the communication of heritage - au...

The Communication of Heritage

How Swiss watch companies communicate their heritage

on the Web site

Author: Laura Baum (402988)

Advisor: Mona Agerholm Andersen

September 2011

Number of characters excl. blanks: 152,447

Master thesis: Master of Arts in Corporate Communication

Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University

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Executive Summar y

The communication of the deeply embedded roots of a company in form of heritage

has turned into a matter of course for companies, as they are daily pressured to build

customer loyalty and to develop unique differentiation potential. As products become more

innovative, customers become increasingly cautions about them and want to know more

about the company. In order to reveal credibility and accountability to consumers, companies

communicate their heritage. Since the purpose is to examine how companies communicate

their heritage, as well as to give aspirations to other companies on how to optimize the

communication of heritage on the Web site, the use of a qualitative methodology was chosen

for this thesis. This thesis regards the communication of heritage as a strategic way to

differentiate from competition in a unique way, by analyzing the three Web sites of leading

matchmaking companies in the Swiss watch industry; Omega, Patek Philippe and Rolex.

Furthermore, the thesis is based on a qualitative analysis with the method of hermeneutics.

While the theoretical perspective focuses on theories such as differentiation, online

communication, branding, heritage, semiotics and rhetoric, the theories will form the basis for

the analytical model, which I will apply for analysis. Thus, the analysis is based on three

different focus areas namely online branding, rhetorical strategies and heritage. In addition,

the heritage construct of Balmer, Greyser and Urde (2007) has functioned as a fundamental

element of this thesis. For the analysis, the Web sites are analyzed individually and then

compared to each other to reveal similarities and differences to ultimately form

recommendations based on the analysis and theory how to communicate heritage on Web

sites.

The findings in this thesis show that all three companies use specific communication

strategies and tools to communicate their heritage on the Web site. Based on the analysis

and the theory, this thesis illustrates distinct heritage elements and tools that should be

communicated to successfully communicate heritage on the Web site: Heritage as a main

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driver for success combined with innovation; heritage communicated in the light of the past,

present and the future; core values matching the respective core identity; unique attributes

attached to the products; the founder of the company as a factor for success; and storytelling

as a key tool to communicate the heritage.

Key Words: Online communication, differentiation, branding, heritage, semiotics, and

rhetoric.

IV

Acknowledgements

The thesis was written for the Aarhus University, Aarhus School of Business, Master

program in Corporate Communication. The writing process has been very extensive and

demanded hard work and commitment to make it something to be proud of. I am happy to

have gained knew knowledge in the field of corporate communication and I hope this thesis

gives new insights and valuable ideas for future research.

I would like to thank everyone who has helped me in different ways to make this thesis

happen. I would like to thank my supervisor Mona Agerholm Andersen for her continuous

support and constructive feedback throughout the writing process. Secondly, I would like to

thank the Aarhus School of Business in Aarhus, Denmark for extending my knowledge.

Lastly, I would like to thank my wonderful family and friends for their love and support

throughout the journey.

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“It is often said that you are better equipped to face the future if you know

your past.”

(Fog, Budtz, Munich and Blanchette, 2010:110)

Table of contents

VI

Table of contents

Executive Summary................................ ................................ ...................... II

Acknowledgements ................................ ................................ .................... IV

Table of contents ................................ ................................ ........................ VI

List of figures ................................ ................................ .............................. IX

List of tables ................................ ................................ ............................... IX

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction ................................ ................................ ........................ 1

1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT .................................................................................. 3

1.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................................................ 3

1.3 THEORETICAL TRADITIONS AND CURRENTS OF THOUGHTS ............................... 4

1.4 LIMITATIONS ................................................................................................. 6

1.5 STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS .......................................................................... 8

1.6 LITERATURE SEARCH .................................................................................... 9

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Theoretical Background ................................ ................................ .. 10

2.1 DIFFERENTIATION ....................................................................................... 10 2.1.1 Drivers of uniqueness ...................................................................... 11

2.2 ONLINE COMMUNICATION ............................................................................ 11 2.2.1 Global marketing and Web site studies ............................................ 12

2.2.2 Critical approach to global marketing and Web site studies ............. 14

2.3 ONLINE BRANDING...................................................................................... 16 2.3.1 Concept of branding ........................................................................ 16

2.3.2 The corporate brand ........................................................................ 17 2.3.3 Online Branding ............................................................................... 19

2.3.4 Summary of section on branding ..................................................... 20

2.4 HERITAGE .................................................................................................. 20 2.4.1 Heritage Branding ............................................................................ 21

2.4.2 Heritage and History ........................................................................ 26 2.4.3 Definition of Brand Heritage ............................................................. 27 2.4.4 Elements of Brand Heritage ............................................................. 27 2.4.5 Product design, communication and history itself............................. 32

Table of contents

VII

2.4.6 Storytelling ....................................................................................... 32

2.4.7 Heritage Communication ................................................................. 33 2.4.8 Summary of heritage section ........................................................... 34

2.5 SEMIOTICS ................................................................................................. 35 2.5.1 Saussere’s Theory ........................................................................... 36

2.5.2 Peirce’s Theory ................................................................................ 36 2.5.3 Difference between the models........................................................ 37 2.5.4 Visual semiotics ............................................................................... 37

2.5.5 Denotation and connotation ............................................................. 37

2.6 RHETORICAL STRATEGIES ........................................................................... 38 2.6.1 Verbal strategies .............................................................................. 39

2.6.2 Visual strategies .............................................................................. 40 2.6.3 Logos, Pathos, Ethos ....................................................................... 41

