This master thesis aims to contribute to the available literature on how place branding can be used for enhancing local identity and how this affects audience participation, in particular: engagement on social media. The case of two campaigns of the Swedish cooperative bank Länsförsäkringar are used to demonstrate the initial hypothesis: local identity and place branding use in campaigns as part of a corporate branding strategy increases followers’ engagement and participation on social media. To that end, essential theoretical concepts in order to understand the research approach and methods are explained in the following sections. For this thesis, the encoding/decoding theory by Stuart Hall is used as theoretical framework, along with some other key theoretical aspects such as identity theory, globalization and place branding.Two different campaigns of Länsförsäkringar are analysed following a mixed approach by carrying out a visual semiotic analysis of the materials (mainly photographies, posters or videos) with an autoethnographic and constructivist perspective, and a social media analysis by looking at the engagement that those campaigns generated on Länsförsäkringar’s social media. The findings show that the use of local identities and local place branding as a corporate branding strategy impacts positively on some types of social media engagement by appealing to the online community’s common origin, heritage and geography.

Bien que le continuum discursif de l’information télévisée soit marqué par un rituel quotidien, il inscrit les événements dans différents niveaux de profondeur pathémiques. Lors de grandes catastrophes telles que le tsunami d’Asie du Sud-Est de 2004 ou le 11 septembre de 2001, le degré de profondeur atteint semble avoir cristallisé une forme particulière, que le travail de thèse désigne comme information d’urgence, à l’égard de laquelle il s’attache à dessiner les plans conceptuels et définitionnels. Majoritairement manifestée par l’immixtion massive d’images d’amateurs, l’information d’urgence installe des conditions de lecture capables d’élever le pathos à son paroxysme, sur le fond d’une vérité probatoire qui plonge ses racines dans les pratiques sociales/culturelles. Alors qu’ils filtrent la « bonne » réception de l’image, comment les signes de l’imperfectibilité (caractéristiques de ces images) arrivent-ils à renvoyer au monde naturel avec une vérité saisissante ? Comment participent-ils à l’élaboration de la visée pragmatique de l’urgence ? Constituent-ils une autonomie ? En s’appuyant sur un corpus télévisuel de différents pays (France, Portugal et États-Unis), l’exploration des éléments constitutifs de l’information d’urgence guide la réflexion au-delà de la strate sémio-textuelle, vers l’analyse du paradigme communicationnel. En conséquence, s’inscrivant dans une polyphonie sémiotique (autour du verbal, du visuel et des pratiques), cette traversée interrogera les plans d’immanence avant de conduire à une définition stable du syntagme information d’urgence / Despite being a discursive continuum, broadcasted news is marked by daily ritual; it inscribes events into various pathemic depth levels. When catastrophes such as the 2004 South-Asian tsunami or the 9/11 attacks of 2001 occur, the depth level that is reached seems to crystallize into a specific form. My thesis work has led me to conceptualize this particular form as “emergency news” (information d’urgence) and the research aims at defining its conceptual and constitutive traits.“Emergency news” is mainly characterized by a significant amount of amateur images, intermingled with standard professional images. “Emergency news” thus sets up interpretation/reception conditions which in turn are able to heighten pathos to its maximum, within a background frame consisting of a proven truth rooted into social and cultural practices. When signs of imperfection —which are characteristic of amateur images— filter the “right” image reception, how can they reflect the natural world in a strikingly realistic way? How do they contribute to the pragmatic aims of urgency and emergency? Do they work in an autonomous manner? Based on a corpus composed of broadcasted images and news reports from three different countries (France, Portugal and the United States), the exploration of the various elements constitutive of “emergency news” guides the reflexion beyond the semio-textual strata, toward the analysis of the communicational paradigm. Thus, with its inscription in semiotic polyphony (revolving around the visual, the verbal and practices), this journey will question planes of immanence before leading to a stable definition of the “emergency news” syntagm

