A deeper understanding of how consumers think, feel and act is vital to the success of management and provides valuable information for managerial decision making in many areas of marketing. One key to this understanding is brand knowledge. Customer brand knowledge is the representation of a brand in consumers' minds. This thesis focuses on a visual-based view stating that brand knowledge is rather image-based as opposed to word-based. Unfortunately, a substantial amount of relevant knowledge within consumers' minds is unconscious and cannot be retrieved, accessed and recalled by customers. As a consequence, certain methods of retrieval are required, such as projective techniques. The method this thesis works with is the collage technique, an expressive projective method.
This diploma thesis creates a multi-layered approach that facilitates the interpretation of collages without the need of any additional information given by the participants, based on metaphor analysis, color theory, a communication model and structural analysis.
The thesis answers following research questions:
- Is it possible to interpret collages without any additional information from respondents?
- What information can be gained from this interpretation?
- Are there any differences between the results of visual and verbal analysis?
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Problem statement
- Aim of the thesis
- Outlook
- Accessing and retrieving brand knowledge
- Assumptions on brand knowledge representation
- It is all about representations
- Consumer memory
- Brand knowledge structures
- Consumers think visually
- Challenges in retrieving brand knowledge
- Overview
- Heuristics and biases
- Brand knowledge retrieval
- Qualitative research
- Projective techniques
- Verbal methods
- Nonverbal methods
- Characteristics and applications of collages in marketing
- History of collages
- Characteristics, advantages and limitations of collages
- Collages applied in marketing
- Assumptions on brand knowledge representation
- Analyzing visually retrieved brand knowledge
- Understanding the meaning of signs: semiotics and hermeneutics
- Semiotics
- Hermeneutics
- Metaphor analysis in interpreting collages
- Metaphors as cognitive constructs
- Metaphors versus image schemata
- Types of image schemata
- Visual metaphors as sources of brand knowledge
- Color theory in interpreting collages
- What colors reveal about customers
- Same color, different meaning
- White-the "godlike" color
- Black - the "negative" color
- Red the color of fire
- Blue - the color of infinite dimensions
- Gray the "boring" color
- Green the color of life
- Yellow - the "sunny” color
- A communication psychological view on collages
- Structural analysis of collages
- Understanding the meaning of signs: semiotics and hermeneutics
- Empirical study
- Data collection and sample
- Data analysis
- Empathy and mentalizing as justification for this work
- The multi-layered interpretation process
- Metaphor analysis – method and procedure
- Color theory method and procedure
- Communication model – method and procedure
- Structural analysis – method and procedure
- Cross validation procedure
- Findings and results
- Interpretation of collages and interviews by the researcher
- Information gained from metaphor analysis of collages
- Information gained from color theory in collages
- Information gained from communication model
- Information gained from structural analysis
- Information gained from metaphor analysis of interviews
- Differences in results between collages and interviews
- Discussion
- Managerial implications and future research
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis aims to assess visually expressed brand knowledge using collages as a research method. It explores how consumers visually represent their understanding of brands and investigates the effectiveness of collages in retrieving and analyzing this knowledge. * Visual representation of brand knowledge * Methodology for analyzing collages * Application of semiotics and hermeneutics in brand research * Interpretation of visual metaphors and color symbolism * Consumer perception and brand understandingZusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Introduction: This chapter sets the stage for the thesis by outlining the problem of accessing and interpreting visually expressed brand knowledge. It establishes the research objective, which is to investigate the use of collages as a method for understanding this knowledge. The chapter also provides a brief overview of the structure and content of the following chapters, highlighting the key research questions and methodology. Accessing and retrieving brand knowledge: This chapter delves into the theoretical foundations of brand knowledge, exploring how consumers access, store, and retrieve this information. It examines various models of consumer memory and brand knowledge structures, with a particular focus on visual representation. It highlights the challenges of accessing brand knowledge, including the influence of heuristics and biases, and introduces projective techniques, particularly collages, as effective tools for accessing implicit brand knowledge. Analyzing visually retrieved brand knowledge: This chapter introduces the methodological framework for analyzing the collages created by participants. It establishes the theoretical underpinnings for interpretation, drawing on semiotics and hermeneutics to understand the meaning behind visual elements. Significant emphasis is placed on metaphor analysis, color theory, and communication psychology as tools for interpreting the symbolism and meaning embedded within the collages. The chapter provides a detailed explanation of the analytical processes involved in each of these techniques. Empirical study: This chapter details the empirical research conducted as part of the thesis. It describes the data collection method and the characteristics of the sample population. It presents a detailed description of the data analysis techniques that are used, such as metaphor analysis, color theory, and structural analysis, clarifying how the data was analyzed and interpreted for each collage and the accompanying interviews. The chapter concludes by presenting a summary of the findings based on the analysis of these collages and interviews.Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Brand knowledge, visual communication, collages, projective techniques, semiotics, hermeneutics, metaphor analysis, color theory, consumer memory, qualitative research, brand perception, visual representation.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview
What is the overall topic of this thesis?
