This project has two main strategic focuses. The main one aims to propose a new semiotic definition of the concept of brand. Why a new definition? And why from a semiotic perspective? Firstly, because many definitions of the concept of brand have been proposed but are either too general or too vague, or too complex or abstract. Secondly, the choice of semiotics is justified by the fact that, since the 2000s, this discipline has renewed its theoretical and conceptual apparatus and is therefore able to truly grasp what a brand is. The second axis of this research aims to use the case study of the nation brand Marca Perú to test, detail, adjust and deepen this new conceptualisation of the brand.
The tour de force of this MSCA project lies in offering a clear and operative definition of the brand for management, so that specialists can better grasp what is at stake with the brands they have to manage, and consequently to help them propose more meaningful and relevant products and services to their publics. In addition to offering a renewed definition of the brand, this project aims to highlight European semiotics from the Greimasian tradition, in particular by showing how its most up-to-date models and theories can help other social sciences to analyse and understand their results from corpus or the field.
The outcomes of this project are manifold. Firstly, the brand was conceptualized as a service with a very own vision. This means that any product, experience, or organization is primarily a service—an assemblage of actants, actors, or activities that render a service. However, not all services possess a very own vision. For instance, lines, ranges, or subsidiaries typically reflect the vision of a superior, sovereign service, which has the status of a brand. Thus, as observed, analyzed, and conceptualized, a brand can be normatively defined by hayving a very own vision—a distinctive way of operating and conceptualizing its activities.
Subsequently, this definition enabled a clarification of traditional brand management concepts, particularly concerning brand types and strategies such as master brands, subbrands, and endorsed brands. This effort of clarification paved the way for a new approach to brand architectures, culminating in the creation of a conceptual framework termed "strategic semiotics." Simultaneously, as the project delved deeply into the notions of categorization (because brand strategies are categories) and experience (as the meaning of a brand arises from experience), it also led to the further development and institutionalization of two other branches of semiotics: "interactional semiotics" and "categorial semiotics."
Finally, in the case study of Marca Perú, it was observed that this nation brand is unique in having created "sectorial brands" to avoid image dilution. These sectorial brands aim to promote the exportation of specific Peruvian products, services, and expertise, distinguishing themselves from Marca Perú’s primarily tourism-oriented mission. By creating sectorial brands (such as Peru Mine for mining expertise exports or Super Foods Peru for exotic product exports), Marca Perú enhances its visibility and capitalizes on the diversification of its activities without compromising its brand image.
The publication of a book detailing these research findings and results, provisionally titled "New Semiotics of the Brand", is scheduled for release in 2025.