2.7 SUMMARY AND ANALYTICAL MODEL FOR ANALYSIS ........................................ 43

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Methodology ................................ ................................ ..................... 46

3.1 ANALYTICAL APPROACH .............................................................................. 46

3.2 THEORETICAL APPROACH ............................................................................ 47 3.2.1 Hermeneutics .................................................................................. 47

3.3 THESIS EMPIRICAL FOUNDATION .................................................................. 48

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Analysis ................................ ................................ ............................. 51

4.1 OMEGA ...................................................................................................... 52 4.1.1 Analysis of Omega........................................................................... 52

4.2 PATEK PHILIPPE ......................................................................................... 60 4.2.1 Analysis of Patek Philippe ................................................................ 61

4.3 ROLEX ....................................................................................................... 69 4.3.1 Analysis of Rolex ............................................................................. 69

4.4 SUMMARY .................................................................................................. 76

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 Comparison ................................ ................................ ...................... 77

5.1 ONLINE BRANDING ...................................................................................... 78

5.2 RHETORICAL STRATEGIES ........................................................................... 80

5.3 HERITAGE .................................................................................................. 83

Table of contents

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CHAPTER SIX

6.0 Conclusion and recommendations ................................ ................. 87

CHAPTER SEVEN

7.0 Further research ................................ ................................ ............... 92

References ................................ ................................ ................................ ... X

Appendix A: OMEGA ................................ ................................ .................. XI

Appendix B: Patek Philippe ................................ ................................ ...... XII

Appendix C: Rolex ................................ ................................ .................... XIII

Appendix D: Trusted Watch (2011) ................................ ......................... XIV

List of figures and tables

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List of figures

FIGURE 1: BRAND STEWARDSHIP MODEL: THE ELEMENTS OF BRAND HERITAGE ............................... 29

FIGURE 2: ANALYSIS MODEL ............................................................................................................. 45

FIGURE 3: OMEGA LOGO (SOURCE: WWW.OMEGA.COM)................................................................. 52

FIGURE 4: PATEK PHILIPPE LOGO (SOURCE: WWW.PATEK.COM) ....................................................... 60

FIGURE 5: ROLEX LOGO (SOURCE: WWW.ROLEX.COM) ..................................................................... 69

List of tables

TABLE 1: BRAND HERITAGE AND RELATED CONSTRUCTS ................................................................... 23

TABLE 2: CLASSIFICATION OF RHETORICAL DEVICES FOUND IN ARGUMENTS ACCORDING TO THEIR

FUNCTION INTO LOGOS, PATHOS AND ETHOS DEVICES ............................................................. 43

TABLE 3: FOCUS AREAS FOR ANALYSIS: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES ........................................... 78

TABLE 4: IDENTITY, CORE VALUES AND UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES ............................................................ 79

TABLE 5: RHETORICAL STRATEGIES: VERBAL TOOLS – SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES ..................... 81

TABLE 6: RHETORICAL STRATEGIES: VISUAL TOOLS – SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES ...................... 83

TABLE 7: HERITAGE – SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES ...................................................................... 86

TABLE 8: COMMON CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................... 90

TABLE 9: RECOMMENDATIONS ONLINE BRANDING........................................................................... 90

TABLE 10: RECOMMENDATIONS RHETORICAL STRATEGIES ............................................................... 91

TABLE 11: RECOMMENDATIONS HERITAGE ....................................................................................... 91

Introduction

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Chapter One

1.0 Introduction

Strong competition, high fixed costs and shorter product life cycles lead to increased

competitive pressure among companies across the world (Herbrand and Roehrig, 2006:4).

Companies change, internationalize, experience mergers and acquisitions, form alliances

and deal with the challenges of innovation, mobility and flexibility at the same time (Buehler

and Duerig, 2010:21). In these turbulent times, consumers want to know more about the

company than just about the products and search for a feeling of authenticity and credibility,

which is deeply rooted in a company’s heritage.

Heritage, the deeply embedded roots of a company, has the potential to provide

distinct characteristics, which can add to the brand’s value proposition with depth,

authenticity and credibility, especially when the heritage is re-interpreted in a present light

(Aaker, 2004:7). A company infused with a rich heritage possesses key elements that help

companies to survive these turbulent times, while at the same time differentiating it from

competitors in a unique way (Balmer, Greyser and Urde, 2007:12-13). However, to

effectively communicate its heritage, a company must emphasize it as a key component of

its identity and positioning (ibid.). Some brands advertise with a ‘heritage of innovation’,

which gives companies the advantage of being heritage, while at the same time being

innovative to avoid being perceived as old (Aaker, 1996:37-38). Nonetheless, companies

often undervalue the potential of differentiation through the communication of heritage.

Heritage communicated in light of the past, the present and the future (Balmer, Greyser and

Urde, 2007:8), combined with innovation, companies can build a strong relationship with

customers. Still, heritage as a way to communicate a distinctive identity in the eye of the

consumer is considered young and emergent for many companies.

Introduction

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The watch industry is a dynamic and highly competitive global industry with greatest

rivalry among competing watchmaking companies. With the increase of new technologies

and innovation and a growing number of companies and products, watch companies need to

find a gap to build customer loyalty and unique differentiation potential (Balmer, Greyser and

Urde, 2007:11). Thus, they are pressured daily to assure greatest quality and excellence to

communicate a feeling of trust to their customers. There are several watch making

companies worldwide; however, „Swiss made“ watches symbolize the idea of highest quality

that has been created over the years (Federation of Swiss watch industry FH, 2011). Omega,

Patek Philippe and Rolex belong to the most prestigious watchmaking companies in the

Swiss watch industry and according to TrustedWatch (2011), they present the best Web sites

in the watch industry. All three watchmaking companies manufacture „high-quality

timepieces“ and have succeeded in maintaining a leading position through both traditional

manufacturing and new innovation (ibid.).