The purpose of this reception study is to increase the understanding of how perceptions correspond between communicators and recipients regarding which feeling is perceived to engage the most in the context of sustainability communication. The theoretical frame stretches from Sara Ahmed's theory about how actions are reactions of feelings, the green gap, living in denial, Tim Jensen’s theory about environmental guilt and theories in politics that include subactivism and Chantal Mouffe's theory about the importance of an “us and them” in opposition political movements. The study also includes theories within semiotic analysis, reception analysis and Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model. The reception study is divided into two methods. The first method is a visual semiotic analysis that made it possible to find the preferred reading of the commercials. The second method is qualitative interviews which made it possible to analyse the way recipients interpret the message of the commercials. Analysing tools within reception analysis were applied to the material from the interviews with the recipients. The study also utilized a comparative analysis of interview responses between the communicators and recipients to locate possible differences in perceptions of sustainability communication.   The study's results show that positive emotions encourage recipients to maintain the already sustainable lifestyle they consider themselves to have but it also make them feel skeptical to the message. The negative emotions encourage them to make a behavior change but it also makes the recipients feel hopeless. The analysis however shows that the target group do not believe that they will make any further changes as they already believe that they are acting sustainably. The study has also identified some of the challenges that communicators face when it comes to sustainability communication. One is that the recipients respond best to the communication that they tend to avoid and another challenge is to find the balance between positive and negative emotions so that the recipient feels that the message is trustworthy. The study has also shown the importance of giving the recipients sustainable tools they feel they can act on. Dissonance between recipients and communicators regarding the sense of community has been located.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T18:18:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tarcisio de Sa Cardoso.pdf: 5324585 bytes, checksum: 0a2380896645c26954804659ea1cba01 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-14 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / This research seeks to understand the mechanisms of non-representational contemporary graphic design. The expression "non-representative" is intended to connote some kind of sign that is characterized by polysemy. In print, this aspect has insisted to emerge in many different manifestations. Despite its recurrence, this type of sign has not received the deserved attention by the scientific community, especially in regarding to the theory of signs an instrument that seems privileged to explain the functions of language presented there. Called unreadable and dysfunctional, the graphic design of David Carson, Neville Brody, Edward Fella, April Greiman and many others are still currently subject of contents. To be more specific, we may say that all post-ulmian vanguard from around the world, questions the rationality of an area so close to the arts, and represents a kind of counterpoint to the canonical approach, which from the Bauhaus and constructivism tries to articulate an exclusivist disciplinarity to the design. This objection became important especially in Europe (HOLLIS, 2001) and in the USA (MCCOY, 1990), in which new wave movement has its most characteristic representation. One of the theorists that works with the evolution of the modernist slogan form follows function, Bürdek presents the problem of function in a new outlook not anymore as an exclusively practical function, but mainly what he called a sign function. According to him, these are the most important functions for design (BÜRDEK, 2002). From this point of view, we intend to answer how these sign functions are articulated in visuality of post-modern design from the 1990s, to build communication processes that dialogue with the culture of information, or the culture in which the sign function overcome the function of use (BAUDRILLARD, 1995). Differently from the structuralist conception of the sign in Baudrillard it means by sign function, in this study, the processes that substantiate the sign according to Peirce's semiotics (on aspects of quality, existence and regularity). From this perspective, we will intend a deeping in trichotomies of visual language as presented in matrix theory of language-thought (SANTAELLA, 2005). These trichotomies will be essential to study the controversial expressions of contemporary graphic design, in order to identify what it is innovative, which is commonplace, which transcends the current publishing paradigm and what is considered, even today, polemic by the scientific community / Esta pesquisa busca entender os mecanismos não-representativos do projeto gráfico editorial contemporâneo. O neologismo ―não-representativo‖ pretende conotar certo tipo de signo que se caracteriza pela polissemia. Na mídia impressa, esse aspecto tem insistido em despontar sob as mais variadas manifestações. Apesar de sua recorrência, esse tipo de signo não tem recebido a devida atenção por parte da comunidade científica, especialmente no que diz respeito à teoria dos signos instrumento que nos parece privilegiado para explicar as funções de linguagem ali presentes. Taxados de ilegíveis e disfuncionais, os projetos gráficos de David Carson, Neville