “not what you say it is, but what they
say it is” (Neumeier in Holden, 2015). Power is moving towards the consumer who
is taking control of what and when they see messages on-line. The choice of
interacting with the communicated message or video posted on-line urges the
viewer or receiver to comment or share the message with friends or others online.
Lenderman (2006:284) indicates that “experiential marketing directive for engaging
consumers through one-on-one interactions must also be a welcoming development
in the brand marketing world”. A place or site that is home to a “collective [of]
social understandings… are played out in attempts to win readers to particular ways
of seeing the world [or the brand]” (Storey, 2001:4). Companies need to actively
pursue how they want to be viewed by consumers and in particular, strategically
 131

consider how they plan on managing their on-line presence (Munslow, 2015). The
variety of media vehicles used to send messages to consumers has increased
considerably over the years. Marketers now need to pull consumers into different
directions (or situations) where dissimilar interpretations and symbolic meanings
take place. The experience of the brand calls for evaluation of symbolism and
further, a reaction to the relevance of the current circumstance (Schembri et al.
2010:623).

5.4 Concluding Remarks

This study set out to explore the influence of social semiotics in experiential
branding with particular reference to the compositional elements of Van Leeuwen’s
‘System Network Diagram’s’ ‘framing’ technique (Van Leeuwen, 2005:13).
Through the study, the researcher pointed out the importance of how branding has
adapted from traditional advertising that was based on mass communication, to a
more personal, one-on-one form of advertising using the popular and contemporary
presence of experiential brand activations as part of the campaigns marketing mix.
Postmodern consumers differ significantly from the traditional, modern consumer.
This generation of consumers rely on compelling messages that are human-centred;
messages need to be personal, engaging and should ultimately be good enough to
be shared with on-line followers and friends. Even though these postmodern
consumers may be different, the influence of semiotic principles of reading signs,
as well as the influence of the printed advertising page’s ‘framing’ technique in
comparison to brandscape environments, cannot be out-ruled. As today’s market
requires further interaction with consumers and the public at large, experiential
brand marketing is a touch point that cannot be discounted with postmodern brand
engagement. The advancement of technology has enabled user experiences to go
beyond the traditional forms of branding by means of experiential brand activations
instantly being uploaded onto social networking sites. Marketers need to take full
advantage of this postmodern form of communication.

The association with sharing the brand experience by means of social networking, a
new form of communicating the brand experience by means of post modernity’s
digital intervention has developed. What began as an experiential activation in a
brandscape now becomes an experiential activation of a different kind, evolving
into a new digital experience that becomes its own ‘language’ whereby interaction
 132

with on-line users creates a whole new system of meaningful signs. The
experiential brand activation itself could become part of a more complex system of
signs that forms additional medium to the brand culture of this already multifaceted
postmodern era.

Postmodern consumers are a complex group of people with many seeking to be

seen as individuals even though they are participating in a communal brand.
Simmons (2008:299) reacts by saying “the Internet is an enabling tool, which
allows direct, real-time individualised interaction with postmodern consumers.
Furthermore, the Internet’s ability to provide these consumers with the opportunity
to express their individuality with homogenous groups is also presented”. The viral
power of the Internet tends to place postmodern consumers into groups that create
positive brand equity (Cova and Pace, 2006; Cova et al, 2007 in Simmons,
2008:306).

Lyotard provides a critique of “the transformation of language into a productive

commodity which reduces phrases to encoded messages with an exchange value
messages that can be stored, retrieved, packaged, manipulated and transmitted”
(Lyotard in Palmer 2001:150). This being said, the interplay of social semiotics of
experiential brand activations being uploaded on-line, could create new meaning, in
another entirely different context, based on experiential brand situations and
communication praxis. These statements could arise to many future findings.
 133

Bibliography

Adage. 2013. Why an Eccentric Brazilian Billionaire Dug a Grave for His Bentley.
URL (consulted on 8 June 2015): http://adage.com/article/creativity-
pick-of-the-day/eccentric-brazilian-billionaire-buries-bentley-a/244995/

Anand, V. 2011. The Four Elements of a Great Brand Experience. URL (consulted
on 8 June 2015): http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/partner-
zone-brand-union/four-elements-great-brand-experience

Alvey. L. and Attack Marketing. 2013. Creative Guerrilla Marketing. Experiential

101: What is Experiential Marketing? URL (consulted on 15 May 2014):
http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/guerrilla-
marketing/experiential-101-experiential-marketing/

Arora, R. and Stoner, C. 2009. A Mixed Method Approach to Understanding Brand

Personality. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 18(4):272-283.
URL (consulted on 14 July 2015):
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/1061042091097279
2

Awwwards. 2014. 8 Brilliant Interactive Marketing Campaigns. URL (consulted on

22 April 2014): http://www.awwwards.com/8-brilliant-interactive-
marketing-campaigns.html

Arens, W.F, Weigold, M.F. and Arens, C. 2013. Contemporary Advertising &
Integrated Marketing Communications. Fourteenth Edition. New York:
McGraw-Hill.

