Analyzing the advertising content through qualitative methods

The main goal of the study is to point out the need to use a multidisciplinary approach in the analysis of advertising content. The scope of the study includes the use of qualitative methods for data collection in advertising research, the role and importance of applied semiotic analysis of advertising text. Recommendations for the use of primary qualitative data are formulated to overcome the subjective point of view of the researcher. Special attention is paid to the use of reduced focus groups, arguing the relevance of the European approach in designing and conducting them in relation to the objectives of advertising analysis. The scope of the proposed study includes two different advertisements of two competing beer brands on the Bulgarian market. Based on quality data collected through a reduced focus group, the meanings that respondents attach to the signs used in the tested advertisements are derived, and a semiotic analysis procedure concludes the differences in perceptions of female audiences of these two brands. The results of the research can be used as guidelines for conducting preliminary advertising tests conducted with limited research resources related to the study of the perception of the elements included in the advertising text and their role in consumer evaluations of advertising. Also, the results obtained can be considered when designing a research tool to collect quantitative data for preliminary advertising tests.