Oleh: Muhammad Raihan Ihsan Syahputra, Saras Khaylila Putri, Sellyandi Syafira
TintaJurnalisNews -ABSTRACT; This study aims to analyze the meaning of semantics in Downy fragrance advertisements. By using the semantic analysis approach, this research explores how linguistic and visual elements in these advertisements form consumer perceptions of the product. Data obtained from a series of television advertisements and downy print randomly selected. The analysis was carried out by identifying and interpreting symbols, key words, and metaphors used in advertisements. The results showed that Downy advertisements tend to use strong emotional and visual language to create positive associations of harmony, softness, and comfort. Symbols such as flowers, soft cloth, and smiles are used to strengthen advertising messages. This finding provides insight into how semantic techniques can affect the effectiveness of advertising in attracting attention and building product images in the minds of consumers. This study also suggested that a deeper understanding of the meaning of semantics in advertising can help marketers in designing more effective communication strategies.
Keywords: advertising, semantics, analysis
INTRODUCTON
The background for analyzing semantic meaning in a Downy fragrance advertisement is to understand how the messages hidden in it can influence consumer perception and behavior. Product advertisements like Downy not only aim to convey information about the product, but also use various types of semantic meaning to form an emotional connection with the audience. By describing the types of meaning contained in advertisements, such as denotative, connotative, associative, collocative, reflective, affective, social and thematic meaning, we can explore how these advertisements penetrate consumers’ thoughts and feelings. This is important because consumers often not only buy a product for its function, but also for how the product makes them feel. Thus, semantic analysis allows us to deconstruct complex advertising messages and understand how they influence the way we think and act.
Analysis of semantic meaning in Downy fragrance advertisements reveals layers of meaning that influence consumer perceptions in depth. First, the denotative meaning of the advertisement includes the use of words such as “fragrance” and “gentle” to directly describe the function of the product. Fresh product and clothing visualizations reinforce this denotative meaning, providing an immediate understanding of the product’s benefits. Furthermore, the connotative meaning emerges through the use of bright colors and happy family scenes, which depict the impression of happiness and comfort presented by the product.
Then, associative meaning is present in symbols that depict cleanliness and comfort, evoking personal or cultural associations about the goodness of the product. Collocative meanings emerge through phrases such as “long-lasting freshness,” which reinforce expectations about a product’s long-term performance. Meanwhile, the reflective meaning is realized through a slogan or tagline that asks viewers to reflect on the meaning of domestic happiness and how the product can contribute to it.
Affective meaning refers to the positive emotions evoked by advertising, such as feelings of comfort and satisfaction triggered by warm visuals and soft background music. Furthermore, social meaning emerges through images of a harmonious family and an orderly home, which links the product to certain social aspirations. Finally, the thematic meaning of this ad is freshness and comfort in everyday life, which is consistent across all advertising elements to create a cohesive message to consumers.
By understanding these layers of semantic meaning, we can see how Downy fragrance advertising not only conveys information about the product, but also shapes consumer perceptions and emotions. This allows advertisers to create strong relationships with their audiences and influence purchasing behavior.
RESEARCH METHODS
The qualitative research method of semantic analysis was used to explore the meaning contained in a Downy fragrance advertisement. This research utilizes descriptive and interpretive approaches to unravel the layers of meaning hidden in the advertisement. First of all, through denotative analysis, it was found that words such as “fragrance” and “gentle” were used to directly describe the benefits of the product. The visual of fresh clothing reinforces an immediate understanding of the product’s function.
Then, connotative analysis reveals the use of bright colors and happy family scenes to express the impression of happiness and comfort presented by the product. Associative meanings emerge through symbols depicting cleanliness and comfort, evoking personal or cultural associations about the benefits of the product. Collocative analysis shows that phrases such as “long-lasting freshness” reinforce expectations about product quality over the long term.