Austin, B. A. 1986. Cinema Screen Advertising: An Old Technology with Promise

for Consumer Marketing. Journal of Consumer Marketing 3(1):45-56.
URL (consulted on 14 July 2015):
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/eb008152

Bal, M. and Bryson, N. 1991. Semiotics and Art History. Art Bulletin 73(2): 174-
298.

Bal, M. 2006. A Mieke Bal Reader. Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

Barthes, R. 1964. Rhétorique de l’image [Rhetoric of the image]. Communications

4:40-51.

Behance.net. 2015. Coca-Cola: Hello Happiness. URL (consulted on 2 October

2015) https://www.behance.net/gallery/16753657/Coca-Cola-Hello-
Happiness

Belch, E.D. and Belch, M.A. 2006. Advertising and Promotion. Seventh Edition.
London: McGraw Hill.
 134

Belic, S. and Jönsson, E. 2012. Guerrilla Marketing and its Effects on Consumer
Behaviour. Bachelor Thesis. Kristianstad University. URL (consulted on
8 June 2015): http://www.diva-
portal.org/smash/get/diva2:540084/fulltext01.pdf

Best Ads on TV. 2011. Experiential Slurpee: Bring Your Own Cup Day. URL
(consulted on 9 June 2014):
http://www.bestadsontv.com/ad/40990/Slurpee-Bring-Your-Own-Cup-
Day

Berkland, D. 2013. In Defense of Comic Sans. (emailed to researcher).

Bizcommunity. 2014. Marketing Indaba: Part 1. Marketers Be (a)ware, Generation

Y Is On Its Way. URL (consulted on 24 June 2014):
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/423/113406.html#more

Bizcommunity. 2015. Marie Claire steps into a Twitter Mess. URL (consulted on 24
July 2015):
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/669/131918.html#topstory.

Bopry, J. 2013. Semiotics, Epistemology, and Inquiry. URL (consulted on 21 May

2014): http://www.und.edu/dept/ehd/journal/Fall2002/bopry.html.

Brandscape Group. 2014. URL (consulted on 11 June 2014):

http://www.brandscapegroup.com/philosphy.html.

Burch, R. W. 1993. A Peircean Reduction Thesis. Lubbock, Tx: Texas Tech Press.

Burgoyne, P. 2013, 2014. Creative Review (Dec 2013, Jan 2014, Feb 2014, Mar
2014) Published monthly by Centaur Media. London.

Cannes Advertising Awards. 2014. URL (consulted on 24 April 2014):

http://www.canneslions.com/about_us/

Cattuto, C. and Pietronero. L.V. 2007. Semiotic Dynamics and Collaborative

Tagging. National Academy of Sciences Journal. 104 (5): 1461-1464.

Chandler, D. 2013. Semiotics for Beginners. URL (consulted on 22 April 2014):

http://users.aber.ac.uk/dgc/Documents/S4B/sem01.html

Cheung, M. 2012. Creativity in Advertising Design Education: An Experimental

Study. URL (consulted on 27 May 2014): http://0-
content.ebscohost.com.wam.seals.ac.za/pdf29_30/pdf/2012/137V/01Jan1
2/85900853.pdf?T=P&P=AN&K=85900853&S=R&D=ufh&EbscoCont
ent=dGJyMNLr40SeqLU4y9f3OLCmr0yeprJSs6e4TLOWxWXS&Cont
entCustomer=dGJyMPGuskm0qbROuePfgeyx44Dt6fIA

Coelho, J. T. 2013. Daily Mail: Brazilian Businessman Inspired by Egypt's

Pharaohs Buries His £310,000 Bentley So He Can Use It In The
Afterlife. URL (consulted on 8 June 2015):
 135

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2425452/Brazilian-
businessman-buries-310-000-Bentley-use-afterlife.html

Conejo, F. 2012. This Means This, This Means That: A User’s Guide to Semiotics,
2nd Ed. Emerald Publishing. Journal of Consumer Marketing (30)3: 310.
Consulted on 22 April 2014
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0736-
3761&volume=30&issue=3&articleid=17088578&show=

Conejo, F. 2012. Marketing Semiotics: Signs, Strategies and Brand Value. Journal
of Consumer Marketing (30) 4:384-5. URL (consulted on 2 June 2014):
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0736-
3761&volume=30&issue=4&articleid=17092336&show=html&view=pr
intarticle&nolog=447413

Contagious. 2014. Cannes Lions/Promo and Activation Awards. URL (consulted

on 21 May 2014): http://www.contagious.com/blogs/news-and-
views/11822789-cannes-lions-promo-and-activation-awards

Cova, B. and Saucet, M. 2014. The Secret Lives of Unconventional Campaigns:

Street Marketing on the Fringe. Journal of Marketing Communications.
URL (Consulted on 2 July 2015):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_marketing#cite_note-
ReferenceA-9

Creevy, J. 2011. Tesco Opens Virtual Store in South Korea. URL (consulted on 3
October 2015): http://www.retail-week.com/technology/tesco-opens-
virtual-store-in-south-korea/5028571.article

Crowe, D. 2003. Visible Signs. Manchester: AVA Publishing.

