A semiotic analysis of nostalgia as a connection to the past

Abstract

Purpose -Based on Greimas' contributions in 2002 and on qualitative research, this paper aims to focus on a semiotic analysis of the meaning of nostalgia related to products and brands. Design/methodology/approach -This paper involves a two-stage interview process. Informants were interviewed first in T1 (July-August 2005) about products and brands connected to nostalgic feelings. They were re-interviewed a year after in T2 (June-July 2006). Pictures of products and brands evoked in T1 were shown and informants where asked what came to mind when they where exposed to such material. Based on the transcription of the interviews, a three-step content analysis was performed: a first reading of the corpus made it possible to identify the two dimensions of time that structure the informant's discourse: "continuity" and "discontinuity". Then a lexical analysis of the vocabulary associated with nostalgic experience was computed. Finally, a semiotic analysis of the texts was performed. Findings -The two opposing dimensions of a semiotic square, "continuity" versus "discontinuity" provide a structure for understanding the most important features of nostalgia: "long-standing nostalgia" (continuity) and "first-time nostalgia" (discontinuity). This provides a typology of four nostalgic moments: everyday past, uniqueness, tradition and transition which are linked to specific brands and objects. Research limitations/implications -Since this typology is qualitative, it must be confirmed on a larger scale in order to be implemented by managers in the marketing decision-making process. Originality/value -These four distinct moments enable a researcher to propose a typology of brands, products or objects that when considered in association, can provide a better understanding of emotional attachment.

What's left behind: Identity continuity moderates the effect of nostalgia on well-being and life choices.

“…This emotion can be experienced about a range of targets, including individuals, groups, animals, events, places, and periods of time (see Kessous & Roux, 2008;Wildschut et al, 2006; Studies 1 and 2). As a result, nostalgia can be differentiated from more specific emotions such as homesickness for a place.…”

I love to hate you: Loyalty for disliked brands and the role of nostalgia

“…However, a critical analysis of our findings suggests a potential contribution to the literature in terms of the relationship between nostalgia and loyalty. Nostalgia literature has a long tradition in disciplines such as sociology (Davis, 1979;Stauth and Turner, 1988;Bartmanski, 2011), psychology (Ross, 1991), politics and history (Riabchuk, 2009;Lee, 2011;Fletcher, 2012), semiotics (Kessous and Roux, 2008), design (Huppatz, 2009;Leaver and Schmidt, 2010) and tourism (Vesey and Dimanche, 2003;Ritchie and Adair, 2004;Russel, 2008). However, its popularity in marketing is confined to recent decades, particularly following the work of Holbrook and his colleagues in 90s (for example, Holbrook, 1989;Holbrook and Schindler, 1991;Stern, 1992;Holbrook, 1993;Goulding, 1999;Sierra and McQuitty, 2007).…”

Figuring home: the role of commodities in the transnational experience

“…Food brands have also been found to be often associated with nostalgia, with rooting in the past (Kessous & Roux, 2008).…”

“…Further exploration of this aspect is provided by Schembri et al (2010) who investigate how brand consumption contributes to the construction of the self. Highlighting the fact that 'while an iconic interrelationship is described as aspirational, an indexical interrelationship is considered historical in nature, linked to past consumption experiences' (Schembri et al, 2010, p. 633 Beverland & Farrelly (2010): link to selfprojecting goals Grayson & Shulman (2000): "contamination" Kessous & Roux (2008) Carroll & Ahuvia (2006): brand love implications for the marketplace and in particular for the marketing of brands which can tap successfully into 'the experiential meaning that brands have for consumers in constructing the self' (Schembri et al, 2010, p. 633).…”

“…A number of studies investigating human relationships with cherished possessions and more generally with objects and goods selected for consumption adopt or refer to a semiotic approach to interpret the active construction of that aspect of social reality (Davies & Fitchett, 2004;Grayson & Shulman, 2000;Kessous & Roux, 2008;Schembri, Merrilees, & Kristiansen, 2010). Out of the three modes of relationship between the sign vehicle and the signified in the triadic model of the sign in Peircean semiotics Á symbolic, iconic and indexical Á the indexical mode seems the most potent for an investigation of the link between object, subject and origin as a direct connection or co-occurrence is entailed to release meaning as 'an indexical sign is ''like a fragment torn away from the object''' (Pierce as cited by Chandler, 2002, p. 42).…”