A comparative analysis of leading wind turbine manufacturers multimodal and persuasive choices in the promotional discourse of wind energy

Transcription

1 A comparative analysis of leading wind turbine manufacturers multimodal and persuasive choices in the promotional discourse of wind energy Af Signe Høyer Vejleder: Carmen Daniela Maier Department of Language and Business Communication Aarhus School of Business Aarhus University Submission: 15 th of May 2009 Total number of characters for the BA-Thesis: 54,873 1

2 SUMMARY BA Thesis in Marketing and Management Communication - A comparative analysis of leading wind turbine manufacturers multimodal and persuasive choices in the promotional discourse of wind energy The bachelor thesis sets out to analyse and compare three of the world s leading wind turbine manufacturers promotional discourse on wind energy. This focus has been chosen due to an increased global awareness of the world s energy challenge and a corresponding need for producers of alternative energy resources to become effective promoters of their products and brand s benefits. Two central questions form the foundation for the analysis: which multimodal choices have Vestas, Suzlon and General Electric (GE) made use of in their webmercials with the aim of promoting wind energy and their brands? How do these multimodal choices affect the persuasive messages of the webmercials? Vestas, Suzlon and GE promote wind energy through webmercials on the Internet. Vestas employs a 58 seconds long webmercial on their corporate website called ModernEnergy. Suzlon advertises on CNN International s weekly on-air programme on the website Eco Solutions. And GE promotes wind energy in connection with a campaign called Ecomagination. The webmercials have been chosen due to their common aim: to promote wind energy and the companies brands. While the companies are seen to employ various multimodal choices with the aim of promoting wind energy and their brands, these multimodal choices are in return seen to influence the persuasive messages of the webmercials. The companies multimodal choices are analysed and compared from a social semiotics approach to filmic texts. This approach follows Iedema s method for analysing meaning-making across the three metafunctions: representation, orientation and organisation. At a representational level of analysis, the companies are seen to use image, language and sound to link wind energy and their brands to several positive benefits. In the visual mode, this is accomplished by us of metnonymy, a carrier/attribute relationship between wind energy and nature, and a visual metaphor. In the verbal mode, the companies make use of circumstantial roles, concept taxonomy and conjunctions to promote the benefits of wind energy and their brands. Sound-wise, music and sound are found to give associations to certain positive attributes. At the orientational level, the construction of different kinds of contact, social distances and attitudes in the visual mode are seen to result in information which is offered to the viewers. In continuation to this observation, a more or less 2

3 objective attitude towards the topic is constructed. Sound-wise, it is found that music, process types and sentence structures has certain positional functions. And finally at the organisational level of anlaysis, the analysis finds that the companies make use of rather different semiotic structures and rhythmic units to promote wind energy and their brands. Based on the findings of the detailed comparative analysis, the thesis explores how Vestas, Suzlon s and GE s multimodal choices affect the persuasive message of the webmercials. Here, Halmari and Virtanen s theory of explicit and implicit persuasion in promotional discourse is applied and used as a framework for discussion. Here, it is found that the multimodal choices affect the persuasive messages in two ways. Firstly, persuasion becomes mostly explicit in the evaluation and description of wind energy and the companies brands. Secondly, the thesis finds that there is a general tendency for the companies to avoid traditional persuasive strategies of the advertisement genre in order to construct more or less implicit persuasive messages. This is especially salient in terms of the viewer s role in the communication and relationship with the senders. Lastly, the thesis reflects upon the analytical findings by drawing attention to the dynamic nature of both persuasion and multimodal texts. 3

4 TABLE OF CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION MOTIVATION THESIS STATEMENT DELIMITATIONS STRUCTURE OF BA THESIS CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION VESTAS SUZLON GENERAL ELECTRIC THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK SOCIAL SEMIOTICS AND MULTIMODALITY SEMIOTIC RESOURCES INTERPLAY OF SEMIOTIC MODES NEW SOCIAL PRACTICE PERSUASION IN MULTIMODAL TEXTS METHODOLOGY LIMITATIONS OF METHODOLOGY ANALYSIS REPRESENTATIONAL MEANING-MAKING VISUALLY VERBALLY MUSICALLY AND SOUND-WISE ORIENTATIONAL MEANING-MAKING VISUALLY SOUND-WISE ORGANISATIONAL MEANING-MAKING SEMIOTIC STRUCTURES AND RHYTHMIC UNITS MULTIMODAL CHOICES AND PERSUASIVE MESSAGES EXPLICIT PERSUASIVE MESSAGES IMPLICIT PERSUASIVE MESSAGES CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES

5 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 MOTIVATION The world s energy reserves are not unlimited. However, the need for energy is. In fact, the U.S. Government s Energy Information Administration predicts an increase of 50% of the world s energy consumption by the year of Until now, much of the world s energy consumption has been supplied by traditional fossil fuels. But this non-renewable energy resource has proven to cause much of the CO2 emissions and global climate changes that influence and harm the environment of today. Consequently, the world is facing an energy challenge; an energy challenge which has fostered a global concern for the environment and increased the attractiveness of especially one alternative energy resource: wind power. Due to the energy challenge s global reach and topical nature, wind power has been subject to much research. This thesis investigation, however, draws attention to a rather unexplored focus. It is inspired by Mühlhäusler s claim that: language is interconnected with the world it both constructs it and is constructed by it. (Muhlhäusler: 2003: 2) Taking this perspective, focus is turned towards the language, or the discourse, connected to the promotion of wind energy. It recognises a dual focus: while the discursive means available to the senders of such discourses are seen, in large part, to be shaped by the world and the issue itself, the discourse also takes part in the construction of the context in which it exists - thereby shaping the receivers perception of the problem and/or the solution. In concrete terms, this places a demand on three of the world s leading wind turbine manufacturers - Vestas, Suzlon and General Electric (GE). They face the challenge of becoming environmental literates 2 and effective persuaders of wind energy and their brand s benefits. Due to wind energy s attractiveness and the topic s contemporary nature, I find it interesting therefore to analyse and compare Vestas, Suzlon s and GE s promotional discourse on wind energy, to see which specific discursive and persuasive means the companies make use of with the aim of convincing target audiences of wind energy and their brands benefits. 1 Energy Information Administration, U.S Department of Energy, (September 2009). International Energy Outlook 2008 (p. 1) cited from ( ): 2 I recognise that such discourses not only place a demand for the senders to become environmental literate but also for the receivers, who are faced with the challenge of learning to decode its messages. However, in order to limit the focus of the thesis, I have chosen not to include any further examination of the senders cognitive responses to the promotional discourse on wind energy. See also chapter 6, page 29. 5

6 1.2 THESIS STATEMENT Vestas, Suzlon and GE promote wind energy through webmercials 3 on the Internet. Vestas employs a 58 seconds long webmercial on their corporate website called ModernEnergy. 4 Suzlon advertises in CNN International s weekly on-air programmes on the website Eco Solutions. 5 And GE promotes wind energy in connection with a campaign called Ecomagination. 6 In order to reveal by which specific discursive and persuasive means Vestas, Suzlon and GE promote wind energy and their brands, it is necessary to look into the functions of various semiotic modes 7 - such as image, language and sound employed in these webmercials. It raises two central research questions: which multimodal choices 8 have Vestas, Suzlon and GE made use of in their webmercials with the aim of promoting wind energy and their brands? How do these multimodal choices affect the persuasive messages 9 of the webmercials? Inspired by Mühlhäusler s line of thought, the companies multimodal choices are seen to be interconnected with the persuasive messages of the webmercials. Hence, the persuasive messages of the webmercials will be discussed on basis of a comparative analysis of the companies multimodal choices. 1.3 DELIMITATIONS 10 The thesis takes a social semiotics approach to analysing Vestas, Suzlon s and GE s webmercials. On the basis of this approach, the focus is restricted to a comparative analysis of the companies multimodal choices and persuasive messages. The thesis will therefore not go into depth with genre theory or try to define the genres of the webmercials. Nevertheless, the term webmercial has been chosen to describe the films throughout the thesis. This is founded on the understanding that the multimodal presentations belong to the category of both web-based films and commercials. Additionally, I recognise that the webmercials differ in terms of structure. While Suzlon advertises 3 For an explanation of the term webmercial see chapter 1.3, page 3-4, or chapter 3.2, page For an explanation of the term semiotic modes, see chapter 3.1.1, page For an explanation of the term multimodality, see chapter 3.1.1, page 9. 9 Persuasion is seen as a concept which transcends semiotic modes, such as language, image and sound. Therefore, messages is used to refer to the promotional elements of the webmercials. 10 Delimitations of the thesis methodology are described in chapter

7 in four short webmercials, GE and Vestas employ longer webmercials on their websites. However, it is the multimodal choices and persuasive messages of the webmercials which are the focus of the thesis. Thus, the detailed comparative analysis concentrates on how wind energy and the companies brands are promoted by the use of different semiotic resources rather than by use of genre-specific or structural features. Likewise, the persuasive messages will be discussed solely on basis of the findings made in the comparative analysis. The reason for this choice of focus is founded on an understanding of the Internet medium s tendency to change and transform so rapidly, that the terms and structures of the different types of web-based films are rarely fixed for more than a short period of time. 1.4 STRUCTURE OF BA THESIS As any communicative act, Vestas, Suzlon s and GE s webmercials take place in specific communicative contexts. In order to draw attention to these, the first chapter involves an introduction of the three wind turbine manufacturers and their aims with the webmercials. This is followed by a chapter on the theoretical framework which defines the fundamental approach to the analysis of the webmercials. More specifically, the chapter critically presents theories which have influenced the fields of social semiotics and persuasion. Subsequently, a chapter on methodology demonstrates those methods which help answer the thesis research questions and ensure a wellreasoned and documented comparative analysis. For this reason, the methods are clearly connected to the thesis research questions. The analytical chapter itself is structured around three broad metafunctions - representation, orientation and organisation - which each draw attention to specific semiotic resources and multimodal choices. 11 The analytical chapter ends with a discussion of the multimodal choices affect upon the persuasive message. Finally, the conclusion will summarise and put the analytical findings into perspective by outlining some of the further areas of investigation which the thesis has opened up for. In general, the terminology used to describe the webmercials is based upon Bordwell s (2001) film terms For an explanation of the metafunctional approach to filmic texts, see chapter 3.1.2, page 9-11, or chapter 4, page The basis for the analytical findings of the companies multimodal choices is the tables in appendices 1-7. These tables contain visual information, number and duration of shots, as well as information connected to each metafunctional level. Hence, there will be made references to the tables in the analysis. 12 For further clarification, the abbreviations used to describe the webmercial s framings are included in appendix no. 1. 7