Then, reflective analysis occurs through a slogan or tagline that encourages viewers to reflect on the meaning of domestic happiness and how the product plays a role in that context. Affective meaning emerges through warm visuals and soft background music, triggering feelings of comfort and contentment in viewers. Social analysis shows that images of harmonious families and orderly homes link products to certain social aspirations.
Lastly, thematic analysis revealed that freshness and comfort in everyday life were consistent themes throughout the ads, creating a cohesive message to consumers. By understanding these semantic meanings, we can see how Downy fragrance advertising not only conveys information about the product, but also shapes consumer perceptions and emotions. This provides valuable insights for advertisers in designing effective marketing strategies.
RESULT and DISCUSSION
In discussing the semantic meaning in the Downy fragrance advertisement, we revealed various aspects that highlight the importance of a deep understanding of the message conveyed to consumers. First of all, the denotative meaning analysis highlights how words such as “fragrance” and “gentle” directly describe the product’s benefits, while the visual of fresh clothes reinforces the understanding of the product’s function. This confirms that understanding the literal meaning of advertising is the first step in interpreting the message conveyed.
Then, a discussion of connotative meaning highlights the use of bright colors and happy family scenes to associate the product with the impression of happiness and comfort. This shows how advertising not only conveys information about the product, but also creates positive emotions and images for consumers. Furthermore, associative meaning analysis highlights the symbols used in advertising to evoke personal or cultural associations about product benefits, thereby strengthening consumers’ emotional ties to the brand.
The discussion of collocative meaning highlights phrases such as “long-lasting freshness,” which create expectations about the long-term quality of the product. This highlights how the use of language in advertising can influence consumers’ perceptions of product superiority. Furthermore, reflective meaning analysis highlights the role of slogans or taglines in encouraging viewers to reflect on the meaning of domestic happiness and how the product plays a role in that context, thereby strengthening consumers’ identification with the brand.
The discussion of affective meaning highlights how warm visuals and soft background music in advertisements trigger feelings of comfort and contentment in viewers. It emphasizes that emotions play an important role in influencing consumer attitudes and behavior towards brands. Social analysis highlights how images of harmonious families and orderly homes in advertising link products to certain social aspirations, thereby influencing consumers’ perceptions of brand image.
Finally, a discussion of thematic meaning highlights the themes of freshness and comfort that are consistent throughout the ad, creating a message that is cohesive and easy for consumers to identify with. This shows the importance of consistency in brand communications to build strong relationships with consumers. Thus, this discussion confirms that understanding the semantic meaning in advertising is very important in shaping consumer perceptions and responses to products.
This analysis explores the semantic meaning in Downy fragrance advertisements, identifying various layers of meaning presented through language, images, and symbols. These advertisements not only convey messages about the product, but also utilize various semantic meanings to shape consumer perceptions. This research uses a semantic approach to describe the types of meaning contained in the advertisement, including denotative, connotative, associative, collocative, reflective, affective, social and thematic meanings.
1. Denotative Meaning
Denotative meaning is the literal or dictionary meaning of the words used in advertising. In the Downy fragrance advertisement, the denotative meaning can be seen in the use of words such as “fragrance”, “fresh”, and “soft”. These words directly describe the product’s function as a clothes freshener that provides freshness and softness. Product visualization and its use in advertising reinforces this denotative meaning, providing a direct understanding of what the product does.
2. Connotative Meaning
Connotative meaning refers to the additional or implicit meaning associated with words or images in advertising. In Downy advertising, connotations can be found in the use of bright colors and scenes depicting happiness and comfort. The frequently used blue color symbolizes calm and trust, while happy family scenes give the connotation that using the product will bring happiness and harmony to the household.
3. Associative Meaning
Associative meaning is meaning that arises from personal or cultural associations carried by words or images. In Downy advertising, associative meaning can be seen in symbols that depict cleanliness and comfort, such as images of fluffy and soft clothes. This symbol may remind viewers of their personal experiences with clean, comfortable clothing, or cultural associations that associate cleanliness with neatness and order.