Brody, Edward Fella, April Greiman e tantos outros são, ainda hoje, motivo de discórdia. Para ser mais específico, pode-se dizer que toda a vertente vanguardista pós-ulmiana de diversas partes do mundo questiona a racionalidade de uma área tão próxima das artes e representa uma espécie de contraponto à abordagem canônica, que desde o construtivismo e a Bauhaus tenta sistematizar uma disciplinaridade exclusivista para o design. Este contraponto ganha voz especialmente na Europa (HOLLIS, 2001) e nos EUA (MCCOY, 1990), em cujo movimento new wave tem sua representação mais característica. Um dos teóricos que trabalha com a evolução do lema modernista form follows function, Bürdek apresenta o problema da função sob um novo prisma, não mais como função exclusivamente prática, mas, principalmente, naquilo que denominou funções de signo. Segundo o autor, estas são as funções mais importantes para o design (BÜRDEK, 2002). A partir disto, busca-se responder como estas funções de signo se articulam na visualidade do projeto pós-moderno, a partir da década de 1990, para a construção de processos comunicativos que dialogam com a cultura da informação, ou com a cultura em que a função de signo supera a função de uso (BAUDRILLARD, 1995). Diferentemente da concepção estruturalista do signo em Baudrillard, entende-se por função de signo, neste estudo, os processos que fundamentam o signo segundo a semiótica peirceana (sob aspectos de qualidade, existência e regularidade). A partir dessa perspectiva, buscar-se-á um aprofundamento nas tricotomias da linguagem visual tal como apresentadas na teoria das matrizes da linguagem-pensamento (SANTAELLA, 2005). Estas tricotomias serão fundamentais para estudar as controversas expressões do design gráfico contemporâneo, com o objetivo de identificar o que nela é inovador, o que é lugar-comum, o que transcende o paradigma editorial vigente e o que nela é considerado, ainda hoje, polêmico pela comunidade científica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Considering the multimodal nature of genres (KRESS; VAN LEEUWEN, 2006), the study about how the different semiotic resources articulate is essential, in the sense of motivating the development of knowledge about the semiotic resources that constitute genres, that is, critical multimodal literacy (CML). In order to understand how this knowledge is considered in the school context, the objective of this study is to verify (with focus on static imagetic semiotic resources) how textbooks (TBs) and teachers, of English and Biology, recontextualize the concept of CML. This study is based theoretically and methodologically on the Critical Genre Analysis perspective (MOTTA-ROTH, 2008a), with focus on Multimodal Discourse Analysis (KRESS; VAN LEEUWEN, 1996; 2006). The corpus of this research comprehends a) didactic activities of text comprehension and production from two TBs, one of English language (ELTB) (AGA, 2010) and one of Biology TB (BTB) (AMABIS; MARTHO, 2009), offered by PNLD; and b) interview answers from public school teachers, from Santa Maria, that adopt the selected TBs. The study followed two steps, a contextual and a textual step. In the contextual analysis, the investigation of the TBs contexts of production and distribution involved the analysis of documents related to the TBs in search for linguistic exponents that refer to visual semiotic resources. The analysis of the context of consumption comprehended teachers interviews in order to verify to what extent and how CML is approached in classroom by using TBs. In the textual analysis, we analyzed the activities instructions from the selected TBs in order to find linguistic exponents that make reference to static imagetic semiotic resources. Based on this analysis, we classified the activities according to their focus on CML knowledge that is related to the language levels. The results of the contextual analysis show that the need to consider the visual semiotic resources of texts is recognized in the TBs contexts. In the textual analysis, we verified that the ELTB activities reflect, in part, the contextual results once 50% of the activities refer to visual semiotic resources. Differently, in the BTB, these resources are referred by only 20% of the activities. Regarding the types of knowledge of CML referred by the activities from the TBs and the ones suggested by the teachers on the interviews, we identified a divergence in relation to the contexts of production and distribution: while the TBs and the interviews analysis suggest a focus on lexicogrammar and semantics and pragmatics levels, the analysis of the contexts of production and distribution reveals the focus on the ideological level. The ideological perspective, in the context of production and distribution of TBs, derives from the premise that the knowledge developed in class should not be only related to the propositional content of the area (BRASIL, 2006a; 2006b), but should be in service for an informed participation of the students in society. In this sense, this study shows the urgency of reflecting upon the material we use in class, in order to adapt it, especially considering the development of CML. / Dada a natureza multimodal dos gêneros discursivos (KRESS; van LEEUWEN, 