Cruz, X. 2012. Delite-O-Matic Vending Machine Tests How Far You’ll Go For
Fantastic Delites. URL (consulted on 30 July 2014):
http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/guerrilla-marketing/delite-o-
matic-vending-machine-tests-how-far-youll-go-for-fantastic-delites/

D’Angelo, M. 2014. 15 Years Beyond the Hype and Hatred of The Blair Witch
Project. URL (consulted on 1 July 2015):
https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/800-the-blair-witch-
project-15-years-beyond-the-hype-a/

Daylight, R. n.d. The Difference Between Semiotics and Semiology. URL

(consulted on 3 June 2014):
http://www.academia.edu/4771675/The_difference_between_semiotics_
and_semiology

De Lencastre, P. and Côrte-Real, A. 2013. Social Semiotics - Brand Response

Analysis: A Peircean Semiotic Approach. Journal of Social Semiotics.
Routledge Publishing. (23) 4:489-506.
 136

Denzin, N. K. 1987. Symbolic Interaction. Journal of Symbolic Interaction (10)1:1-

19. URL (Consulted on 22 April 2014):
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/si.1987.10.1.1/abstract

Derrick. 2015. Climate Smart Cape Town. Derrickcapetown.com URL (consulted

on 23 October 2015): http://www.derrickcapetown.com

Digitalbuzz. 2013. SNCF Railways: Interactive Doors to Europe. URL (Consulted

on 3 July 2014): http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/sncf-railways-open-
interactive-doors-to-europe/

Duffy, M. and Thorson, E. 2012. Advertising Age: The Principles of Advertising

and Marketing Communication at Work. USA: Cengage.

Du Plessis, F, Van Heerden N. and Cook, G. 2010. Integrated Marketing

Communication. Third Edition. South Africa: Van Schaik.

Edwards, S. 2014. Brand Activation Highlights 2014: October-December. URL

(consulted on 15 July 2015): http://www.eventmagazine.co.uk/brand-
activation-highlights-2014-october-december/brands/article/1327539

Elliott, R. and Percy, L. 2007. Strategic Brand Management. Oxford: Oxford

University Press.

Everaert-Desmedt, N. (n.d). Signo Theoretical Semiotics on the Web: Peirce’s

Semiotics. URL (consulted on 7 November 2015):
http://www.signosemio.com/peirce/semiotics.asp

Fantastic Snacks. 2014. Fantasic Delites. URL (consulted on 30 July 2014):

http://fantasticsnacks.com.au/delites/about-us/

Fastmoving. 2013. Stimorol Gives ‘Sampling’ a Slap of Fun in the Face at the
University of Cape Town. URL (consulted on 30 October 2015):
http://www.fastmoving.co.za/activities/stimorol-gives-sampling-a-slap-
of-fun-in-the-face-at-the-university-of-cape-town-3970

Fisher, J. G. 2014. Strategic Brand Engagement: Using HR and Marketing to

Connect Your Brand, Customers, Channel Partners and Employees.
New York and London: Kogan Page.

Foxall, G., Goldsmith R.E. and Brown, S. 1998. Consumer Psychology for
Marketing. Second Edition. London: Routledge.

Gambarato, R. R. 2013. Peircean Semiotics in the Context of Design Praxis:

Abduction and Perception in Dialogue. Journal of Sign Systems Studies.
41(4) 424-432. (consulted on 22 April.
2014):.http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=8fc9d2b
5-f991-4187-9dfe-e3993a4dab33%40sessionmgr4001&vid=3&hid=4111
 137

Genroe. 2013. URL (consulted on 22 April 2014):

http://www.genroe.com/services/what-is-interactive-marketing

Goldman, R. and Papson, S. 2006. Capital’s Brandscapes. Journal of Consumer

Culture 6(3): 327-353. URL (consulted on 3 October 2015):
http://joc.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/6/3/327

Gragg Advertising. 2015. Activation vs. Guerrilla Marketing… What’s the

Difference? URL (consulted on 1 July 2015):
http://www.graggadv.com/activation-vs-guerrilla-marketing/

Greenfield, R. 2014. The Evolution of Absolut Vodka’s Advertising Strategy. URL

(consulted on 12 June 2015):
http://www.fastcompany.com/3032598/most-creative-people/the-
evolution-of-absolut-vodkas-advertising-strategy

Hall, M. 2014. Tourism and Social Marketing. New York: Routledge Publications.

