Do brand names have an iconic function, or are they rather arbitrary, just like Saussure claimed concerning linguistic signs in general? And if they have an iconic function, does the iconicity of brand names serve its purpose, i.e. do the icons transport the connotation they are supposed to? These questions are going to be answered in this paper with the single focus on phonetic phenomena.
“Linguistics and semiotics still labor under the shadow of Saussure (1916), even though throughout the 20th century there have been repeated demonstrations that arbitrariness is quite limited”. With this statement, Waugh (1992:7) gets to the heart of a problem which is by far not new but still current. While Saussure worked out the relationship between 'signified' and 'signifier', i.e. between an object and its sign, as arbitrary and therefore totally insignificant, no small number of scientists back the assumption that there are indeed certain meanings behind morphological and phonetic symbols, what builds the base for the entire study of iconicity. Iconicity itself is defined as the connection between an object and its linguistic sign, which is called an 'icon' or 'iconic sign' if the relationship between this object and its sign “depends on similarity […] or on some relation analogous to similarity” (Hilpinen 2012:267). An icon might include a proper description of the object and therefore transport a certain denotation for exactly this object. This paper, however, makes brands and their iconic (or non-iconic) names a subject of discussion. Brand names are, for certain reasons, by no means denotations, i.e. they do not 'describe' the object, but are supposed to transport a meaning which is of importance for the consumer, and therefore supposed to trigger special connotations with the brand. In other words, the connection between brand name and connotation is important rather than the connection between brand name and product.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Iconicity in brand names – a literature review
2.1 Special phonetic patterns and what they express
2.2 The role of the recipient
3 Methodology
4 Results
4.1 Findings for Spanish-Italian, French and Latin patterns
4.2 Findings for clusters
4.3 Findings for single phonemes
5 Discussion
6 Conclusion
7 Bibliography
7.1 Primary sources
7.2 Secondary sources
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper examines whether brand names function as phonetic icons and if these iconic properties effectively convey intended connotations to consumers. Through an analysis of selected brand names and their corresponding TV advertisements, the research investigates the relationship between phonetic symbolism and consumer perception, testing if specific sound patterns successfully trigger desired associations or if the brand's identity is shaped more by external factors like commercials and prior brand experience.
- Phonetic iconicity and sound symbolism in commercial branding
- Impact of linguistic patterns (phonemes, clusters, and lexeme structures) on brand perception
- The influence of TV advertising on consumer connotation
- Recipient-dependent decoding of iconic brand names
- Evaluation of scientificity, softness, and success as perceived brand attributes
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Special phonetic patterns and what they express
Synaesthetic sound symbolism, on which this paper focuses, “can be defined as the acoustic symbolization of non-acoustic phenomena.” (Hinton et al., 2006:4), i.e. in case of phonetic iconicity in brand names, non-acoustic, abstract categories are expressed by the usage of special phonetic patterns in brand names in order to trigger connotations of these categories with the respective brands. These patterns can be frequently used single phonemes or phoneme-clusters, suffixes and also complete lexeme patterns, which are supposed to signify a certain meaning as a whole.
The latter are quite common in case of brand names, with the most frequent ones being the Latin, French and Spanish-Italian pattern, which are defined by Ronneberger-Sibold (2004). The most simple and maybe most common one is the French pattern. These lexemes include a characteristic emphasis on the last syllable and two full vowels, in the last syllable itself and right before the emphasis. They connote a fine taste and elegance (cf. Ronneberger-Sibold 2004:595), which is also directly connected with the French lifestyle, the “savoir-vivre” (Platen 1997:58) and therefore likely to be used for products like fashion or delicate food (cf. Ibid.). Lexemes using the Spanish-Italian pattern are characterised by at least three syllables with full vowels, with the second one being emphasised. The last syllable includes the nucleus ,
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the theoretical problem of linguistic arbitrariness versus iconicity and outlines the paper's focus on phonetic phenomena in brand names.
2 Iconicity in brand names – a literature review: This section provides a theoretical overview of sound symbolism, including phonetic patterns, consonant clusters, and the critical role of the consumer's perception.
3 Methodology: This chapter describes the research design, which combines an analysis of eleven brand names and their TV advertisements with empirical data from a consumer questionnaire.
4 Results: This chapter presents findings regarding how specific phonetic patterns, such as the Spanish-Italian, French, and Latin models, are perceived in connection with their visual advertisements.
5 Discussion: This section critically evaluates the results, acknowledging the limitations of the study while confirming that phonetic patterns play a complex, often culturally dependent, role in brand perception.
6 Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, noting that while many brand names act as phonetic icons, their success is heavily influenced by consumer expectations and the quality of associated advertising.
7 Bibliography: This section lists all primary sources (TV ads) and secondary literature used throughout the research.
Keywords
Iconicity, Brand Names, Phonetic Symbolism, Semantics, Synaesthetic Sound Symbolism, TV Advertisements, Consumer Perception, Linguistic Arbitrariness, Phonemes, Connotation, Marketing, Brand Identity, Phonetic Patterns, Consumer Behavior, Sociolinguistics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research?
The research explores the intersection of linguistics and marketing, specifically focusing on whether brand names function as "phonetic icons" that convey meaning through their sound rather than just their denotation.
What are the primary areas of study within the paper?
The study centers on phonetic iconicity, covering specific phonetic patterns (like Latin, French, or Spanish-Italian models), consonant clusters, single phoneme effects, and the psychological role of the consumer in interpreting these signals.
What is the main research question?
The paper asks whether brand names possess an inherent iconic function that communicates attributes to the consumer, and if that function is effective in creating desired brand connotations.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The author uses a dual methodology: a structural analysis of eleven brand names paired with their TV commercials, and a quantitative study based on a questionnaire involving 32 participants to evaluate consumer perceptions.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It provides a literature review on sound symbolism, a detailed methodology chapter, an analysis of experimental results categorized by phonetic patterns, and a discussion regarding the limitations and implications of the data.
Which keywords characterize this paper?
Key terms include iconicity, brand names, phonetic symbolism, semantics, consumer perception, and sound-based marketing.
Why does the author argue that the "Blanchet" commercial failed to meet its iconic potential?
The author explains that while the name "Blanchet" implies French elegance, the TV commercial was perceived as "ridiculous" and "unimaginative" by participants, creating a disconnect between the brand name and the consumer's actual experience.
How does the "Knoppers" case study illustrate phonetic iconicity?
The /kn/-cluster in "Knoppers" is analyzed as an onomatopoeic element representing the sound of crunching, which consumers successfully identified and connected with the product's attributes.
What role does the "recipient" play according to the research findings?
The author concludes that meaning is not solely within the sounds themselves but is created in the mind of the consumer, making the perception highly individual and context-dependent.
- Citar trabajo
- BA Nicole Eismann (Autor), 2013, Iconicity in brand names. An analysis of TV ads, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/319146