8 2. CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION Several theorists (e.g.: Halliday: 1994, Cook: 2001, Mühlhäusler: 2003) within the field of discourse analysis regard the context, in which any discourse takes place, as a critical element in the interpretation and analysis of its messages. Therefore, the following chapter will look into the contextual factors which characterise Vestas, Suzlon s and GE s promotional discourse of wind energy. 2.1 VESTAS Vestas started in 1978 to look into the possibilities of alternative energy resources. In 1979, the first three blade wind turbine was successfully installed by the company. Up through the 1980 s and 1990 s, Vestas experienced increased sales figures and a general growth in the demand for wind power technology. Today, the company employs around 20,000 people and, in 2008, Vestas was responsible for 19% of a total installed wind turbine market share of 29,724 MW (megawatts). 13 In 2005, managing director of Vestas, Ditlev Engel, began a large scaled reform of Vestas vision and mission statements known as The Will to Win. 14 The strategy is still in use today and makes sure that Vestas works towards their mission statement: failure is not a option and vision statement: to see wind power become as important a power source as fossil fuels and as No. 1 in Modern Energy, we will lead the industry towards this goal. 15 In an effort to integrate the vision and mission statements in their marketing communication, Vestas has launched the No 1. in Modern Energy campaign, where the webmercial ModernEnergy is one of the main efforts SUZLON Suzlon Energy Limited was established in 1995, where the company s first project was a wind farm in the Gujarat state of India. Today, the company employs 13,000 people and is being ranked the 5 th 13 Emerging Energy Research, ( ) Wind Turbine Market Share: Record Global Demand and Seller's Market Lift Established and Emerging Suppliers. Cited from ( ):

9 largest wind power equipment manufacturer in the world. 17 The company is still expanding in an attempt to realise the vision to rank among the top three wind players in the world, and to be among the market leaders in the markets of Asia, Europe and the United States. 18 In order to promote wind energy and their brand, Suzlon has become a global sponsor for CNN International s capsule on environmental preservation called Eco Solutions. Among other things, the sponsorship agreement encompasses presence at CNN International s interactive platform - the Eco Solutions website - where Suzlon advertises at the beginning of every weekly on-air programme. The Eco Solutions platform presents stories from around the world of people who successfully and innovatively find solutions to the world s energy challenge GENERAL ELECTRIC General Electric (GE) is an American technology, media and financial services conglomerate which is present in more than 100 countries and employs more than 320,000 people worldwide. 20 Despite the fact that wind power solutions is just a small part of their product portfolio, they are responsible for 18% of a total installed wind turbine market share of 29,724 MW (megawatts). 21 In 2005, GE launched the Ecomagination website which, among other things, highlights product stories from around the world. The webmercial on wind energy is for instance from Arklow in Ireland. But GE has also been subject to much environmental debate, where one of the largest scandals for the company has been the clean-up of the Hudson River in New York. In fact, the New York Times has accused GE to cover for the toxic waste with the Ecomagination campaign. 22 According to GE, however, the Ecomagination initiative is evidence of the company s commitment to actively addressing the world s energy and environmental challenges E. Inn & L. Tsui, ( ). CNN International Inks Global Sponsorship Deal with Suzlon Energy. Cited from ( ): Emerging Energy Research, ( ) Wind Turbine Market Share: Record Global Demand and Seller's Market Lift Established and Emerging Suppliers. Cited from ( ): 22 Sullivan, N. & R. Schiafo, ( ). Talking Green, Acting Dirty. Cited from ( ):