4. Collocative Meaning
Collocative meaning refers to the meaning carried by words that frequently appear together. In Downy advertising, phrases such as “long-lasting freshness” and “gentle all day” carry collocative meanings that reinforce the product’s image as something that provides long-term, sustainable benefits. These words often appear together in the context of fabric care products, creating certain expectations about product performance.
5. Reflective Meaning
Reflective meaning is the meaning that arises from reflection or awareness of the word or image itself. In the context of Downy advertising, this reflection can be seen in the slogans or taglines used. For example, if the ad uses a slogan such as “Making Your Home Happiness a Reality”, this not only reflects the product’s benefits but also invites viewers to reflect on the meaning of home happiness in their own lives, and how the product can contribute to it.
6. Affective Meaning
Affective meaning is meaning related to feelings or emotions evoked by words or images. Downy’s advertisements often emphasize positive emotions such as happiness, comfort, and family love. Soft background music and warm visuals can induce feelings of comfort and contentment, associating the product with those positive emotions. This is a strategy to make consumers feel good when they see an ad and be more likely to buy the product.
7. Social Meaning
Social meaning refers to meaning related to social status or group identity. In Downy advertising, the use of images of a harmonious family and an orderly home can send the message that using this product is a sign of a successful and happy family. This links the product to certain social aspirations, where consumers may feel that by using Downy, they too can achieve a desired social status.
8. Thematic Meaning
Thematic meaning refers to the overall theme carried by the advertisement. Downy advertisements generally carry the theme of freshness and comfort in everyday life. This theme is consistent across all advertising elements, from visuals to narrative, creating a cohesive message about how the product can improve consumers’ quality of life. This theme is also often reinforced through the use of metaphors, such as describing fragrant and soft clothing as a loving embrace. Semantic analysis of the Downy fragrance advertisement shows that the advertisement relies not only on the literal meaning of the product, but also various types of semantic meaning to create a richer and more emotional message. By understanding these layers of meaning, we can see how advertising functions to influence consumer perception and behavior, and how linguistic and visual elements work together to form the desired meaning.
Semantics in linguistics is a subfield dedicated to the study of meaning.It involves understanding the meanings inherent in language at different levels, such as words, phrases, sentences, and larger units of discourse (called texts)1.In language learning, semantics is comprehensiveness and refers to understanding the meaning of a language.Semantics, a branch of linguistics, explores complex concepts such as vocabulary, grammatical meaning, and the relationship of words to the real world.
4. Conclusion
In conclusion, analysis of the semantic meaning of the Downy fragrance advertisement reveals various layers of meaning that influence consumers’ perceptions and emotions. Through a qualitative approach, we can identify several types of semantic meaning contained in the advertisement. First, the denotative meaning emphasizes words such as “fragrance” and “gentle” to directly describe the benefits of the product. The visual of fresh clothing reinforces the immediate understanding of the product’s function.
Second, the connotative meaning emerges through the use of bright colors and happy family scenes, which implies the impression of happiness and comfort presented by the product. Third, associative meaning is realized through symbols depicting cleanliness and comfort, evoking personal or cultural associations about the benefits of the product. Fourth, collocative meanings are found in phrases such as “long-lasting freshness,” which reinforce expectations about the long-term quality of the product.
Fifth, reflective analysis shows that the advertising slogan or tagline encourages viewers to reflect on the meaning of domestic happiness and the role of the product in that context. Sixth, affective meaning emerges through warm visuals and soft background music, triggering feelings of comfort and contentment in viewers. Seventh, social analysis reveals that images of a harmonious family and an orderly home link the product to certain social aspirations.
Lastly, thematic analysis shows that freshness and comfort in everyday life are consistent themes throughout the ads, creating a cohesive message to consumers. By understanding these semantic meanings, advertisers can design effective marketing strategies to achieve their goals. This shows how important it is to understand the meaning contained in advertising in shaping consumer perceptions and responses to products.
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