Halliday, S.V., and Kuenzel, S. 2008. Brand Identification: A Theory-based

Construct for Conceptualizing Links Between Corporate Branding,
Identity and Communications. In: Melewar, T.C. and E. Karaosmanoglu
(eds.) Contemporary Thoughts on Corporate Branding and Corporate
Identity Management. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

Hendon, W.H and Muhs, W.F. n.d. Origin and Early Development of Outdoor
Advertising in the United States. URL (consulted on 11 June 2015):
http://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-
proceedings.aspx?Id=12166

Highmore, B. 2009. The Design Culture Reader. New York and London:
Routledge.

Holden, J. 2015. Quotes I Love. URL (consulted on 28 October 2015):

http://www.changemakrs.com/holden-jay/loved

Holt, D.B. 2004. How Brands Become Icons – the Principles of Cultural Branding.
Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Horsfall, C. 2015. SA Creatives: The Idea Is Not In The Execution. URL (consulted
on 28 October 2015): http://sacreativenetwork.co.za/2015/07/the-idea-is-
not-in-the-execution/

Houser, N. and Kloesel, C. 1992. The Essential Peirce: Selected Philosophical

Writings. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
 138

Huang, A.W. and Chuang, T.R. 2008. Social Tagging, Online Communication, and
Peircean Semiotics: A Conceptual Framework. Journal of Information
Science. Taiwan: XX (X):1-18. URL (consulted on 28 April 2014):
http://www.iis.sinica.edu.tw/~trc/public/publications/jis09/jis09HuangCh
uang-preprint.pdf

IBM (n.d). IBM Philosophy and Strategies. URL (consulted on 1 July 2015):
http://itdmohdsaufi.blogspot.com/p/ibm-philosophy-and-strategies.html

Ingel, B. 2013. Design Thinking for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses. Apress
Media. URL (Consulted on 27 May 2014):
http://www.resilientbydesign.com/design-thinking/

Jansen, N. 1989. Philosophy of Mass Communication Research. Cape Town: Juta.

Jenson, K.B. 1995. The Social Semiotics of Mass Communication. London: Sage
Publications.

Kapfererer, J.N. 2012. The New Strategic Brand Management: Advanced Insights
and Strategic Thinking. Fifth Edition. New York and London: Kogan
Page.

Keller, K.L. 2003. Brand Synthesis: The Multidimensionality of Brand Knowledge.

Journal of Consumer Research (29)4:595-600.

Keller, K.L and Lehmann, D.R. 2006. Brands and Branding: Research Findings and
Future Priorities. Journal of Marketing Science (2)6:740-759.

Ketner, K. and Putman, H. 1992. Reasoning and the Logic of Things. Charles
Sanders Peirce. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Klingmann, A. 2007. Brandscapes: Architecture in the Experience Economy. URL

(consulted on 11 June 2014): http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/brandscapes

Koekemoer, L. 2011. Introduction to Integrated Communications. Cape Town:

Juta.

Kress, G. and Bezemer, J. 2012. Glossary of Multimodal Terms. URL (consulted

on 23 July 2014): http://multimodalityglossary.wordpress.com/framing/

Kress, G. 1993. Against Arbitrariness: The Social Production of the Sign as a

Foundational Issue in Critical Discourse Analysis. Discourse and Society
4(2): 169-93.

Labbrand. 2010. Interactive Media: The New Golden Goose of Branding? URL
(consulted on 24 July 2014): http://www.greenbook.org/marketing-
research/interactive-media-the-new-golden-goose-of-branding
 139

Larceneux, F. 2001. Critical Opinion as a Tool in the Marketing of Cultural

Products: The Experiential Label. Journal of Arts Management (3)2:60-
69.

Lasswell, H.D. 1972. The Structure and Function of Communication in Society. In:
Schramm, W. (ed.). The Process and Effects of Mass Communication.
Chicago: University of Illinois Press. pp. 218-225.

Laurence, J. 2014. Why we need creativity. URL (consulted on 27 May 2014):

http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/423/111679.html#topstory

LCA Group. 2015. Who are we? URL (consulted on 1 July 2015): http://www.lca-
group.net

Lehner, M. and Halliday, S.V. 2014. Branding Sustainability: Opportunity and Risk
Behind a Brand-Based Approach to Sustainable Markets. Journal of
Theory and Politics in Organisation (14)1:13-34. URL (consulted on 1
July 2015):
http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=4353
929&fileOId=4353946

Lenderman, M. 2006. Experience the Message: How Experiential Marketing is

Changing the Brand World. New York: Avalon.

Leonard, N. and Ambrose, G. 2012. Design Research: Investigation for successful

creative solutions. Manchester: AVA Publishing.

Lewis, D. W. 2012. Making Sense: The Semiotics of Visual Communication. URL

(Consulted on 4 June 2014):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbO6E1Da4Ec

Liebermann, A. 2005. The Roots of Educational Change. Berlin: Springer.

Lyotard, J-F. 1979. The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge.

Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Mackenzie, A .2015. Cannes Lion Health Presentation. NMMU.

