Question

Topic: Student Questions

Dissertation Advice Semiotics+branding+motorcycles

Posted by Anonymous on 11/15/2014 at 3:04 PM ET 250 Points
Hi everyone,

My name is Adrian. I am a 3rd year management undergraduate student looking for some advice in regards to my dissertation.

As the title suggests, I have got a vague idea of the areas of marketing I’d like to research which are semiotics and branding. Broadly speaking, I have always been interesting in the psychological/social/philosophical side of marketing. Being a motorcycle enthusiast I thought of applying semiotics and branding to the motorcycle industry. I thought I could carry out my primary research at bike gatherings and therefore combine pleasure with work.

I am unclear of what exactly my dissertation will prove/state/find out etc. I would really appreciate any advice on how to become unstuck and how to gel these 3 areas together. So far I have come up with the following question: Young adult/(Comparison of biker and non-biker) semiotic perceptions of the big/US/Japanese/European) motorcycle brands.

Marketing semiotics is, put simply, the science of signs. Semiotic analysis can also be used as a tool for uncovering the meaning of symbols that can be used to find strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps I could look into uncovering the 'drives' and desires behind why people look at certain things and why and how they affect them. Why certain riders go for certain brands (ie. Harley, ducati, Honda) etc.

I also thought of using semiotics (not sure how yet) to analyse how the different motorcycle manufacturers design their brands. Triumph, Harley and Honda all have wings in their emblems so I could perhaps look into what each logo represent to riders.

I also thought I could relate semiotics to the 4 P's of marketing: Price, Promotion, Place, Product and come to some sort of conclusion into how semiotics affect every single one of these. For example, would we pay more for a Honda because of the logo? Is there something in the logo that states reliability or quality?

I hope I'm not wasting anyone’s time here. I feel really stuck and confused. Maybe more than I actually am...

I look forward to hearing your opinions.

Thank you.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by mgoodman on 11/15/2014 at 6:00 PM Accepted
    One thing that comes to mind is that brand perception, or image, is a function of many different things, and it exists independently in each person's mind. One person might see a wing symbol and think of angels, while another person may have been harmed in some way by a brand that includes a wing (symbol) and might see that same symbol as a foreboding or evil marker.

    Similarly, if you've had a good experience with, say, customer service at a particular company you may ascribe positive feelings toward its logo -- even though there is no direct connection between the logo and the customer service function at that company.

    You might consider showing several [motorcycle] logos to two groups of people -- motorcycle enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts. Then ask each one a series of questions about the brands based on seeing the logos. To make it more interesting, perhaps you include one bogus logo that includes some element(s) of other logos, but is not actually a real logo of any known company. This way you will be able to determine the effect of non-symbolic impressions with those impacted heavily by symbols.

    And you can find half your respondents -- motorcycle enthusiasts -- at your next bike gathering.

    It's unlikely you will discover any remarkable truths, but it will be interesting and it will demonstrate your ability to think through -- and implement -- a market research study.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 11/15/2014 at 6:57 PM Accepted
    Perhaps instead of using semiotics to focus on logos, focus on the structural elements of the motorcycle - and how they "read" to your audience. Maybe some people are brand-purists, while others are agnostic. But how they choose a model of bike may be a great way to match personality/psychology to design.
  • Posted on 11/26/2014 at 5:43 PM Author
    Thank you for your replies. Some very interesting ideas which I will definitely consider. I find applying semiotics pretty difficult since is such a broad subject. There's no framework I could apply to let's say an actual motorcycle or a brand.
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