10 3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Now that I have looked into the context of Vestas, Suzlon s and GE s webmercials, I turn focus towards the theoretical frameworks which are relevant for the further analysis of the webmercials. The chapter turns focus, first of all, towards the development of the social semiotic approach to analysing multimodal texts as this approach constitutes the main theoretical framework of the thesis. Secondly, the chapter connects theories from within the field of persuasion to the social semiotics approach to filmic texts. 3.1 SOCIAL SEMIOTICS AND MULTIMODALITY The purpose of this first part of the chapter is to provide a critical understating of how the field of social semiotics has been influenced by various theoretical frameworks, and how it connects to the concept multimodality. In order to explore this in depth, the following section is organised around three main characteristics of social semiotics identified by van Leeuwen (2005: xi) SEMIOTIC RESOURCES First of all, van Leeuwen argues that social semiotic revolves around the term semiotic resources (van Leeuwen. 2005: xi). This concept was introduced by Halliday, who considered language a resource for making meaning, rather than a purely grammatical practice (van Leeuwen: 2005: 3). Based on this understanding of language as a semiotic resource, Halliday developed the systemicfunctional linguistics (SFL) of which he explains: It is functional in the sense that it is designed to account for how the language is used. (Halliday: 1994: p. xiii) Furthermore, A language is interpreted as a system of meanings, accompanied by forms through which the meanings can be realized. (Halliday: 1994: p. xiv) The central focus of the SFL is thus the analysis of how semiotic resources are used in a social context to realise and communicate meaning. More specifically, it proposes that language is analysed according to three broad metafunctions described as: manifestations in the linguistic system of the two very general purposes which underlie all uses of language: (i) to understand the environment (ideational), and (ii) to act on the others in it 10

11 (interpersonal). Combined with these is a third metafunctional component, the textual, which breathes relevance into the other two. (Halliday: 1994: p. xiii) This metafunctional approach to analyse (the usage of) semiotic resources has since been extended by a series of other researchers to comprise other modes than language (e.g.: Lemke: 2005, Kress: 2001, Stöckl: 2004, van Leeuwen: 2006). In their joint work, Reading Images. The Grammar of Visual Design, Kress and van Leeuwen (2006) explain how the visual mode, like language, can realise meaning at the representational (ideational), interactive (interpersonal) and compositional (textual) level. At the representational level, the visual mode is seen as a semiotic resource for constructing representations of the world. Here, the narrative and the conceptual processes are used to convey meaning by representing objects and their relations (Kress and van Leeuwen: 2006: 42). At the interactive level, the visual mode can, through processes of contact, social distance and attitude, construct social relations between the producer, the viewer and the objects represented (Kress and van Leeuwen: 2006: 42-43). And finally, at a compositional level, the visual mode is seen as a meaning-making resource with the ability to form the communication into a coherent entity by use of strategies such as information value, salience and framing (Kress and van Leeuwen: 2006: 43-44). About their grammar of visual design and the focus on the visual mode in particular, Kress and van Leeuwen have later noted that it is not their intention to describe yet another monomodal discipline. Rather, their work aims at providing a common typology for all semiotic modes and at proving how the same meaning can often be expressed in different semiotic modes (Kress and van Leeuwen: 2001: 1). Accordingly, they have examined other semiotic resources such as sound (van Leeuwen: 2006), colour (Kress and van Leeuwen: 2002, Kress and van Leeuwen: 2006), and typography (van Leeuwen: 2005, van Leeuwen: 2004). In their studies of these semiotic resources, they discovered that modes have different affordances and meaning potentials, 24 and that not all modes make equally strong meanings at each metafunctional level. For instance, van Leeuwen has found that when it comes to sound, the interpersonal function is generally more developed than the 24 The concepts semiotic resources, semiotic affordance and meaning potential are here adopted from van Leeuwen s work on social semiotic (2005). He makes the following distinctions: I extend this idea of the grammar of other semiotic modes, and define semiotic resources as the actions and artefacts we use to communicate (van Leeuwen: 2005: 3). And: the term meaning potential focuses on meanings that have already been introduced into society, whether explicitly recognised or not, whereas affordances also brings in meanings that have not yet been recognized, that lie, latent in the object, waiting to be discovered. (van Leeuwen: 2005: 5) Based on these distinctions, I use the term semiotic resources throughout the thesis to describe semiotic modes - such as image, language and sound. This is done with the purpose of stressing the thesis focus on the senders usage of semiotic resources to make meaning. In the sentence above, I recognise that Kress and van Leeuwen s work has introduced and examined both meaning potentials and affordances of several semiotic modes. 11

12 ideational function. 25 Accordingly, he highlights two meaning potentials of this mode: perspective, which moves the listener towards or away from a certain position and social distance, which regulates the level of formality between the sender and the receiver. More specifically, sound is divided into three groups Figure, Ground and Field according to their importance (van Leeuwen: 2006). While the semiotic resource of sound provides the communicator with these tools, other modes provide other means. And it is this practice of combining and mixing semiotic resources with the purpose of making meaning which Kress and van Leeuwen call multimodaliy. According to Kress and van Leeuwen, the term is a response to a contemporary tendency to favour multimodal texts where semiotic resources are used in a way which constantly changes the tasks and boundaries of each individual semiotic mode. (Kress and van Leeuwen: 2001: 2) And with this multiplicity of semiotic resources, the central question for the analyst to ask is: What mode for what purpose? (Kress and van Leeuwen: 2001: 46) INTERPLAY OF SEMIOTIC MODES In continuation to this central question and to the concept of semiotic resources, van Leeuwen (2005) describes yet another significant characteristic of the social semiotic approach to analysing any communicative event: social semiotics compares and contrasts semiotic modes, exploring what they have in common as well as how they can be integrated in multimodal artefacts and events. (van Leeuwen: 2005: xi). This has been explored in more depth by Iedema (2001), who has applied Halliday s metafunctional approach to the analysis of filmic texts. In this approach, it is explored how different semiotic modes such as language, image and sound go together to create meaning. So, while Kress and van Leeuwen have recognised the general trend for messages to be delivered in multimodal forms, Iedema takes this knowledge to a practical level and formulates a framework for analysing meaning-making resources across several semiotic modes. By this means, the framework addresses the question what mode for what purpose? in its endeavour to analyse and explain the choices made by producers of dynamic and multimodal texts (Iedema: 2001: 188). It does so at the three metafunctional levels. At the representational (ideational) level, the framework is concerned with how meanings are represented visually, verbally, musically, and sound-wise. At the orientational 25 Reistaetter, J., Rheindorf, M. & van Leeuwen, T., (Spring 2005). Media discourse: Social Semiotics and the study of multimodal discourse. An interview with Theo van Leeuwen. (p. 6) Cited from ( ): 12