One of the ways these leading companies can differentiate themselves from their

competitors is to communicate their heritage. A channel that is most favorable and highly

used by these three is their respective Web site. Even though all three operate in the same

industry, the three brands use to some degree different communication strategies and tools

to communicate their heritage on their Web site. Since the Internet offers immediate access

for intensive communication with a global audience, the Web site gives companies the

optimum presence on the web to reach relevant customers (Buehler and Duerig, 2010:98).

Therefore, it is interesting to examine how leading brands in the Swiss watch industry

communicate their heritage to form recommendations based on the analysis of the Web sites

and the theory to define how to communicate heritage on the Web site. This study gives

aspirations to other companies how to optimize the communication of heritage on the Web

site, by adapting the optimum communication strategy of heritage.

While the practical usefulness of the thesis is likely to be seen most immediately for the

watch industry, its subject is one of wide interest. Companies can use the recommendations

Introduction

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collected from the analysis and theory to improve their heritage communication strategy.

Moreover, the recommendations given for companies can be taken as inspiration by other

industries to optimize the communication of their heritage. Companies need to take on the

challenge of communicating their roots for more transparency and to find a way to

differentiate in a unique and incomparable way (Lewis, 2003).

1.1 Problem Statement

Based on the introduction above, the aim of this thesis is to examine how Omega,

Patek Philippe and Rolex communicate their heritage on their Web sites to find similarities

and differences deriving from the analysis and the theoretical background to ultimately form

recommendations of how to best communicate heritage on the Web site within this industry.

This leads me to the thesis problem statement:

How do the Swiss watchmaking companies Omega, Patek Philippe, and

Rolex communicate their heritage on the Web site to differentiate themselves

from each other in a unique way?

1.2 Research Questions

In order to answer the research problem, certain conditions need to be investigated.

First, I need to examine how these companies identify themselves in light of heritage and

what core values they communicate. Then, I will have to look at rhetorical strategies that they

use to convince the consumers of their products and lastly, I will have to identify heritage

elements that are communicated.

Introduction

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This leads me to a number of questions that I will have to focus on to answer the

problem statement of this thesis: Research Question1:

What identity and core values are communicated on the Web site?

Research Question 2:

Which rhetorical communication strategies are used on the Web site?

Research Question 3:

What heritage elements are communicated on the Web site?

To help me answer the aforementioned questions, I will base the analysis on theories

of leading researchers in the field of differentiation, online communication, branding,

heritage, semiotics, and rhetoric. The theories will form the basis for the analytical model,

which I will apply to analyze the three different company Web sites of Omega, Patek Philippe

and Rolex from a hermeneutic perspective. I will begin to analyze the Web sites individually

and then compare the findings to identify similarities and differences. Based on the analyses

of the Web sites and the established theoretical background, I will form recommendations of

how to best communicate heritage on the Web site.

1.3 Theoretical traditions and currents of thoughts

In this thesis, I will include the primary theory and orientation of leading researchers in

the field of differentiation, online communication, branding, heritage, semiotics and rhetoric to

examine how companies communicate their heritage on their Web site.

To give a short introduction, I will mention the literature that I will review and discuss

extensively in the literature review of this study. Firstly, I will review the concept and theory of

differentiation. I will begin to address the issue of online communication and Web sites

studies to discuss if companies should have a globalized Web site or one that is culturally

Introduction

5

adapted to illustrate rather denotative or connotative images needed to persuade the

customer. I will mention the theories of Singh and Pereira (2005) that were the first to discuss

the importance of cultural differences of Corporate Web sites next to Robbins and Styliano

(2003), Lindstrom (2001) and David Aaker (2004). I will review these theories to eventually

reveal if the Swiss watch companies communicate global (denotative) or local (connotative)

elements that are then summarized to find out if these companies adapt their Web sites

according to cultural patterns. In order to discuss and critique the views, I will include further

theorists.

I will then go on to discuss how the Web sites brand themselves online and include the

theories of leading researchers in the field of branding such as Aaker (2004), Kay (2006),

and other experts in the branding literature. I will review online branding to examine the

importance of communicating a unique identity in light of heritage and to show why

companies need to communicate distinct core values on their Web site.

To reveal why heritage plays such a valuable role for companies, the field of brand

heritage and heritage communication will be discussed. Balmer, Greyser and Urde (2007),

three well-known branding and corporate marketing scholars, and also the views and models

of Wiedmann, Hennings, Schmidt and Wuestefeld (2011), Buß (2007), Aaker (2004), and

other scholars will be reviewed. Balmer, Greyser and Urde developed a model to reveal

heritage elements in a brand. This model will be part of the analysis model to identify

heritage elements such as track record, longevity, core values, use of symbols and history

important to identity that companies communicate on their Web site and how they

communicate these elements. The literature of Buehler and Duerig (2008) and Fog, Budtz,

Munich and Blanchette (2010) will also be looked at to examine the importance of heritage

communication and storytelling as an effective tool to communicate the heritage to

consumers.

Finally, I will include the theory of semiotics and different rhetorical strategies to review

how companies persuade the consumers verbally and visually on the Web sites. I will include

Introduction

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the different views of Saussere and Peirce, the two leading theorists in this field. In addition,

appeal forms such as logos, pathos, ethos will be included to classify rhetorical devices and

to analyze these. Within the rhetorical devices, I will follow the theories of Aristotle’s Rhetoric

in Volmari (2009), Hoffman and Ford (2010), Warnick (2007), Chandler (2007), Frandsen,

Johansen and Nielsen (2002), and others. The actual tools for the analysis are denotation

and connotation, appeal forms (logos, pathos and ethos), and verbal and visual rhetorical

strategies. I will explain all the above theories in the literature review and develop an

analytical model based on these theories and models to analyze the empirical material.

