Department of Information Science

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Browsing Department of Information Science by Subject "Advertising"

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    The application of sense-making theory to advertising : an exploratory case study
    (2003-12) Watson, James Alexander; Kinghorn, J.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of the study was to investigate the controlled transfer of meaning that could be facilitated by the application of knowledge of sense-making theory. An object of communication, an advertisement, was consciously constructed on the basis of sense-making principles. An application of knowledge of sense making was then employed to assess the reception of the advertisement by a selected sample of respondents. The decision to select advertising as the choice of medium for the study stemmed from the increasing levels of criticism directed at this form of communication as a result of its frequent failure to deliver intended benefits for its sponsors. The intended benefits relate to the transfer of meaning that would prompt recipients of advertising messages to take an action that would be of value to the advertiser. More specific criticisms have centred on the failure of a growing number of advertising messages to deliver meaningful benefits as a result of their lack of relevance for the intended recipients of these communications. A call for a shift in mind-set away from traditional linear models currently employed to facilitate the design of advertising messages has prompted a growing recognition of the need to employ a more empathetic approach that would facilitate a positive interaction between an advertiser and a target audience. The emergence of what has been termed experiential marketing communications has advocated a view that advertising communications can promote stronger allegiances between organisations and their customers by the inclusion of meaningful sensory associations for recipients. This view, together with the insights revealed by those working in the field of sense making, suggested that the incorporation of sense-making theory could well accommodate the paradigm shift that has been called for in the design of advertising communications. The views and insights outlined above prompted the development of an advertisement that sought to incorporate sense-making theory into its construction. The requirement to allow for the transfer of intended meaning in the advertisement was facilitated by incorporating frames and cues, the design of which sought to assist in the resolution of equivocality and enable respondents to bridge cognitive gaps. The investigation took the form of an exploratory case study. The advertisement, constructed on the basis of sense-making theory, represented the control element of the study. In-depth interviews were conducted amongst grade 12 learners selected on the basis of their matching the target audience for which the advertisement had been designed. The semi-structured nature of the interviews followed a format that allowed for a comparison to be made between the intended input of meaning and the decoding of responses relating to the advertisement. Results indicated that there was a transfer of intended meanings incorporated into the advertisement as indicated in the decoded responses of respondents. These positive findings tend to indicate that a conscious application of sense-making theory to the construction of advertising messages could enhance their effectiveness.
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    Bekende gebeurtenisse as oorredingsmeganismes in advertensietekste
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005-03) Evenhuis, Nanette; De Stadler, L. G.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences . Dept. of Information Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Olympic games as world known sports event has been used in many advertisements by companies to sell their products. Many South Africans are motivated through effective marketing to buy a certain product or have a positive attitude towards a certain company, for the pure reason that the marketing campaign had the Olympic games as theme. I looked into this interesting phenomenon!