2006), o estudo sobre como os diferentes recursos semióticos se articulam é essencial no sentido de motivar o desenvolvimento de conhecimentos em relação aos recursos semióticos que constituem os gêneros, ou seja, de letramento multimodal crítico (LMC). No intuito de entender como esses conhecimentos são abordados no contexto escolar, o objetivo deste estudo é verificar (com foco nos recursos semióticos imagéticos estáticos) como livros didáticos (LDs) e professores, de inglês e de biologia, recontextualizam o conceito de LMC. Este trabalho tem como base teórica e metodológica a Análise Crítica de Gênero (MOTTA-ROTH, 2008a), com foco na Análise do Discurso Multimodal (KRESS; van LEEUWEN, 2006). O corpus desta pesquisa compreende: a) atividades didáticas de compreensão e produção textual de dois LDs, um de inglês (LDI) e um de biologia (LDB), oferecidos pelo PNLD; e b) respostas a entrevistas de professores de escolas públicas estaduais de Santa Maria, que adotam os LDs selecionados. O estudo se deu em duas etapas: uma contextual e uma textual. Na etapa contextual, a investigação do contexto de produção e de distribuição envolveu a análise de documentos referentes aos LDs em busca de índices linguísticos que se referem a recursos semióticos visuais. A análise do contexto de consumo dos LDs compreendeu entrevistas com professores, no intuito de verificar em que medida e como o LMC é abordado em sala de aula por meio de LDs. Na etapa textual, analisamos os enunciados das atividades didáticas de ambos os LDs a fim de encontrar expoentes linguísticos que fizessem referência a recursos semióticos imagéticos estáticos. A partir dessa verificação, classificamos as atividades de acordo com seu enfoque aos conhecimentos de LMC, que estão relacionados aos estratos linguísticos. Os resultados contextuais apontam que a necessidade de se considerar os recursos semióticos visuais dos textos é reconhecida nos contextos dos LDs. Na análise textual, verificamos que as atividades do LDI refletem, em parte, os resultados da análise contextual, uma vez que 50% das atividades se refere a recursos semióticos visuais. Diferentemente, no LDB, esses recursos são abordados em apenas 20% das atividades. Com relação aos tipos de conhecimentos de LMC abordados pelas atividades dos LDs e pelas atividades sugeridas pelos professores, identificamos uma divergência com relação à análise do contexto de produção e de distribuição: enquanto a análise dos LDs e das entrevistas sugerem um foco nos estratos da lexicogramática e da semântica e pragmática, as análises do contexto de produção e de distribuição revelam o foco no estrato ideológico. Essa perspectiva ideológica, em documentos do contexto de produção e distribuição dos LDs, deriva da premissa de que os conhecimentos desenvolvidos em sala de aula não deveriam estar atrelados apenas ao conteúdo proposicional da área (BRASIL, 2006a; 2006b), mas estar a serviço de uma participação informada do aluno na sociedade. Este estudo, portanto, evidencia a urgência de se refletir sobre o material didático que utilizamos em sala de aula, de modo a adaptá-lo, principalmente no que diz respeito ao desenvolvimento de LMC.

Abstracts in English and Afrikaans / The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the underlying meanings of Old Mutual South Africa’s (OMSA’s) CSR 2.0 corporate advertisements. It specifically examined the underlying myths and ideologies conveyed through the texts. This qualitative study was conducted by means of a visual semiotic analysis (Machin 2012) on eight CSR 2.0 corporate advertisements, which were purposively selected. A theoretical framework to measure visual CSR 2.0 corporate advertisements was developed, which aided in the sampling, data analysis and interpretation processes. The findings of the study indicated that by positioning its CSR 2.0 positively in terms of change and transformation, progress and equal opportunities for all citizens, OMSA is fostering stakeholder-organisation relationships. In addition, it was also found that OMSA adopts established representational tropes of CSR 2.0 and use them repetitively that firmly entrenches the intended/encoded message to the viewer. / Die doel van hierdie verkennende studie was om die onderliggende betekenis van CSR 2.0 korporatiewe advertensies in Ou Mutual Suid-Afrika te ondersoek. Dit is spesifiek gemoeid met die onderliggende mites en ideologieë wat deur middel van die tekste oorgedra word. Die kwalitatiewe studie is uitgevoer deur middel van 'n visuele semiotiese ontleding (Machin 2012) op agt CSR 2.0 korporatiewe advertensies, wat doelbewus gekies is. 'n Teoretiese raamwerk, om visuele CSR 2.0 korporatiewe advertensies te meet, is ontwikkel, dit het bygedra tot die steekproefneming, data-analise en interpretasie prosesse. Die bevindinge van die studie dui daarop dat deur CSR 2.0 positief in terme van verandering en transformasie, vooruitgang, en gelyke geleenthede vir alle burgers te posisioneer, OMSA verhoudings met belanghebbendes kan bevorder. Daarbenewens is ook gevind dat OMSA gevestigde temas van CSR 2.0 implementeer en hulle herhaaldelik gebruik wat juis die beoogde / gekodeerde boodskap stewig aan die kyker bevestig. / Communication Science / M. A. (Communication Science)