1.4 Limitations

At the outset, it is essential to state that this study is limited in several aspects. The

study limits itself to research the Web sites of companies in the watch industry. The main

reason for this is that the watch industry is a very traditional, heritage oriented industry and

matches the orientation of this thesis.

While there is wide disagreement if Web sites should be adapted or not, this thesis

acknowledges the issue of globalization versus localization. Thus, the thesis recognizes

differences of the consumers in each country in form of a heterogeneous communication

strategy; however, this thesis takes both views of the two conflicting approaches into

consideration, which includes both connotative and denotative elements to the right degree

used to persuade the customer.

Secondly, I will view online branding as a marketing discipline to identify the identity

that these companies communicate in light of heritage and core values they reveal. I will not

concentrate on the corporate image or reputation.

The focus on heritage in this thesis will be based on heritage branding, as this concept

addresses the heritage in form of the past, the present and the future. When identifying

heritage elements and rhetorical communication strategies, I selected the most valuable

Introduction

7

elements for analysis after establishing and discussing the theory. Due to the aim of a

detailed analysis of the three companies, only selected elements have been chosen for

analysis and argued for in the theory. Therefore, the thesis excludes other factors that would

have been not valuable for answering the problem statement.

Lastly, I selected the heritage construct of Balmer, Greyser and Urde (2007) as part of

my analysis model, since well-known researchers in the field have used the model before.

Furthermore, the thesis focuses on the communication of heritage; therefore, I will not

focus on other areas such as consumer perceptions.

Introduction

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1.5 Structure of the thesis

The thesis consists of seven chapters of which each has its own focus and all chapters

build on each other.

Chapter One gives an introduction of the thesis and presents the problem statement

and research questions of the thesis. The first chapter concludes with the primary theory and

orientation of leading researchers in the research area. Chapter one concludes with the

limitations, the structure of the thesis and the literature search.

Chapter Two gives a comprehensive description of theories and the discussion of

theories in the research area to develop the analytical model for analysis.

Chapter Three exposes the methodology of this thesis. First, the analytical approach

and the theoretical approach will be presented, which will be used to perform the research

and the analysis method. The chapter concludes with the empirical foundation of this study.

Chapter Four reveals the individual analysis of the Web sites of Omega, Patek

Philippe and Rolex based on the analysis model.

Chapter Five elucidates the findings of the individual analysis and compares these to

illustrate the main similarities and differences of the communication strategies of the

companies based on the analysis and the theoretical background.

Chapter Six summarizes the findings based on the analysis and the theoretical

background in form of recommendations and presents the elements and tools that other

companies in the same industry should focus on.

Chapter Seven exposes ideas and suggestions for further research.

Introduction

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1.6 Literature Search

For the literature review, multiple tools have been used such as scholar articles,

magazines, books and relevant magazines. Credible articles were found on Aarhus

University, Aarhus School of Business electronic library called ‚Business Source Complete’.

Other methods utilized to find relevant literature included the cited work of researchers within

the relevant research area. The most dominant search words were: differentiation, online

communication, branding, heritage, semiotics and rhetoric.

Theoretical Background

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Chapter Two

2.0 Theoretical Background

The literature review examines the theoretical fields within the communication of

heritage: differentiation, online communication, branding, heritage, semiotics and rhetoric.

This chapter gives a comprehensive description and discussion within theories of leading

researchers in the research area and links the concepts with each other to develop an

analytical model used to analyze the communication of heritage of companies on their Web

site.

2.1 Differentiation

With regard to the formulated problem statement of the thesis “How do the Swiss

watchmaking companies Omega, Patek Philippe, and Rolex communicate their heritage on

the Web site to differentiate themselves from each other in a unique way?” it is of value to

present the concept and theory of differentiation and the term unique ahead of revealing the

literature creating such differentiation.

A company can differentiate itself from their competitors when it provides something

unique to customers (Grant, 2010:247). Differentiation is about uniqueness and includes

every aspect of the way in which a company relates to its consumers. The business strategy

is to develop an experience, which senses a feeling of belonging to customers. Emotional,

psychological, exclusivity, status are all motivational factors, according to Grant (2010:248).

Differentiation offers uniqueness to consumers, which might relate to quality (e.g. BMW),

consistency (e.g. Mc Donald’s), reliability (e.g. Federal Express), and innovation (e.g. Sony)


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(ibid.). Maintaining reliability of differentiation is ultimately dependent on a company’s ability

to live the values embodied in the images with which its products are associated. However, a

company does not differentiate because its logo or symbol is different than that of a

competitor (Ormeno, 2007:12). Kotler (2000:394) implies that consumers perceive

differences among brands in the same product categories and in the terms of unique

features or one singular outstanding feature. According to Babacan and Koker (2008),

differentiation between competitors does not only mean to deliver messages about value to

the target audiences. Babacan and Koker also identify the effectiveness of communication as

a key driver for differentiation. Nowadays, almost everything can be copied; however, the

heritage of a company is so individual and unique that it provides highest differentiation

potential (Buehler and Duerig, 2010:37).

2.1.1 Drivers of uniqueness

A companies’ opportunity to create uniqueness can derive from everything it does.