Mathieson, R. 2005. Branding Unbound. New York: AMACOM .

Marketing Semiotics (n.d). URL (consulted on 22 April 2014):

http://marketingsemiotics.com/semiotics/marketing-semiotics-book/

Mavers, D. and Machin, D. 2013. MultimodalityGlossary. URL (consulted on 21

May 2014): http://multimodalityglossary.wordpress.com/social-
semiotics/
 140

Media Update. 2013. Stimorol’s #SeeWhat Unfolds Campaign Lifts the Mood at
UCT. URL (Consulted on 30 September 2015):
http://www.mediaupdate.co.za/marketing/57096/stimorols-
seewhatunfolds-campaign-lifts-the-mood-at-uct.

Merrell, F. 2001. Charles Sanders Peirce’s Concept of the Sign. In: Cobley, P.
(2001). The Routledge Companion to Semiotics and Linguistics. London
and New York: Routledge. pp. 28-40.

Merrell, F. 1995. Peirce’s Semiotics Now: A Primer. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’

Press.

Merrell, F. 1997. Peirce, Signs and Meaning. Toronto and London: University of
Toronto Press.

Meyburgh, K. 2013. The Importance of Creating Unique Customer Experiences.

URL (consulted on 25 May 2014):
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/33/88635.html.

Mick, D. G. 1986. Consumer Research and Semiotics: Exploring the Morphology

of Signs, Symbols, and Significance (e-journal). Journal of Consumer
Research. (13)2:196-208.

Miletsky, J.I. and Smith, G. 2009. Perspectives on Branding. Greenwood: Cengage

Learning.

Minov, G. 2013. CS Coverstories. For SNCF, Europe is Just Next Door. URL
(consulted on 3 July 2014): http://coverstories.info/2013/11/sncf-europe-
just-next-door/.

Mootee, I. 2013. Experiential Marketing. URL (consulted on 17 February 2015):

http://mootee.typepad.com/innovation_playground/experiential_marketin
g/

Morton, J. 2011. Best Experience Brands. URL (consulted on 22 April 2014):

http://www.krcresearch.com/pdfs/BestExperienceBrands.pdf

Munslow, D. 2015. Communications. Who Really Safeguards a Company’s

Reputation? URL (consulted on 29 October 2015):
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/714/136305.html

Neff, J. 2014. Clinique Sees Hope in Fresh Start. URL (consulted on 12 June 2015):
http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/clinique-sees-hope-a-fresh-
start/294329/

Nozawa, E.T. 2007. Scientific Semiotics. URL (Consulted on 25 April 2014):

www.iafie.org/.../Scientific_Semeiotics_-_White_Pap...
 141

Nöth, W. 2000. Semiotic Foundations of Iconicity in Language and Literature. In:

Fischer, Olga, Nänny, Max (eds). The Motivated Sign. Amsterdam:
Benjamins: 17-28.

O’Brien, C. n.d. The Future of Ads. URL (consulted on 1 July 2015):

http://thefutureofads.com/when-forever-began-shares-a-moment-for-
diamonds

O’Guinn, T.C. and Muniz, A.M. 2005. Communal consumption and the brand. In:
S. Rathneswar and D.G. Mick (eds.) Inside consumption – Consumer
motives, goals and desires. Abingdon: Routledge.

Olympic Change. 2013. http://olympicchange.ru. Consulted on 24 April 2014

OnlyWilliam. 2014. Blogspot. http://onlywilliam.blogspot.com/2011/08/have-break-

find-bench-creative-designed.html. Consulted on 30 May 2014

Open University, Malaysia. 2008. Models of Communication.

http://lms.oum.edu.my/e-
content/OUMH1303KDP/content/24094922OUMH1303_OralCommuni
cation_v1/OUMH1303_Topic1/OUMH1303_1_2.html#1. Consulted on
10 June 2015.

Lazauskas, J. 2015. The future by design. http://website.ornico.co.za/wp-

content/uploads/2015/06/The_Furture_By_Design_OrnicoGroup.pdf
Consulted on 10 July 2015.

Orth, U. R. and De Marchi, R. 2007. Understanding the relationships between

functional, symbolic, and experiential brand beliefs, product experiential
attributes, and product schema: Advertising – trial interactions revisited.
Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice 15(3): 219-233.

Oswald, Laura R. 2012. Marketing Semiotics (2011) Oxford University Press.

http://www.marketingsemiotics.com/our-process/design-semiotics/
http://www.marketingsemiotics.com/semiotics/marketing-semiotics-
book/. Consulted on 22 April 2014.

Oxford Dictionaries. 2015. Oxforddictionaries.com

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ambient.
Consulted on 8 June 2015.

