The intermingling of meanings in marketing: semiology and phenomenology in consumer culture theory

Abstract

This paper explores the construction of meaning in consumer culture through a synthesis of two scholarly streams within the Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) body of knowledge: semiology and phenomenology. Semiology represents consumer culture as a web of meanings-studying cultural meanings as socially agreed-upon structures. By contrast, phenomenology represents the interpretation and personalization of cultural meanings by consumers-focusing on meanings that emerge from individual lived experience. Combining these two approaches results in a framework that excavates meanings at both the cultural level and the individual level, inviting them into a figure-ground relationship. This relationship between levels of analysis illuminates how meaning in consumer culture is constructed, and how cultural meanings come to constitute a sense of normalcy in modern societies. As all marketing activity is culturally situated, understanding meaning in consumer culture provides an alternative way to understand value in marketing. Keywords Consumer culture theory • Marketing meanings • Phenomenology • Semiology • ValueConsumer culture is a web of meanings. Meanings are sensemaking devices that communicate and orient individuals' interpretations of text, concepts, and actions. In marketing, meanings provide sense-making orientations in contexts of marketplace exchange and drive both firm and consumer behavior (Kadirov & Varey, 2011;Pinson, 1998). In modern societies, meaning can hardly be separated from marketplace activity (Slater, 2015).Given the influence of meaning in marketing, how can marketers develop an understanding of meanings in consumer culture? Where do these meanings come from, and how do meanings evolve (or not) over time? Such questions require an understanding of how cultural meaning is constructed. And questions of meaning in marketing are perfectly suited for the work of Consumer Culture Theory.Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) "refers to a family of theoretical perspectives that address the dynamic relationship between consumer actions, the marketplace, and cultural meanings" (Arnould & Thompson, 2005: 868). CCT research

Experiencing the sense of the brand: the mining, processing and application of brand data through sensory brand experiences

“…First, it offers a framework that directly responds to calls for research (Zha et al, 2020;Zha et al, 2021a), encompassing an end-to-end conceptualisation of the multiple processes underpinning the SBE phenomenon. Second, it extends previous research in SBE-related study, proposing a multi-paradigmatic approach based on three key theoretical perspectives: embodiment (Lakoff and Johnson, 2020), ecological (Borghini et al, 2020) and phenomenological (Grace, 2021), which enrich our understanding of a compound concept like SBE. Third, it contributes to the growing body of research on SBE by alerting firms to the efficacy of sensory-based engagement with customers.…”

“…For example, regarding sensory marketing, Krishna and Schwarz (2014) highlighted the role of SBE to appeal to customers’ senses subconsciously from an embodiment perspective. Regarding atmospheric literature, however, Roggeveen et al (2020) consider SBE to be the interaction of customers with its environmental stimuli in a retail setting from an ecological perspective, while branding research largely focusses on the role of consumer subjectivities and brand meaning in an SBE from existential-phenomenology perspectives (Grace, 2021). Accordingly, there is a lack of research that integrates the different approaches of SBE, one that can reinforce the unique characteristics of the SBE phenomenon, including its nature and its multiple processes as a stand-alone concept.…”

Proceedings of the 17th International Research Symposium on Service Excellence in Management - QUIS17

“…CCT allows researchers to explore consumption of to name a few; objects, place, person, time, and even service from the perspective of particular socio-cultural systems and actors from within its broader sociohistorical and cultural context (Joy and Li, 2012;Arnould and Thompson, 2018). CCT explores the 'web of meanings' (Grace, 2021) which is vital in marketing as it provides a direction that drives both firm and consumer behaviour in a marketplace exchange (Kadirov and Varey, 2011). As a result, the theoretical and methodological perspectives employed through CCT enable researchers to demonstrate how meaning is constructed, and importantly, how these collective meanings in consumption help to shape a subculture or a market in modern societies.…”

Making sense of sensory brand experience: Constructing an integrative framework for future research

“…The phenomenological perspective focuses on experiences that are grounded in the subjective lifeworld (e.g. needs, desires, motivations or fantasies) of the consumer (Grace, 2021). Among the many strands of phenomenological studies, existential phenomenology serves as a guiding perception in the SBE literature.…”

“…of the consumer (Grace, 2021) Approach SBE as a phenomenological process Provides a better understanding of the role of consumer subjectivities in SBE (Dolbec & Chebat, 2013;Kumar & Kaushik, 2020;Thomson et al, 2006) View SBE as brand-related construct influencing the transfer of brand branding Brand-self connection (Cheng et al, 2012) Self-extension projects (Tian & Belk, 2005) Consumer brand relationship (Fournier & Alvarez, 2019) conceptualization of SBE requires a multi-paradigmatic approach and mindset. To understand the complex layers of knowledge underlying the SBE construct, the next section presents the approach and method used to investigate the foundational knowledge of SBE literature to identify potential directions for future research (Kuhn, 1996).…”