Wiedmann, Hennings, Schmidt and Wuestefeld (2011:10) reveal that the factor unique is

“related to the perceived singularity of a brand, its clear, unique positioning in the consumer’s

view”. Consumers perceive the brand in combination of uniqueness and inimitability.

2.2 Online communication

To show why it is necessary to communicate heritage on the corporate Web site, I will

discuss the need of online communication and within that the problem of globalization versus

localization. Since the purpose of this thesis is to understand how companies use Web sites

to communicate their heritage, the current trend of the use of the Internet and Web site

studies needs to be reviewed. Furthermore, within the focus on globalized and customized

Web sites, a review of denotative and connotative images will be presented at the end of the


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theoretical review.

2.2.1 Global marketing and Web site studies

A developing trend in recent literature is to use the Internet, in order to develop global

marketing communications for companies (Robbins and Stylianou, 2003:210). A highly

competitive and fast-changing environment pressures companies to effectively use the

Internet as a competitive advantage. Today, conducting business worldwide has become a

matter of course for companies that want to communicate their image and identity on a

global basis and the corporate Web site is a cheap and competitive alternative to

communicate the company’s past, present and future to stakeholders (Balmer, Greyser and

Urde, 2007:8). Gerber (1993) explains that the Internet is readily available and all companies

can use it to conduct business and to communicate with stakeholders. The nature of the

Internet has given companies the opportunity to reach global consumers and to reach

customers worldwide. Thus, the Internet has an immense power to create rich information

and the ability to send out a credible image and identity, independent of the language and

culture of the user (Robbins and Stylianou, 2003).

The medium Internet offers instant worldwide access and companies need to decide if

they offer a Web site in one global language or if they consider a globalised or localized Web

site strategy across countries in form of denotative or connotative images. According to

Chandler (2007:137), denotative images can be recognized worldwide, independent of the

cultural background, while connotative images are interpreted depending on country-of-origin

(Panofsky, 1970:51). Web site messages are designed to attract and retain visitors and can

be reached in some extent through Web site customization (Warnick, 2007:26). Barbara

Warnick, with a reserach emphasis in rhetorical theory and online public discourse,

discusses that the “Web text is made up of modules – HTML code, images, media clips,

chunks of text, hyperlinks, and other components” (36). As examples she uses online


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political campaigns, which have been successful in using Web sites as a medium to establish

a relationship with people and to promote identification (Warwick, 2007:71).

According to Warwick (2007:26), users of the Internet interpret and experience

messages and texts according to their personal needs and preferences, Warwick reveals the

Web as an optimum medium to persuade consumers (Warwick, 2007:27). However, Warwick

also describes online messages as not being consistent, but rather as fragmented and ever-

changing, since the contexts change and reshape on a regular basis (Warwick, 2007:27).

Singh and Pereira (2005:97) see the Internet as a worldwide playground for small and

large businesses without national boundaries. However, the two researchers do not see the

Internet as a medium of instant globalization. They argue that it is culture and language that

make the global market non-homogeneous. Even though the Internet can reach consumers

no matter where they come from, Singh and Pereira explain that Web sites need to be

adapted to the national market. While it is not a new topic in marketing literature, Singh and

Pereira are the first to debate the importance of cultural differences on global Web sites. To

support their view, they base their framework on Hofstede’s (1980) and Hall’s (1976) well-

known cultural value dimensions: Individualism-Collectivism, Power distance, Uncertainty

Avoidance, Masculinity-Femininity, and Low-and High-Context. Hofstede’s (1980) research

reveals the basic dimensions of how people perceive the world differently, and works the

same way for Web sites (Singh and Pereira, 2005:99). Within the dimensions, the adaptation

of color, environment and language must be culturally compatible. In sum, Singh and Pereira

stress the need that Web sites must be culturally customized in a diverse global market and

as a result communicate highly connotative images. Warwick (2007:27) agrees with this

view, as she outlines that consumers interpret texts depending on their preferences and

needs.

Levitt (1983) was one of the first to attract the issue of a global corporation and the

discussion for or against a standardized global approach (Kapferer, 2002). Various

researchers agree that even though the Internet redefines global barriers, a company has to


14

consider the local differences of brands over global brands (Kapferer, 2002). There are also

authors (Schuiling and Kapferer, 2004; Aaker, 1996;Gregory and Wiechmann, 2001) that

advocate local branding and found advantages in trust, reliability and traditional values of

consumer perceptions. Kapferer (2005) and Holt (2004) argue for a ‘glocal’ approach, which

combines globalization and localization.

One of the leading researcher in the field of product branding, David Aaker (1996), also

addresses the issue of globalization versus localization. He argues that corporate brands

have to follow a local or global orientation. On one hand, companies can be local and

position the brand in the eye of the proud local customer. On the other hand, being global

means that everyone can recognize the brand worldwide, prestige is attached to global

brands and potentially, worldwide recognition. Since everyone can get access to the Web

sites, one of the major challenges of heritage communication is to take into consideration the

different cultural aspects. Buehler and Duerig (2008:35), one of the first researchers to deal

with heritage communication, acknowledge cultural differences, but describe the

communication of heritage as an opportunity that helps stakeholders to identify with the

company and one that breaks down intercultural barriers.

