Introduction
Semiotics theory is a term that represents the use of a signifier; such as an object, image, or word, to refer to another object or concept. It can be applied in different fields such as graphic design, which is defined as the art of creating combinations from words and images to communicate an idea or concept to an audience. In this literature review, two articles will be examined in terms of how graphic designers could use Semiotics theory to enhance their communication through design. Accordingly, one of the concepts of Semiotics theory that help designers succeed in delivering messages is to understand the cultural backgrounds and values of their audience.
Literature
In their article “Reactions to Nonconformity Imagery in Advertising Among Chinese and Japanese Consumers: The Effect of Personal and National Cultural Tightness,” Youn, Park, and Eom (2019) discussed the standards and the cultural tightness and looseness in Chinese and Japanese societies and how the advertising industry is affected by it. For instance, Youn, et al. (2019) reported that “[the] research…shows that the nonconformity effect is culturally sensitive and dependent on personal [mindsets]” (p. 546). This quote shows that the impact of nonconformity imagery is determined by personal cultural values. Therefore, designers should consider these differences in societies when creating advertisements. Furthermore, Youn, et al. (2019) stated that “global marketers of luxury brands using messages of nonconformity may need to modify the content of their ads to appeal to local consumers in a more culturally appropriate way” (p. 547). Finally, Youn, et al. (2019) claimed that “the managerial contributions of the present research include a deeper understanding of nuanced cultural differences in behaviors between Japanese and Chinese consumers and useful guidelines to help marketers build effective advertising strategies with high cultural fit” (p. 547). These quotes show that a precise understanding of consumers’ complex cultural differences is necessary as it helps in creating successful advertisements that are culturally appropriate.
In their article “White or Tan? A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Skin Beauty Advertisements Between China and the United States,” Xie and Zhang (2013) discussed the cultural differences in skin beauty advertisements (SBAs) between China and the United States. According to Xie and Zhang (2013), “[due to] comparing [the two countries’] print advertisements of skin beauty products in Vogue and Cosmopolitan magazines…the current study explores the cultural differences in ideal skin beauty with the focus on skin tone or complexion” (p. 549). Xie and Zhang (2013) explained that “consumers from different cultural backgrounds may have different levels of acceptance and attitudes towards standardization and localization strategies in advertising” (p. 551). Xie and Zhang (2013) also acknowledged that “the main purpose of the study is to explore the cultural differences in ideal skin beauty between the two countries as they are reflected and reproduced in skin beauty advertising” (p. 539). The stated quotes represent how the study examines the cultural variations in ideal skin appearance and skin tone for each country. The comprehension of each culture’s preferences is an essential process for designers to succeed in delivering messages.
Compare and Contrast
The two listed articles, “white or tan” and “nonconformity imagery”, contain several similarities between them. First, both articles studied Western cultures in comparison to East Asian cultures and examined the differences and similarities between them. Second, both articles focused on culture and how it affects advertisements’ strategies and consumer reactions. Third, both articles concluded that gender norms and social standards play a crucial role in East Asian cultures specifically as reflected in their advertisements. Fourth, the focus of both articles’ methodologies was on advertisements in graphic design as they considered different advertisements that support each research. Finally, both articles studied the representation of each culture in advertisements on local and global levels.
Although the articles contained a lot of similarities, many differences were found as well. To begin with, the “white or tan” article discussed the differences between the Chinese and American cultures only, while the “nonconformity imagery” article studied the differences between the Chinese, American, and Japanese cultures. Moreover, in terms of methodology, the “white or tan” article was limited to studying the differences and similarities of each culture through examining two different magazines: Cosmopolitan and Vogue. On the other hand, the methodology of the “nonconformity imagery” article included testing two different advertisements of luxurious brands, one containing conformity imagery and the other containing nonconformity imagery. The advertisements were then posted on social media to get consumers’ feedback. Finally, the mediums of the examined advertisements in the two articles were different. The “white or tan” article was limited to magazine advertisements while the “nonconformity imagery” article used different forms of advertisements such as social media posts.
