COMMUNICATION LANGUAGES

The aim of the course is to provide students with the theoretical and analytical tools necessary to understand how the interconnection between a brand’s economic value and its ability to express symbolic value has become increasingly relevant in contemporary markets. The course explores the crucial contribution of semiotics to marketing, fostering a stimulating dialogue with the field of cultural branding. Particular attention will be devoted to the languages and multimodal forms through which brands construct meaning, shared values, and culturally relevant narratives. Building on a solid theoretical framework, the course will show how understanding brand positioning and repositioning, as well as symbolic capital, requires analyzing the dynamic ways in which brands situate themselves within systems of values and socio-cultural practices that shape their success and resonance in the contemporary marketplace. The course will also encourage reflection on the growing role of artificial intelligence within contemporary consumption and branding environments. In a context where communication practices and professional skills are rapidly evolving, students will be invited to develop critical thinking and interpretative skills capable of engaging with the transformations introduced by AI in the relationship between brands, media, and consumers.

Marketing basics

Knowledge and understanding: Acquisition of the main theoretical paradigms of semiotics applied to marketing. By the end of the course, students will acquire the conceptual foundations of semiotics and its application to marketing, in dialogue with cultural branding. Theoretical and methodological frameworks will provide practical tools for analysing and managing consumption phenomena. The course will also encourage awareness of how technological transformations, including the growing presence of artificial intelligence in communication and consumption, are reshaping branding strategies and consumer behaviour. Applying knowledge and understanding: Students will actively use the semiotic models and analytical tools acquired during the course to deconstruct and critically interpret marketing elements within an omnichannel context. This includes analysing brands’ visual and verbal languages, decoding packaging meanings, interpreting retail spaces as sites of signification, and understanding communication strategies (advertising, branded content, etc.) in terms of meaning construction. The course will enable students to move from theory to practical application, providing interpretative frameworks for understanding and managing marketing phenomena. Particular attention will also be devoted to the development of interpretative and critical skills relevant in professional environments increasingly influenced by AI-driven communication. Making judgements: Methodologically rigorous evaluation of the values embedded in brand narratives. The course aims to develop students’ ability to move beyond the surface of brand messages and critically assess the values underlying brand narratives. Through semiotic analysis, students will learn to recognize systems of value and rhetorical strategies underpinning brand positioning and repositioning in a global market context. The objective is to train professionals capable of exercising critical thinking regarding the ethical, social, and cultural implications of branding strategies, while developing an autonomous perspective on their authenticity and impact. This critical approach will also address transformations affecting media and consumer cultures in the age of artificial intelligence. Communication skills: Clear and well-argued presentation of branding phenomena. Students will present the results of their analyses in a clear, coherent, and structured manner, using appropriate specialist terminology and supporting arguments through textual and visual evidence. The course will also encourage the exploration of different forms of communication, including visual presentations and storytelling, in order to make semiotic analyses accessible and persuasive. Learning skills: The course seeks to stimulate students’ intellectual curiosity and their ability to establish connections between semiotics and contemporary marketing. The objective is for students to develop a reflective mindset that encourages continuous learning and attention to developments in the field, integrating new theoretical and methodological perspectives into their skill set. The course also aims to foster adaptability and critical awareness in relation to ongoing transformations in increasingly technology-driven environments.

Marketing semiotics, meaning-making, brand value, cultural branding, narrativity and storytelling, strategic creativity, AI

ATTENDANT MANDATORY Slides Mandatory Ruiz Collantes FX, Oliva M. "Narrativity approaches to branding". In: Rossolatos G, editor. Handbook of brand semiotics. Kassel: Kassel University Press; 2015, p. 89-150
Mangano D., Marrone G. (2015) "Brand language. Methods and models of semiotic analysis" in Rossolatos G., Handbook of brand semiotics, Kassel, Kassel University Press, p. 46-88. Ventura Bordenca  I. (2015). Semiotic Roadmap for Designing Packaging. In Rossolatos G. (a cura di), Handbook of Brand Semiotics (pp. 200-234). Kassell : Kassel university press. Giannitrapani, A. (2025). Everyday Rituals in Contemporary Settings: The Semiotics of Space and Places of Consumption. Brill (“The Semiotics of space” pp. 11–21; “Places of Consumption” pp. 22-35) Holt, D. B., (2004). How brands become icons: The principles of cultural branding. Harvard business press (Chapters 2, 4 and 5) Optional readings for Attendant Peverini, P. (2025). Artificial Intelligence’s meaning production between branding rethoric and new hybrids, Ocula Adamo, G. (2025). The Gemini Era. A semiotic analysis of Google’s discursive strategies, Ocula. To be published. NON ATTENDANT MANDATORY Ruiz Collantes FX, Oliva M. "Narrativity approaches to branding". In: Rossolatos G, editor. Handbook of brand semiotics. Kassel: Kassel University Press; 2015, p. 89-150
Mangano D., Marrone G. (2015) "Brand language. Methods and models of semiotic analysis" in Rossolatos G., Handbook of brand semiotics, Kassel, Kassel University Press, p. 46-88. Ventura Bordenca  I. (2015). Semiotic Roadmap for Designing Packaging. In Rossolatos G. (a cura di), Handbook of Brand Semiotics (pp. 200-234). Kassell : Kassel university press. Giannitrapani, A. (2025). Everyday Rituals in Contemporary Settings: The Semiotics of Space and Places of Consumption. Brill (“The Semiotics of space” pp. 11–21; “Places of Consumption” pp. 22-35) Holt, D. B., (2004). How brands become icons: The principles of cultural branding. Harvard business press (Chapters 2, 4 and 5) Peverini, P. (2025). Artificial Intelligence’s meaning production between branding rethoric and new hybrids, Ocula Adamo, G. (2025). The Gemini Era. A semiotic analysis of Google’s discursive strategies, Ocula. To be published.

Frontal lectures Group project In-class discussions Guests’ lectures from practitioners and scholars

Attendant Students - Work in group: 30% final grade - Final written exam 70%: 2 open-ended questions on the mandatory program + 5 multiple choice questions Non attendant students - Final written exam (100%): 3 open-ended questions on the mandatory and elective program + 7 multiple choice questions

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