2.2.2 Critical approach to global marketing and Web site studies

There are many theorists addressing the issue of globalization versus localization

(Singh and Pereira, 2005; Hofstede, 1980; Hall, 1976) and the need to culturally customize

Web sites to communicate to consumers worldwide. According to Singh and Pereira,

Hofstede and Hall, it is wise to adapt the communication strategy depending on culture and

country and to reveal connotative images. The study of Forrester Research in 2005 revealed

that consumers stay longer on a Web site and buy more if the content was adapted to their

native language (Singh and Pereira, 2005). These findings correspond with other theorists,

which state that pictures, images and other icons have different meanings across cultures

and also perceive colors differently (Russo and Boor, 1993). This recommends a high use of


15

connotative images and pictures on the Web site. According to the theorists Robbins and

Styliano (2003:205), which are specialized in the area of strategic and global information

systems, the advantage of businesses worldwide to acquire a communicated strategy is to

reflect the language and culture of each nation. Their study to measure the features of global

corporate Web sites to determine if content and design features are globally adapted relied

on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. The results show that Web site content is different across

cultures, and to a small extent differs in industries (Robbins and Styliano (2003:212).

However, the theorists Robbins and Styliano (2003:210) also point out that there needs

to be a consistent and clear message independent of the country-of-origin, to reveal

denotative images. As it is discussed by different researchers that values of brands and

brand identity will vary depending on country-to-country. Lindstrom (2001:366) agrees that

brands need to mature homogeneously worldwide in order to be truly global. Lindstrom

further highlights the importance of brands for sending equal messages to its market

internationally and simultaneously. According to Buehler and Duerig (2008:35), global

communication can only be successful if it focuses on unified global heritage elements and

values, while illustrating denotative images and pictures on the Web site.

Nevertheless, the researchers Buehler and Duerig acknowledge that in order to

emotionally present the heritage worldwide, global companies can advertise with central

instruments such as film, brochures, intranet, but also with decentralized, regional

instruments such as country-specific cartoons, stories or employees acting the past of the

company (Buehler and Duerig, 2008:35). Since this thesis examines how heritage is

communicated, one has to focus on whether heritage can be understood and interpreted the

same way worldwide (ibid.), or if one needs to consider the different cultural dimensions

(Singh and Pereira, 2005; Hofstede, 1980; Hall, 1976). The discussion shows that the thesis

is aligned, among other studies, to acknowledge the differences of the cultural backgrounds

of the consumers in each country in form of a heterogeneous communication strategy,


16

respectively on the Web site. However, this thesis takes both views of the two conflicting

approaches into consideration, which includes both connotative and denotative elements.

According to the views of many researchers, it is recommended that denotative images

are favoured as they can be interpreted the same way worldwide, still connotative images

need to be included to meet the needs of the individual consumers (Panofsky, 1970:51). This

thesis is therefore in favor of communicating unified denotative elements, but to adapt some

connotative elements to meet the cultural differences of the consumers. For the companies

in the watch industry, the theory recommends illustrating both connotative and denotative

images.

2.3 Online Branding

For a company to communicate its heritage online, it is necessary to define a brand

and to reveal the shift from product branding to corporate branding. After I clarify and discuss

the concept of branding and define a brand, I will discuss the importance of corporate

branding. Below I will also look at the importance of communicating the identity of the

company, especially in light of heritage to create a relationship between the customer and

the brand. Furthermore, the need to communicate core values matching the respective

identity is reviewed. Although there has been intensive literature concentrating on online

communication, Web sites and on globalised or localized branding strategies, there has been

little research on the communication of heritage of companies on Web sites.

2.3.1 Concept of branding

Branding has become a buzzword in recent times and plays an important role in the

heads of managers. Many brands arouse particular images in consumers’ minds and they

remind them of special events, symbols, stories and memories in our lives. They give the


17

feeling of reliance and serve as a life companion. Unique and inimitable brands benefit from

highlighting what made them special and successful in the past (Aaker, 2004:7) and “are

about history and history in the making” (Balmer, Greyser and Urde, 2007:7). Thus, they

embody permanence, authentic and sustainable core values and add credibility to the

brand’s apparent value (Urde, 2003).

2.3.2 The corporate brand

Aaker (1996:37) defines a brand as an asset that differentiates the product and relates

it to the customers. In addition, he describes a strong brand as a valuable resource that

creates a strong relationship between the brand and the customer (37).

Defined by organizational associations, “the corporate brand is potentially infused with

a rich heritage, assets and capabilities, people, values and priorities, a local or global frame

of reference, and a performance record”, according to Aaker (2004:7). Research in the field

of branding has experienced a shift from product branding to corporate branding (Balmer,

1995). While a ‘corporate brand’ is described as “a name, term, sign, symbol or design or a

combination of these elements, intended to identify and differentiate the whole product

offering in the minds of the subjects concerned” (Ormeno, 2007:17), a ‘product brand’ builds

separate brand identities for different products (Hatch and Schulz, 2003:1041-1043). In

addition, a corporate brand is about values that define the company and the communication

of the core values of the brand plays a valuable role for the concept of corporate branding

(Ormeno, 2007:17). For this reason, this study has gained interest on corporate branding,

since the literature reveals the importance of brand values, as I will focus on the

communicated core values of companies in this study. In addition, product brands live in the

presence (Hatch and Schulz, 2003:1041-1043), while this thesis regards the heritage as part

of the past, present and the future.

In accordance to the research question of how companies in the watch industry

communicate their heritage in form of their identity and core values, the focus is on values


18

that are attached to the product and the company at-heart (Balmer and Gray, 2003).

Corporate values are seen as ‘a sum of values’ representing the company and seen as an

assurance of quality (ibid.). The study of Da Silva and Syed Alwi (2008) and other empirical

corporate brand image studies (Lindstrom, 2001; Merrilees and Fry, 2002) agree that it helps

a company to differentiate if companies better understand if the identity and the

communication of core values online are consistent in relation to the core values of the

company.