13 (interpersonal) level, the analysis is concerned with how the visual and the aural modes are used to position characters and readers-viewers. And lastly, at the organisational (textual) level, it focuses on how meanings are sequenced and integrated into dynamic texts by analysing the interplay and ordering of the semiotic modes. About the metafunctional approach to filmic texts, Iedema notes that its strength lies in its ability to provide the analyst with an understanding of the meaningful patterns that prevail in the text, and how these patterns are used to enrich and reinforce each other (Iedema: 2001: ). Van Leeuwen (2005) has explored the nature of these patterns at more concrete level. In his work on information linking, he examines especially the types of relations constructed between the visual and the verbal mode. He explores how these modes can link information meaningfully together through either a relation of elaboration or extension. Hence, the theory concretises Iedema s concept of meaningful patterns by labelling the relations between the semiotic modes specification, explanation, similarity, contrast, or complement (van Leeuwen: 2005: 230). Besides from linking information, Stöckl emphasises yet another function of semiotic modes and sub-modes tendency to overlap and mix. According to him, the co-presence in almost all forms of communication ( ) is guided by the principle of reciprocally balancing out limitations and weaknesses of the modes combined. (Stöckl: 2004:19). Based on studies of semiotic properties, cognitive orientation and semantic potential of respectively the visual and the verbal mode, 26 Stöckl concludes that semiotic modes function differently and therefore hold different meaning potentials. Like van Leeuwen s discovery that sound provides a stronger semiotic resource at the interpersonal level, Stöckl (2004) finds for instance, that the verbal mode in general conveys less vague and ambiguous meaning than the visual mode. At the same time, images are seen to be richer on information and connotations than language. (Stöckl: 2004: 16-19) 27 The purpose of integrating the two (and often many other semiotic modes) into a multimodal text, is thus to strengthen the message by combining the meaning potentials of each individual mode. Finally, van Leeuwen (2005) claims that social semiotics offers a method for discovering new social practices where new ways of using existing semiotic resources help facilitate communicative goals (van Leeuwen: 2005: xi). Connected to the world s energy challenge and the corresponding promotion of alternative energy resources, the claim proposes that existing semiotic resources are 26 Even though focused on language and image, Stöckl claims that the three theoretical perspectives can be applied to other modes and sub-modes (Stöckl: 2004: 16). 27 These claims are elaborated on by Messaris, who has studied visual persuasion outside the field of social semiotics. He argues that, while images can display spatial and temporal connections, other types of connections such as analogies, causality and contrasts can be communicated more explicitly through language. (Messaris. 1997: xi-xiii) 13

14 used in new ways which correspond to this new type of discourse. In connection to this, Kress and van Leeuwen (2001) predict that when a new social practices persist and become objects for research, they may remain inexplicit, implicit, passed on by osmosis, or by the mimicking of observed practice or they may be brought into consciousness and deliberateness as overt, codified prescriptions. (Kress and van Leeuwen: 2001: 47-48). In other words, the practice of using existing semiotic resources in discourse concerning the environment may be theorised in explicit or implicit forms NEW SOCIAL PRACTICE Rutherford (2006) has examined the changes in international business discourse on the environment in more depth. He claims that there will be a progressive rise in environmental symbols, imagery, rhetoric and concepts within business discourse on the environment. (Rutherford: 2006: 85) In fact, other researchers in environmental discourse have already tried to define, in explicit terms, some of the most popular strategies used in discourse on the environment. One of them is Alexander (2009), who approaches the field from a critical discourse analysis perspective and finds numerous linguistic strategies which ensure an environmental friendly image. Another theorist is Mühlhäusler (2003), who has found several popular strategies connected to specific discourse types such as environmental advertisement. Retuning to Kress and van Leeuwen s (2001) prediction of new social practices, it seems there is a tendency for existing semiotic resources to be used for new purposes, and that this new social practice is already partly formulated and theorised in explicit terms across various theoretical fields. 3.2 PERSUASION IN MULTIMODAL TEXTS While Vestas, Suzlon s and GE s web-based films fall under the category of multimodal texts, they also belong to the promotional genre of advertisement. Thus, the following chapter will present theoretical frameworks which are useful to the characterisation of persuasion in multimodal texts. Persuasion has been described as: language that attempts to change or reconfirm the opinion and behaviours of an audience. (Halmari and Virtanen: 2005: 229) Consequently, it has been studied by many theorists through time from Aristotle (Hill: 1995) to recent contributors such as Gass and 14