Palmer, J. A. 2001. Fifty Modern Thinkers on Education: The Postmodern

Explained. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Petr, C. 2002. Tourist Apprehension of Heritage: A Semiotic Approach to

Behaviour Patterns. Journal of Arts Management 4(2): 25-38.
 142

Pekengmedia (n.d) How a Cap of Coke brings you 3 minutes of happiness.

http://www.pekengpedia.com/2014/05/how-cap-of-coke-bring-you-3-
minute.html?m=0. Consulted on 5 June 2014

Peirce, C. S. 1955. Philosophical Writings of Peirce. New York: Dover.

Peirce, C.S.1931-58. The Collected Papers of C.S. Peirce. Cambridge, MA:

Harvard University Press.

PEW Internet. 2014. Social Networking Fact Sheet. URL (consulted on 17 July
2015): http://www.pewInternet.org/fact-sheets/social-networking-fact-
sheet/

Philip. 2012. The Climate Smart Cape Town Campaign Celebration. URL
(consulted on 27 October 2015):
http://www.capetowngreenmap.co.za/blog/climate-smart-cape-town-
campaign-celebration.

Pine, B.S and Gilmore, H. 1999. The Experience Economy: Work is Theatre and
Every Business a Stage. Boston: Harvard University Press.

Ponsonby-Mccabe, S. and Boyle, E. 2007. Understanding Brands as Experiential

Spaces: Axiological Implications for Marketing Strategists. Journal of
Strategic Marketing. UK. 14(2):175-186. Routledge Publishers. URL:
(consulted on 2 June 2014):
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/.U4xWd9yfFiE.

Poster. 1995. The Second Media Age: Postmodern Virtualities. URL (consulted on
4 November 2015):
http://www.humanities.uci.edu/mposter/writings/Internet.html.

Ransdell, J. 1976. Another Interpretation of Peirce’s Semiotic. Transactions of the

Charles. S. Peirce Society (12)2:97-110.

Ray, C. 2004. Integrated Brand Communications: A powerful new paradigm. URL

(consulted on 30 September 2015): www.intebrand.com.

Rose, G. 2012. Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to Researching with Visual

Materials. Third Edition. London: Sage Publications. URL: (consulted
on 30 September 2015):
http://www.colorado.edu/geography/class_homepages/geog_4892_sum1
1/geog4892_sum11/materials_files/Rose%20Visual%20Methodologies%
20Chpt1+8.pdf

SA Creatives. 2013. Creativity that matters. Trends to watch in 2014. URL

(consulted on 2 June 2014 ):
http://sacreativenetwork.co.za/2014/03/trends-
watch/?utm_source_=feedburner&utm_medium_campaign=feed%3A+c
o%2Fzjem+%28creativenetwork.co.za%29
 143

SA Creatives. 2015: New BMW i8 Hits The Big Screen With a Bang – Really!
URL (consulted on 15 July 2015):
//sacreativenetwork.co.za/2015/07/new-bmw-i8-hits-the-big-screen-with-
a-bang
really/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=F
eed%3A+co%2FZjem+%28sacreativenetwork.co.za%29.

SA Creatives. 2015. Behavioural Targeting – The Focused Advertising Approach.

URL (Consulted on 22 July 2015):
http://sacreativenetwork.co.za/2015/05/behavioural-targeting-the-
focused-advertising-approach/

Saucet, M. 2013. My research. URL (consulted on 1 July 2015): http://marcel-

saucet.com/my-research/

Saucet, M. 2015. Street Marketing: The Future of Guerrilla Marketing and Buzz.
Greenwood: ABC Clio Publishing.

Schembri, S. and, Merrilees, B. 2010. Brand Consumption and Narrative of the

Self. Journal of Psychology and Marketing 27(6): 623-638.

Schmitt, B. and Zarantonello, L. 2013. Consumer Experience and Experiential

Marketing: A Critical Review. In: Naresh K. Malhotra (ed.) Review of
Marketing Research Journal (10):25-61. URL (consulted on 12 June
2015):
http://econoca.unica.it/public/downloaddocenti/Schmitt%20JMM99-
Experiential%20marketing.pdf

Schultz, D.E. and Block, M.P. 2014. Sales Promotion Influencing Consumer Brand
Preference/Purchases. Journal of Consumer Marketing 31(3): 212-217.

Sebeok, T. A. 1994. Signs: An Introduction to Semiotics. Toronto: University of

Toronto Press.

Semenik, R. J., Allen, C.T., O’Guinn, T. C. and Kaufmann, H.R. 2012. Advertising
and Promotions: An Integrated Brand Approach. Sixth Edition. South-
Western College/Engage Learning.

Sharma, R and Sharma, S. K. 2014. A Review of Guerrilla Marketing and Its

Weapons. Journal of Social Science and Management. (4)8:82-90.
TIJRP. URL (consulted on 8 June 2015):
http://www.theinternationaljournal.org/ojs/index.php?journal=tij&page=
article&op=view&path%5B%5D=3495&path%5B%5D=pdf

Shaw, M. 2009. Copywriting: Successful Writing for Design, Advertising and

Marketing. London: Laurence King.
 144

Sherry, J. 1998. The Soul of The Company Store: Nike Town Chicago and The
Emplaced Brandscape In J. Sherry (ed.) Servicescapes. The Concept of
Place in Contemporary Markets. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Books. pp. 305‐
36.