Limitation
Youn, et al. (2019) carried several limitations in their article “Reactions to Nonconformity Imagery in Advertising Among Chinese and Japanese Consumers: The Effect of Personal and National Cultural Tightness,” which affected the results of the study but still maintained the importance and value of the statistics that it has provided. Initially, instead of directly measuring self-reported country-level tightness, they relied on previous studies that show higher cultural tightness in Japan than in China at the national level, which resulted in no confirmation on whether country-level tightness is indeed perceived to be higher among Japanese consumers than Chinese consumers. Those differences affected the results of nonconformity in studied advertisements. However, they found a significant moderating effect of national-level tightness using the country dummy variable: China versus Japan. Secondly, in this research, they only used luxury brand advertisements and fashion items as stimuli, which limited their results. Therefore, they observed significant effects in China only. However, they could have researched non-luxury brand advertisements or collected different product categories as stimuli to provide additional support for the research findings as well as get broader and clearer results. Nevertheless, the research is still applicable because it does speak of many different ad examples, including Gucci, Bentley, Sisley, and Dolce & Gabbana, which are well-known luxury brands. Finally, this study was conducted and analyzed among Japanese and Chinese consumers only. The results and effects of personal tightness could have been more nuanced if data were collected from different subcultures within a nation, such as Japanese Americans and Chinese Americans in the United States or Japanese and Chinese consumers living in Taiwan. Even so, they still ended up finding important and useful information.
Similar to the first article, the second article by Xie and Zhang (2013) “White or Tan? A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Skin Beauty Advertisements Between China and the United States” had some limitations as well, however the study is still useful and applicable. The article was full of comparisons, statistics, and strategies, which made understanding the article more complicated for non-traders and non-businessmen. Nevertheless, due to the proof and clarification of these figures and statistics for the outputs of this study, the article remains suitable. Furthermore, the research focused on printed advertisements in the two major women’s magazines of the United States: Vogue and Cosmopolitan, which limited the researchers in the scope of the study. However, the study is still informative and beneficial for designers, advertising strategists, and market investors.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the viewed articles used one of the concepts of Semiotics theory, which is understanding the audiences’ cultures and principles. The first article, “Reactions to Nonconformity Imagery in Advertising Among Chinese and Japanese Consumers: The Effect of Personal and National Cultural Tightness,” Youn, et al. (2019) studied the cultural tightness and looseness in Chinese and Japanese societies. The article agrees with the thesis through the given example of how designers had to understand the Chinese and Japanese cultural values first to create appropriate successful advertisements for each country. The second article, “White or tan? A cross-cultural analysis of skin beauty advertisements between China and the United States” Xie and Zhang (2013) discussed and researched the cultural differences between China and the United States regarding their skin beauty advertisements. The article agrees with the thesis because of how designers researched and analyzed the cultural differences between China and the United States to compare their beauty ideals. In the end, all countries have similarities and differences, and that applies to ideals, standards, and cultures. After examining the two articles, it was concluded that the designers’ knowledge of cultural values along with the use of correct cultural elements in graphic design is essential, as it plays a huge role in persuading audiences and creating successful advertisements.
References
Barnard, M. (2013). Graphic Design as Communication. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
Smith, K., Moriarty, S., Barbatsis, G., & Kenny, K. (Eds.). (2005). Visual Semiotics Theory. In Handbook of Visual Communication (Theory, Method, and Media). Retrieved from https://books.google.com.sa/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vqHbCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA227&dq=semiotic theory definition&ots=OeB7uvLCFv&sig=8cLzz7izVOX8uYF4kHiQ91Tka4U&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=true
Xie, Q. (Vivi), & Zhang, M. (2013). White or tan? A cross-cultural analysis of skin beauty advertisements between China and the United States. Asian Journal of Communication, 23(5), 538–554. https://doi-org.sdl.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/01292986.2012.756046
Youn, N., Park, J., & Eom, H. J. (2019). Reactions to Nonconformity Imagery in Advertising among Chinese and Japanese Consumers: The Effect of Personal and National Cultural Tightness. Journal of Advertising, 48(5), 532–554. https://doi-org.sdl.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/00913367.2019.1674754