15 Seiter (2007) and applied to a broad range of theoretical fields. From a multimodal perspective, persuasive language can be seen to comprise not only the verbal mode but also other semiotic modes with the ability to employ persuasive strategies. Kress and van Leeuwen (2006) have for instance explored markers of visual modality - or credibility - which are used to create persuasive images. Also Messaris (1997) has studied persuasion in the visual mode and discovered that images have the power to persuade in three ways: through iconicity, referring to images as icons, through indexicality, referring to images as documentation or visual truth, and through syntactic indeterminacy, referring to images inability to visualise relationships between things. (Messaris: 1997: vii-xiii). However, in the light of the present tendency for messages to be delivered in multimodal forms, there is a corresponding need for persuasion to be analysed across semiotic modes and across genres. In relation to this, Halmari and Virtanen (2005) have found that implicit persuasion is a more successful persuasive strategy than explicit persuasion. It is argued that: When one genre is used heavily for persuasive purposes, persuasion becomes explicit and looses some of its power. (Halmari and Virtanen: 2005: 230) In order to persuade implicitly, it is argued, the advertisement genre is changing its traditional linguistic, visual and generic forms. This process of change implies hybridisation, which refers to a maximisation of the intertextual gab, referring to the matching of texts, and a minimisation of the interdiscursive gab, which refers to the matching of genres (Halmari and Virtanen. 2005: 237). Therefore, when a text within the advertisement genre persuades implicitly, it maximises the intertextual gab, where it is not only language that changes but also other semiotic modes typical for the genre. As a result of these changes, the genre of advertisement starts to resemble other genres; the interdiscursive gab is minimised, and the result is new hybrid forms such as webmercials, infomercials, infortainment and advertorials. (Halmari and Virtanen: 2005: 221) In general, the theory is built around an understanding of persuasion as a dynamic and ever-changing phenomenon, which is highly influenced by the social and historical context in which it acts. 4. METHODOLOGY For an overview of the thesis methodology, see the table on page

16 There is no single theory which can provide the tools needed to answer the thesis research questions in a detailed and critical manner. Rather, and with this purpose in mind, it has proven necessary to combine a number of theories and, in so doing, enrich the analysis with perspectives that are essential to the thesis particular research field. The following chapter presents the choices of theories and explains how they will be used to answer the thesis questions. One theoretical framework which is particularly relevant for the comparative multimodal analysis is Iedema s (2001) metafunctional approach to filmic texts. Its strength lies in its well-structured, multi-layered method for analysing meaning-making elements in dynamic texts across the three metafunctions: representation, orientation and organisation. In addition to this, meaning-making is seen to transcend semiotic modes such as image, language and sound. Yet, the framework is restricted to a somewhat imprecise method for analysing meaning-making at a deeper, metafunctional level. Due to its original focus on hospital documentaries, it does not provide an adequate method for analysing, in detail, the meanings of each semiotic mode employed in Vestas, Suzlon s and GE s webmercials. For this reason, Iedema s approach to filmic texts is used as an umbrella framework which structures the comparative analysis according to the tripartite focus and makes sure that the purpose of analysing each metafunction is reached. Then, at each metafunctional level, additional theories are applied to analyse and compare the communicative means behind specific semiotic modes and multimodal choices. All together, the theories help answer especially the first thesis question: which multimodal choices have Vestas, Suzlon, and GE made use of with the aim of promoting wind energy and their brands? 29 At the representational level of analysis, this thesis question is addressed with a focus on the affordances of each individual mode - image, language and sound - and their abilities to promote wind energy and the companies brands. Visually, the analysis will include Kress and van Leeuwen s Grammar of Visual Design (2006) to examine how associations and symbolic meanings suggested through the visual representations help promote wind energy and the companies brands. In addition to this, it has proven necessary to apply van Leeuwen s understanding of metaphors as being multimodal (van Leeuwen: 2005: 29-31). The meaning-making elements employed in the verbal mode are identified and analysed by use of Halliday s systemic-functional linguistics which, at this level of analysis, is concerned with circumstantial roles and concept taxonomies (Kasch: 29 Like the comparative analysis of Vestas, Suzlon s and GE s multimodal choices is structured according to Iedema s approach to filmic texts, the tables of the webmercials Appendices no. 2-7 are metafunctionally ordered as well. 16