Shimp, T. 2010. Integrated Marketing Communication in Advertising and

Promotion. Eighth Edition. Boston, Mass: Cengage Learning.

Simmonds, R. 2014. Mug and Tweet: Social Communication in the Digital Age.
We Publish You Africa.

Simmons, G. 2008. Marketing to Postmodern Consumers: Introducing the Internet

Chameleon. European Journal of Marketing 42 (3/4): 299 – 310. URL
(consulted on 31 October 2015):
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/0309056081085294
0

Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (n.d). URL (consulted on 24 April

2014): http://www.wwfsassi.co.za/?m=6&s=3.

Smilansky, S. 2009. Experiential Marketing: A Practical Guide to Interactive Brand

Experiences. Kogan Page. URL (consulted on 23 July 2015):
https://books.google.co.za/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Ehm2CTUoj1gC&oi=f
nd&pg=PR1&dq=technology+and+brand+experiences&ots=Wu6bQCE
FmS&sig=tI8zK_BebGR3CurQvU9cz0S5JHs#v=onepage&q=technolog
y%20and%20brand%20experiences&f=falsepp

Smith, C.P. 2000. Content Analysis and Narrative Analysis. URL (consulted on 15
February 2013):
https://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~jglynch/Ba591/Session02/Smith%20200
0%20Handbook%20Content%20Analysis.pdf

Smith, M. 2011. Climate Smart Cape Town Pavilion Wins at COP17. URL
(consulted on 13 October 2015):
http://www.capetown.travel/blog/entry/climate_smart_cape_town_pavili
on_wins_at_cop17

Slurpee. 2012. Bring Your Own Cup Day. URL (consulted on 28 April 2014):
http://slurpee.com.au

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2013. Functionalism. URL (consulted on 23

June 2014): http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/functionalism/#WhaFun

Stead, G. 2011. What is COP17/CMP7? URL (consulted on 13 October 2015):

http://icologie.com/what-is-cop17cmp7/

Stretch Experiential Marketing. 2015. Brand Experiences You Can Feel. URL
(consulted on 11 September 2015): http://www.stretchexp.com/#home
 145

Stern, B. B. 1994. A Revised Communication Model for Advertising: Multiple

Dimensions of the Source, the Message, and the Recipient. Journal of
Advertising (XXIII) 2:1-2.

Storey, J. 2001. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture. New Jersey: Pearson /
Prentice Hall.

Tesco PLC. 2015. Homeplus. URL (Consulted on 3 October 2015):

http://www.tescoplc.com/index.asp?pageid=10;
http://www.tescoplc.com/index.asp?pageid=314

Telegraph. 2011. Tesco Builds Virtual Shops for Korean Customers. URL
(consulted on 3 October 2015):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/mobile-phones/8601147/Tesco-
builds-virtual-shops-for-Korean-commuters.html

Thibodeaux, W. 2014. What is Experiential Marketing Defined As? Small Business

Chron. Demand Media. URL (consulted on 29 May 2014):
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/experiential-marketing-defined-as-
23722.html

Tibbs, A. 2010. Advertising. Its business, culture and careers. New York:
Routledge.

The Coca-Cola Company. 2015. Our Company. Mission, Vision and Values.URL
(consulted on 30 September 2015): http://www.coca-
colacompany.com/our-company/mission-vision-values.

The Media Network. 2013. Top Tips For Creating an Impactful Brand Experience
URL (consulted on 16 April 2015): http://www.theguardian.com/media-
network-blog/2013/aug/28/tips-creating-impactful-brand-experience

Trixstar. 2012. Experience More. URL (consulted on 1 July 2015):

http://www.trixstar.com/guerrilla-marketing-vs-experiential-marketing-
differences-overlap/

Tronchin, L. 2013. SASSI Activation. (emailed to researcher).

Tronchin, L. 2014. Zero Waste Stand at COP17. URL (consulted on 13 October

2015): http://www.derrickcapetown.com

Tyler, J. 2014. Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Proposal: Watch Couple Get Engaged
Next to Iconic Lorry in Birmingham. URL (consulted on 15 July 2015):
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/coca-cola-
christmas-truck-proposal-watch-8275128

Twitter. 2014. Coca Cola Truck. URL (Consulted on 15 July 2015):

https://twitter.com/christmastruck
 146

YouTube. 2014. Coca-Cola Hello Happiness. (consulted on 30 September 2015):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqT_dPApj9U ; URL (consulted on 5
June 2014) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlA9tXYxD8g

YouTube. 2014. The Roundabout with Jessica: Dubai: Coca-Cola: Labourers. URL
(Consulted on 5 June 2014):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9veG5fLNls

YouTube. 2013. Stimorol Monday Funday UCT Slide. URL (consulted on 11

September 2015):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10&v=xK4gmFOFdK4