While corporate brands are only powerful if they create meaningful associations and a

strong relationship between the products and activities (Kay, 2006:754), brands as symbols

provide cohesion to identity (Aaker, 1996:39). Thus, the marketing literature highlights the

meaning making as an essential impact of brands to create symbolic products that stay in the

minds of consumers to keep them actively engaged with the brand (Kay, 2006:744-746). For

Kay, a brand is about being different and therefore needs to hold a unique design and a

strong symbol that creates strong associations and meanings with the brand (2006:744).

Furthermore, Holt (2004:5) compares brands to myth as they account for the creation of

identity. A strong communicated identity is necessary to create market share by building

meaning for the brand. Thus, a brand identity needs to be communicated with a unique set of

attributes to establish a relationship between the brand and the consumer (Aaker, 1996:37).

An identity that is easy to recognize entails unique attributes and values that are attached to

the brand, a unique image that is recognizable, a strong brand-customer relationship, and

adds unique emotions (ibid.:38).

“A brand that captures your hearts gains commitment”

(Aaker, 1996:38).

However, a unique identity is only communicated if companies attach emotions to

products that create meaningful associations to the company (Kay, 2006:754). Furthermore,

core values play an essential role and are perceived as credible if they are based on the


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values of the founders of the company. Since often the founders are driven by values and

strong beliefs in what they do, these values need to be communicated in form of specific

goals (ibid.). According to Kay (ibid.), companies only create powerful brands if they connect

their products to distinct values that need to be communicated to consumers. Additionally,

the branding expert highlights the need to reveal core values of a company and mentions the

founder of the brand as a good way to do so. Thus, the company combined with symbols

creates strong emotions in customers and builds relationships between the brand and the

customer.

Values in form of innovation, quality and customer concern the most frequently seen

drivers of corporate brands, according to Aaker. These three elements, specifically

innovation and quality, are also essential when communicating heritage. Balmer, Greyser

and Urde (2007:8) agree that even though heritage focuses on the past, present and future,

innovation and quality are necessary to enhance credibility and reliability (Aaker, 2004:8).

2.3.3 Online Branding

Halliburton and Ziegfeld (2009:909-925) state that an online brand gives managers the

chance to include different formats such as text, video, image, and graphic. Online branding

is the electronic communication of a branding strategy to create and communicate a strong

corporate image and to establish trust and credibility (Singh and Pereira, 2005). A Web site

serves as a platform for rich information and presents the corporate brand worldwide

(Halliburton and Ziegfeld, 2009:909-925).

As mentioned earlier, more and more companies focus on a local versus global

adaptation strategy to adapt to the local and global needs of the consumers. Nevertheless,

companies often only possess one corporate Web site to communicate with their

stakeholders, while translating the information at least in one global language, mostly in

English (Lindstrom, 2001:365-368). Indeed, there are companies that focus their online

communication strategy on cultural features and adapt their Web sites to markets and


20

countries. A study conducted by Singh and Pereira (2005) highlighted that visitors on

corporate Web sites stay longer if they get access to information translated into their own

language. Given the recommendations of researchers that address the issue of local vs.

global adaptation of Web sites, companies should find a balance to communicate and attract

target groups worldwide, while presenting a unified global image (Robbins and Stylianou,

2003) and a clear message to everyone independent of country of origin (Singh and Pereira,

2005:97).

2.3.4 Summary of section on branding

As strong emotional brands create relationships between the brand and the customer,

one needs to communicate heritage in form of their identity and core values that are attached

to the products and the company at-heart. Companies need to create meaningful

associations to form symbolic products and meanings with the brand. Furthermore, the brand

identity in light of heritage communicates a unique set of attributes that are difficult to imitate.

Through the communication of the founder of the company and core values that are based

on the values of the founder, the customers can identify with these attributes and add unique

emotions to the products. The Web site helps companies to communicate the identity and

core values to attract the right target groups. Furthermore, Aaker (2004) mentions innovation

and quality as core values. Moreover, when heritage is part of the company’s identity, it can

be a valuable asset if communicated to customers.

2.4 Heritage

To illustrate why companies should communicate their heritage, I will move to the

literature of heritage branding. Then, I will define three different approaches to branding in

the literature concerned with heritage in order to clarify my stance in this thesis and my view


21

of a brand infused with heritage. After looking closely at different approaches, I will define

brand heritage and elements of brand heritage, according to Balmer, Greyser and Urde

(2007:12) to identify distinctive heritage elements that need to be communicated on the Web

site. Their model will also be used as an essential part for the analysis. Subsequently, I will

discuss the principal drivers for how and where to use a company’s heritage and conclude

with the importance of storytelling and heritage communication.

2.4.1 Heritage Branding

A brand can be defined as a social entity that derives from different interpretations of

different stakeholders over various, but specific historical moments (Hatch and Rubin,

2006:40-42). The growing field of marketing literature focuses on brand heritage and their

historical developments addressing the past, present and the future. Before analyzing the

key concept of heritage branding, it is of value to address the focus on heritage, which has

turned into a recent trend in the marketing literature with intensive focus on heritage and

consumer consumption (Otnes, 2007) and the marketing of heritage. The research field of

heritage marketing is quite different from heritage branding. Researchers in the field of

heritage marketing such as Philips and Greyser (2001) are focusing mainly on heritage

tourism and the heritage industry. Heritage marketing is both retrospective and forward-

looking (Misiura, 2006). In addition to heritage marketing, there are two other different

approaches to branding in the literature concerned with heritage, which I will explain below in

order to clarify my stance in this thesis.