17 2005). And finally, the aural mode is seen to employ meaning through sound and music. Here, van Leeuwen s findings (van Leeuwen: 2006), that sound can plant certain associations in the listener, is used to analyse how wind energy and the brands are promoted via sound and music. At an orientational level, the metafunctional approach recognises that multimodal communication is an act between the sender and the receiver. Accordingly, the analysis will concentrate on how Vestas, Suzlon, and GE have used the visual and the aural modes to position the viewers in relations to wind energy and the companies brands. Additionally, it is interesting to analyse how the companies have chosen to position themselves. Visually, the relationships are analysed according to Kress and van Leeuwen s Grammar of Visual Design (2006) with a focus on the types of contact, the social distances and the attitudes constructed. Sound-wise, van Leeuwen finds that: sound is dynamic: it can move us towards or away from a certain position, it can change our relation to what we hear. (van Leeuwen: 2006: 184) Therefore, the sound elements will be analysed according to the social distance they create, and the perspective by which they are hierarchised in the films as either Figure, Ground or Field (van Leeuwen: 2006). In extension to Iedema s (2001) analysis of sounds at the orientational level, I find it relevant to apply Halliday s systemic-functional linguistics to analyse the voice-over s speech track. Especially, the analysis will look at the positional functions of the sentence structures and the process types employed (Kasch: 2005). At the organisational level, the analysis focuses on the webmercials semiotic structures and rhythmic units to determine how meaning-making elements are linked and distributed across semiotic modes. The understanding of the complexity of the semiotic mode s interrelations and interplay originates from Stöckl (2004). He has discovered that these inter-modal relations are rarely fixed or uncomplicated because of modes and sub-modes tendency to overlap and mix in communicative acts. With this complexity in mind, I have chosen to analyse the films semiotic structures and rhythmic units according to van Leeuwen s theory of information linking (van Leeuwen: 2005). Furthermore, Kress and van Leeuwen s (2006: ) theory on information value and the meanings behind Ideal and Real information units is here extended to a method for analysing dynamic texts. By use of these methods, it becomes possible to analyse in more depth the nature of the relationships between the semiotic modes and the structuring of meaning-making elements. 17

18 The second thesis question - How do these multimodal choices affect the persuasive messages of the corporate multimodal presentations? - is addressed in a discussion of persuasion as being more or less explicit and implicit as a result of various multimodal choices. The distinction of explicit and implicit persuasion in promotional discourse originates from Halmari and Virtanen, who argue that: Over the decades, together with the familiarisation of the product, linguistically explicit persuasion has become obsolete. (Halmari & Virtanen: 2005: 236). Based on this understanding, Halmari and Virtanen found that the need for implicit persuasion in advertisements has caused changes in the genre s language, visual form, and generic structure. Thus, the characterisation of persuasion as being explicit or implicit is seen to transcend genres and semiotic modes. In this manner, the framework matches Iedema s approach to multimodal texts in its recognition that persuasion is a dynamic process and that it, like meaning, takes place across semiotic modes. In continuation to this, the theory of implicit and explicit persuasion is relevant to apply due to its central argument that changes in the advertisement genre have taken place because of a constant dialogue between the genre and its target audience. By dialogue Halmari and Virtanen mean how changes in consumer s habits and a familiarisation with the products have been answered by changes in the advertisement genre s persuasive messages (Halmari and Virtanen: 2005: 236). This is an interesting observation because Vestas, Suzlon s and GE s films can be characterised as commercials. They thereby belong to a genre which, according to Halmari and Virtanen, needs to revitalise its discourse-organisational form and persuade implicitly in order to convince its target audiences of its messages. At the same time, however, the environmental theme is rather new to the target audiences and this would speak for the films usage of explicit persuasion to convince the target audiences of the benefits of wind energy and the companies brands. 4.1 LIMITATIONS OF METHODOLOGY I recognise, however, that there are limitations connected to both Iedema s approach to filmic texts and Halmari and Virtanen s theory of implicit and explicit persuasion. First of all, one central premise of Iedema s social semiotics approach to filmic texts is the subjective interpretation; while one meaning is employed in the webmercials, there is a risk that another meaning is retrieved by the reader. Nevertheless, it is important to stress the fact that the thesis questions are concerned with the senders usage of the semiotic resources to persuade the viewers. That is, the thesis focuses on 18

19 their multimodal choices, rather than on the analyst s subjective interpretation of the films. 30 At the same time, the identification and interpretation of these multimodal choices is a prerequisite for the analysis and for this reason, I see the subjective interpretation as a potential consequence of Iedema s theoretical framework. Secondly, Halmari and Virtanen s theory of persuasion in promotional discourse is limited to a characterisation of persuasion as being either explicit or implicit. However, other theories, such as Massaris visual persuasion (1997) and Kress and van Leeuwen s modality markers (2006), do not recognise the fact that persuasion happens at a multimodal level, where texts are in constant change and dialogue with their target audiences. In that way, Halmari and Virtanen s theory provides a contemporary viewpoint and method for analysing persuasion. 30 According to van Leeuwen, whose research also takes a social semiotics approach, the social semiotics approach requires a focus which is not on recipients understanding or interpretation of the meaning-making elements of a given text, but on the meaning potential of the semiotic resources and the usage of these. Source: Reistaetter, J., Rheindorf, M. & van Leeuwen, T., (Spring 2005). Media discourse: Social Semiotics and the study of multimodal discourse. An interview with Theo van Leeuwen. (p. 3) Cited from ( ): 19