This thesis investigates visually expressed brand knowledge, focusing on how consumers visually represent their understanding of brands and utilizing collages as a research method to access and analyze this knowledge.
What are the main objectives of this research?
The primary objective is to assess visually expressed brand knowledge using collages. The research explores how consumers visually represent their brand understanding and investigates the effectiveness of collages in retrieving and analyzing this knowledge. Key themes include visual representation of brand knowledge, methodology for analyzing collages, the application of semiotics and hermeneutics, interpretation of visual metaphors and color symbolism, and consumer perception and brand understanding.
What methods are used to collect and analyze data?
The research uses collages as a projective technique to gather data on consumers' visual representation of brand knowledge. Data analysis involves several methods: semiotic and hermeneutic analysis to understand the meaning of visual elements; metaphor analysis to interpret the symbolism in the collages; color theory to analyze the meaning of colors used; communication psychology to understand the communication aspects of the collages; and structural analysis to examine the overall composition of the collages. Interviews accompany the collages to provide further insight.
What theoretical frameworks are employed in this study?
The study draws upon several theoretical frameworks, including consumer memory models, brand knowledge structures, semiotics (the study of signs and symbols), hermeneutics (the theory of interpretation), metaphor analysis, and color theory. These frameworks guide the interpretation of the visual data collected through the collages.
How are collages used in this research?
Collages serve as a projective technique, allowing participants to visually express their brand knowledge in a less structured and more revealing way than traditional methods. They provide a rich source of data for analyzing implicit brand associations and understanding how consumers perceive brands visually.
What are the key findings and results of the study?
The chapter detailing the empirical study presents findings based on the analysis of the collages and accompanying interviews. The results are categorized by analysis method (metaphor analysis, color theory, communication model, structural analysis), comparing results from the collages and interviews to identify differences in how brand knowledge is expressed through these two methods.
What are the managerial implications and future research directions?
The thesis concludes with a discussion of the managerial implications of the findings, suggesting how businesses can utilize the insights gained to improve their brand strategies. It also outlines potential avenues for future research, indicating areas where further investigation could build upon this work.
What are the key chapters of the thesis and what do they cover?
The thesis is structured into several key chapters: An introduction outlining the research problem and objectives; a chapter on accessing and retrieving brand knowledge, exploring theoretical foundations and methodologies; a chapter on analyzing visually retrieved brand knowledge, detailing the analytical frameworks; an empirical study chapter presenting data collection, analysis, and results; a discussion chapter; and a conclusion summarizing managerial implications and future research directions.
What are the keywords associated with this thesis?
Brand knowledge, visual communication, collages, projective techniques, semiotics, hermeneutics, metaphor analysis, color theory, consumer memory, qualitative research, brand perception, visual representation.
- Quote paper
- Philipp Pachler (Author), 2010, How collages reveal your deepest thoughts, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/194454