YouTube. 2014. SNCF. Europe. It’s Just Next Door. URL (consulted on 3 July
2014): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGW6Rm437tE

YouTube. 2014. ABTO (Brazilian Association of Organ Transplant) Bentley

Burial. URL (consulted on 8 June 2015):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8GvaEPyX9Y

YouTube. 2015. De Beers Unbreakable Kiss. URL (consulted on 1 July 2015):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IpF1pVT4CE

UH.EDU (n.d). Jean Baudrillard. URL (consulted on 7 November 2015):

http://www.uh.edu/~cfreelan/courses/1361/BaudrillardQuotes.html

Ullmark, L. 2013. Top Tips for Creating An Impactful Brand Experience.

(consulted on 1 July 2015): http://www.theguardian.com/media-
network/media-network-blog/2013/aug/28/tips-creating-impactful-brand-
experience

University of St. Gallen. 2005. What is Design Thinking? Institute for Information
Management. URL (consulted on 21 May 2014): http://dthsg.com/what-
is-design-thinking/

U Talk Marketing. 2011. How to Use Semiotics in Branding. URL (consulted on 22

April 2014):
http://www.utalkmarketing.com/Pages/Article.aspx?ArticleID=21570&T
itle=How_to_use_semiotics_in_branding_

Vara, V. 2014. Coca-Cola’s Happiness Machines. URL (consulted on 30 September

2015): http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/coca-colas-
happiness-machines

Van Leeuwen, T. 2005. Introducing Social Semiotics. Routledge. London & New
York.
 147

Van Leeuwen, T. 2001. The Handbook of Visual Analysis. London. Sage

Publications. URL (consulted on 3 July 2014):
http://books.google.co.za/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8Bdb-
L3D1I0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=van+leeuwen%27s+social+semiotics&
ots=mjn6OmntKX&sig=tcGKrZAcPUoHPZckin7Vg-
w2yxU#v=onepage&q=van%20leeuwen's%20social%20semiotics&f=fal
se

Van der Post, L. 2010. A Computing Studio Method for Teaching Design Thinking.
URL: (consulted on 21 May 2014):
http://dspace.nmmu.ac.za:8080/jspui/handle/10948/1128

Vanninni, P. 2011. Social Semiotics – Constructing Stuff in Everyday Life. URL:

(consulted on 5 October 2014):
http://www.slideshare.net/kivilcimcinar/social-semiotics.

Venkatesh, A., Fuat Firat, A. and Dholakia, N. 1995. Marketing in a Postmodern

World. European Journal of Marketing. (29)1: 40-56. URL (consulted
on 5 November 2015):
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/0309056951007533
4

Wikipedia. 2015. Poster. URL (consulted on 2 June 2015):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poster#/media/File:Henri_de_Toulouse-
Lautrec_049.jpg

Wikipedia. 2015. Guerrilla marketing. URL (consulted on 9 July 2015):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_marketing

Williams, E. 2014. Creative Review: Ad of the Week, Tate Britain, Welcome to

London. URL (consulted on 11 June 2014):
http://creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2014/june/ad-of-the-week-tate-
britain-welcome-to-london?cmpid=crnews_335985

Wood, J.T. 2009. Communication In Our Lives, 4th ed. Belmont, CA. Thomson-
Wadsworth. URL (consulted on 30 June 2015): http://lms.oum.edu.my/e-
content/OUMH1303KDP/content/24094922OUMH1303_OralCommuni
cation_v1/OUMH1303_Topic1/OUMH1303_1_2.html#1

Wood, D.M. and Ball, K. 2013. Brandscapes of Control? Surveillance, Marketing

and the Co-construction Subjectivity and Space in Neo-liberal
Capitalism. Journal of Marketing Theory 13(1): 47-67. URL (consulted
on 25 June 2014): http://mtq.sagepub.com/content/13/1/47

Whitelocks, S. 2014. Coca-Cola Creates High-Tech ‘Invisible’ Machines. Daily

Mail. URL (consulted on 29 April 2014):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2563131/Coca-Cola-creates-
high-tech-invisible-vending-machine-seen-couples.html
 148

Xenopoulous, J. 2014. Cannes Lions 2014. Creativity at the Speed of Culture. URL
(consulted on 8 July 2014):
http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/111/115872.html

Xperia Soda Stunt. 2012. The Xperia Soda Stunt. URL (consulted on 20 June
2014): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg8aYw-ODyk

Zeman, J.J. 1964. Pierce’s Theory of Signs. URL (Consulted on 17 June 2014):
http://users.clas.ufl.edu/jzeman/peirces_theory_of_signs.htm

Zeman, J.J 1986. Peirce’s Philosophy of Logic. Transactions of the Charles S.

Peirce Society. (22)1:1-22. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. URL
(consulted on 17 June 2014):
http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/jzeman/peirces_theory_of_signs.htm#1