20 Stöckl: complexity and interrelation of semiotic modes and sub-modes. Bordwell: film terms Social Semiotics Approach Iedema s Metafunctions Representation Visually: Kress and van Leeuwen: associations and symbolic meaning Van Leeuwen: metaphors Verbally: Halliday: circumstantial roles and concept taxonomy Musically and sound-wise: Van Leeuwen: associations through sound Orientation Visually: Kress and van Leeuwen: types of contacts, social distances, attitudes Halmari and Virtanen s Theory of Persuasion Explicit and implicit persuasion Consequence of implicit persuasion: change of language, visual form, generic structure Sound-wise: Van Leeuwen: social distance and perspective through sound Halliday: sentence structures and process types Organisation Semiotic structures and rhythmic units: Van Leeuwen: information linking Kress and van Leeuwen: information value Ideal/Real Overview of methodology 20

21 5. ANALYSIS Based on these methodologies, the analysis will compare and analyse Vestas, Suzlon s and GE s multimodal choices in the promotional discourse of wind energy and the companies brands. It will do so by analysing meaning-making at the three metafunctional stages: representation, orientation and organisation. Based on these findings, the chapter will then discuss how these multimodal choices affect the persuasive messages of the webmercials. This will be done with a focus on persuasion as being more or less implicit and explicit in the webmercials. 5.1 REPRESENTATIONAL MEANING-MAKING This first level of analysis involves comparing and analysing how wind energy and the companies brands are represented visually, verbally, musically and sound-wise. Or said in another way, it will regard language, image and sound as functional elements in Vestas, Suzlon s and GE s webmercials VISUALLY At a first glance, Vestas, Suzlon and GE use a somewhat similar strategy to communicate the benefits of wind energy and their brands in the visual mode. In each of the webmercials, the companies wind turbines are depicted in close connection with nature. 31 According to Mühlhäuler, this is a popular rhetoric strategy in much environmental advertisement which is called metonymy. In the visual mode, it is the strategy of presenting a company s product or brand as part of or next to images of unspoiled nature and, in that way, establish a clear link between the two objects (Mühlhäusler: 2003: 164, 167). Thus, the visual mode is used to express the interdependent relationship between the brands and the environment, thereby positioning the brands as environmental friendly and the products as part of nature. In GE s webmercial, this strategy is even more pronounced. Here, the sun is used as a symbolic attribute to transfer symbolic meaning to the carrier - the wind turbines and thereby to wind energy 31 Appendix no. 2, frames: 3, 4, 6, and 14. Appendix no. 3-6, frames: 8, 9, 10 and 3, 4, 5. Appendix no. 7, frames: 10, 11, 13, 17, 18 and

22 in general (Kress and van Leeuwen: 2006: 105). 32 The symbolic meaning suggested through the sun - enlightenment and that of being the centre of the universe has the function of describing wind energy as an essential solution to the world s energy challenge. In comparison, Suzlon has chosen to use a visual metaphor to persuade the viewers of the benefits of wind energy. Based on van Leeuwen s understanding that metaphor is the idea of transference (van Leeuwen: 2005:30), it becomes clear how the food (an apple, lemonade, a pie, an ice-cream) is a metaphor for energy resources. And, like the relationship between the symbolic attribute and the carrier, the function of the metaphor is to highlight certain benefits of wind energy. First of all, it is seen to benefit all human beings (children, adults, men and women). Second of all, wind energy is seen as analogous to food. Wind energy is thereby describes as one of human beings most a basic need and positioned as the key to the world s survival. However, in terms of the companies brands, the visual mode is used to promote different benefits. In contrast to Suzlon, GE and Vestas have chosen not only to depict the finished product, but also the making or repair of wind turbines together with working employees. 33 The associations suggested through these visual representations are service and professionalism, thereby communicating also functional benefits of the brands. In continuation to this, wind energy and the brand s benefits are communicated visually by illustrating the process from harnessing the raw wind and turning it into the usable electricity we all know and are so dependent on. In that way, Vestas and GE are depicted as the facilitators who have the skills needed to harness raw wind and turn it into electricity VERBALLY In GE s webmercial, the preposition of is used as a circumstantial role to represent the benefits of wind energy. Examples are: the power of wind, the potential of the wind, and majestic revolution of the blades of just seven turbines. 34 The purpose is to indirectly link positive benefits to wind energy and to avoid evaluative vocabulary. In comparison, Vestas makes use of evaluative vocabulary and promotes wind energy by use of adjectives such as: sustainable, predictable, clean, and modern. The latter adjective is an example of concept taxonomy where the concepts wind energy and modern energy are ordered into the same categorial relation and assumes 32 Appendix no. 7, frames: 10, 11, 18, and Appendix no. 2, frames: 5, 10 and 11. Appendix no. 7, frames: 14 and Appendix, no. 7, frames: 5, 8, 14 and