Understanding meaning : a qualitative analysis of intention and interpretation in public service announcements

Abstract

This dissertation qualitatively analyses the influence of culture on the interpretation of a message as opposed to the message's intended meaning. It uses two anti-homophobia campaigns as sign vehicles - the Maltese Think Before You Speak: Making Life Better For LGBT Youth and the Finnish Rakkaus On Rakkautta. A triadic methodology, comprising semiotic analyses, interviews and focus groups, is adopted to fully explore the complete encoding/decoding process of message reception. It is found that - irrespective of culture and background - simple, low-involvement signs make for the best understanding and adoption of messages - and therefore are essential to advertising.