Insegnamento a.a. 2026-2027

1. The Origins and Scope of Marketing Semiotics This macro-topic establishes the disciplinary context and justifies the role of semiotics within marketing practice. Topics covered include: the development of semiology and semiotics as distinct traditions; the French school of marketing semiotics and its influence on brand analysis; the contribution of British cultural studies; and the current landscape of applied marketing semiotics. Students also examine what makes a semiotic approach to marketing specifically relevant to contemporary brand strategy.

2. Core Semiotic Concepts This macro-topic covers the theoretical toolkit that underpins all subsequent analytical work. Individual topics are: the sign (signifiant and signifié); denotation and connotation; rhetorical figures in advertising and brand communication; syntagm and paradigm; langue and parole; the communication model and language functions; codes and coding systems; the Residual/Dominant/Emergent (RDE) framework; semantic oppositions; analysis of meaning structure; and narrative models and storytelling. Each concept is treated both theoretically and through marketing examples, building the vocabulary students will mobilize in analytical and project work.

3. Semiotic Analytical Techniques This macro-topic translates theoretical concepts into structured, repeatable methods for professional use. It covers: methodological guidelines for semiotic research and source selection; analysis of signifiant and signifié; code analysis and mapping; RDE analysis; oppositional analysis; analysis of meaning structure; narrative analysis; and the analysis of cultural insights and emerging trends. Techniques are sequenced to mirror a real project workflow, from source collection through to strategic synthesis.

4. Applied Marketing Semiotics — Brand, Sensory, and Category Analysis This macro-topic demonstrates how semiotic methods operate across specific branding domains. Topics include: semiotics of packaging design (visual and structural identity, pack testing methodology); semiotics of brand naming; semiotics of luxury (how luxury brands construct aspirational meaning through advertising and cultural codes); semiotics of sound and audio branding; and semiotics of touch and olfaction as sensory brand dimensions. Each domain is illustrated with real brand cases and, where applicable, supported by a practitioner guest speaker.

5. Strategic Semiotic Model and Field Application This macro-topic integrates the course's theoretical and methodological content into a complete brand diagnostic framework. Topics include: brand and category diagnosis within the cultural context; cultural exploration and cross-category analysis; formulation of communication and strategic recommendations; and semiotic evaluation of brand performance. These topics are applied directly in the course's field project, in which student groups conduct a full semiotic analysis for a real company and present their findings and recommendations.

• Explain the historical development of semiotics as a discipline and its evolution into an applied tool for marketing and brand analysis, distinguishing the key theoretical traditions that inform current practice.
• Define the core concepts of semiotic theory including the sign, denotation and connotation, codes, semantic oppositions, narrative structures, and the Residual/Dominant/Emergent framework and also recognize how each operates in the context of brand communication.
• Identify the principal semiotic analytical techniques covered in the course (code mapping, RDE analysis, oppositional analysis, meaning structure analysis, narrative analysis, cultural trend analysis) and describe their respective purposes and areas of application within a marketing research workflow.
• Describe the semiotic dimensions specific to key marketing domains such as packaging design, brand naming, luxury brand communication, and sensory branding (sound, scent, touch) and the analytical approaches appropriate to each.

• Apply semiotic analytical techniques to decode the meaning structures embedded in brand communications, visual identities, packaging, and advertising materials across different product categories and cultural contexts.
• Conduct a semiotic research project, from methodological design and cultural source selection through to insight synthesis, managing each phase in response to a real marketing brief.
• Analyze the semiotic coherence of a brand's identity across multiple touchpoints and sensory channels, identifying tensions, opportunities, and areas of strategic risk in how meaning is constructed and communicated.
• Develop strategic recommendations grounded in semiotic analysis, translating cultural and symbolic insights into actionable directions for brand positioning, communication planning, and packaging or product design.
• Present analytical findings and strategic recommendations to a professional client audience, structuring complex semiotic arguments accessibly and defending analytical choices under questioning.
• Collaborate within a project team to divide and integrate analytical work, align interpretive frameworks across group members, and produce a unified strategic output within defined deadlines.

• Lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Collaborative Works / Assignments

Guest Speakers' Talks Practitioners are invited to speak during the course, each addressing a specific branding domain. Talks are held in class as professional case presentations followed by open discussion, allowing students to connect analytical frameworks to current industry practice.

Collaborative Works / Assignments Student groups carry out a field project on a real brief from a selected company, applying the semiotic methodology developed during the course to produce a brand diagnosis and strategic recommendations. Work progresses through tutorship sessions integrated into the course calendar, with instructor feedback at each stage. The project concludes with a final presentation delivered to the partner company.

Written exam - 40% of final grade based on selected book chapters and additional readings.
The written exam consists of multiple choice and open-ended questions on assigned textbook chapters and possibly additional readings, asking students to define semiotic concepts, apply analytical frameworks to brand packaging, naming or advertising examples, and articulate the logic of specific techniques. It verifies theoretical knowledge and the ability to apply semiotic tools independently, assessing in particular students' capacity to decode meaning structures and reason about brand coherence and cultural codes in written form.
 

Field project - 60& of final grade

The field project is a group assignment conducted throughout the semester on a real company brief, culminating in a final presentation to the partner company. It is the primary vehicle for assessing applied and transversal outcomes: it verifies students' ability to conduct a full semiotic research process from brief to recommendation, analyze brand packaging identities, translate findings into strategic directions, present complex arguments to a professional audience, and collaborate effectively within a team under real working conditions.

Written exam 100% final grade

The exam is based exclusively on the course textbook and will include both open end and multiple choice questions, it covers both theoretical knowledge and its application to marketing contexts. It includes questions asking students to define and explain core semiotic concepts and to apply analytical frameworks to brand or advertising examples, verifying command of the full analytical toolkit covered in the book.

Title: Semiotics in Marketing: How to Decode Signs, Symbols and Market Codes
Authors: Krzysztof Polak, Marzena Żurawicka
Publisher: Semiotic Solutions
English edition: 2026

Selected chapters only + additional readings on Blackboard

Title: Semiotics in Marketing: How to Decode Signs, Symbols and Market Codes
Authors: Krzysztof Polak, Marzena Żurawicka
Publisher: Semiotic Solutions
English edition: 2026

Full book