2.4.1.1 Heritage Marketing

The theory of heritage marketing is primarily concerned with a retrospective view and

literature mainly derives from the tourism (Herbert,1995) and heritage industry (Prentice,

1993). As such, heritage marketing rather addresses a retrospective angle and aligns brands


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with a certain era. Balmer, Greyser and Urde (2007:5) mention Boston’s Freedom Trail as an

example for heritage marketing. Researchers in this field primarily focus on major

characteristics such as nostalgia.

2.4.1.2 Retro Branding

Retro branding mainly associates a historical brand with modernized features (Brown,

Kozinets and Sherry Jr., 2003:19-20), such as the Volkswagen New Beetle. A heritage brand

touches upon the past and combines it with the present and future and involves more than

just selling heritage ads that look like yesterday (Herbrand and Roehrig, 2006:45).

2.4.1.3 Icon Branding

People identify strongly with these cultural icons and often rely on them for the rest of

their life. Apple and Disney are mentioned as these icons and even Greenpeace, Harvard

and Oxford account as these culturally connected icons (Holt, 2004:4). Holt has been very

influential in this research area and defines the heavy symbolic loaded iconic brand as a

consumer brand, which expresses particular values held by a certain group of people. These

culturally influencing brands carry a symbolic meaning for consumers who communicate who

they are through iconic brands (ibid.). Cultural icons are widely accepted as symbols and

values that a society considers important. In literature, these brands have the most powerful

identity of the past half-century (ibid.). A brand that has a story to tell and offers a convincing

myth becomes iconic. While myth making is necessary, but not vital for heritage branding,

myth making plays a central role from turning brands into iconic brands.


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Table 1: Brand Heritage and Related Constructs

Source: Klaus-Peter Wiedmann, Nadine Hennigs, Steffen Schmidt, and Thomas

Wuestefeld (2011:207)

Four researchers in the marketing and management discipline, Wiedmann, Hennings,

Schmidt and Wuestefeld (2011:205), did a study on the outcomes of brand heritage focusing

on the effects of consumer behavior in the automotive industry. Their study concluded that in

times of uncertainty and high dynamics of purchase decisions, the heritage elements present

customers a feeling of security and brands with heritage are perceived as credible and

dependable. The researchers developed a value-based multidimensional model, which is

based on Buß (2007) and adds on the model of Balmer, Greyser and Urde (2007). I will

further explain the model of Balmer, Greyser and Urde in detail in this section.

Wiedmann, Hennings, Schmidt and Wuestefeld (2011) defined seven distinct attitude-


24

relevant, perceived underlying customer-value dimensions:

• knowledge

• identity

• uniqueness

• prestige

• loyalty

• cultural meaning

• brand orientation.

According to their study, a brand may “satisfy functional and practical needs (e.g.,

safety and quality)” and “emotional and symbolic needs (e.g., self-expression, social

identification and status) (Wiedmann, Hennings, Schmidt and Wuestefeld, 2011:208). They

conclude that the heritage in a brand increases the perceived value of the brand and a

positive effect on the overall image. Therefore, consumers are willing to pay higher prices for

traditional values and the potential to differentiate the brand from competition (ibid.:215). Fill

(2002) corresponds with the findings, as he argues that in order to differentiate the product or

service from competition, a brand needs to possess greater value to consumers in form of

higher cost-benefit-relation. To measure the value dimensions of brand heritage, marketing

experts and one of the leading automobile manufacturers were questioned in form of

exploratory interviews. Specified for the automotive industry, the conclusions agree with

findings that the products and core values of these brands are perceived as reliable (Urde,

2003) and brands infused with heritage promise stakeholders commitments about a

continuous future behavior (Balmer, Greyser and Urde, 2007:9).

Buß (2007) redesigned the model of Balmer, Urde and Greyser (2007) into a

multidimensional model and suggests that brands infused with heritage have a positive effect

on the perception of the brand in the eye of the stakeholder and consumer loyalty. The study

proofs that consumers tend to trust a heritage brand more, especially in times of uncertainty.

Furthermore, the study shows elements such as bonding and credibility as the biggest

influence on brand heritage and one can say, it has the potential to differentiate a heritage

brand from other brands. This study agrees with the study of Balmer, Greyer and Urde since


25

both argue that heritage brands need to maintain the advantageous of being heritage, while

being innovative to overcome the problem of being perceived as ”old“ (Aaker, 1996). A

brand’s past combined with the modern company of today gives companies a competitive

advantage. Heritage is an important element in a brand, because it is of value for a company

to go back to its roots and see what made them unique and successful in the first place.

David Aaker (2004:7) also mentions the importance of stories within the heritage element of

a brand, which he claims is decisive while adding authenticity and differentiation to the brand.

If the heritage is re-interpreted in present-day light, the past and the current define a brand

today and add value (Aaker, 2004:7-8).

Companies started to realize the benefit in global markets if a brand was filled with

heritage. Professor John M.T. Balmer, Professor Stephen A. Greyser and Dr. Mats Urde,

three well-known branding and corporate marketing scholars, did a major study on a distinct

branding category – heritage branding. Their work grew out of a long study of monarchies as

corporate brands. The purpose of the study was to explore, investigate and define heritage

brand as part of a corporate brand identity. To identify heritage that may exist in a brand and

how to nurture, maintain, and protect it. According to the branding and marketing scholars,

heritage needs to be employed as a strategic resource to generate value (Balmer, Greyser

and Urde 2007:6).

Bamler, Greyser and Urde’s conceptualization of the brand heritage construct defines

its very own set of criteria to differentiate from other branding categories infused with

heritage. Heritage branding is not limited to a certain period or characteristic such as heritage

marketing does. Their view on heritage brands is forward-looking and retrospective, rather

than focusing on one epoch (retro branding) or solely on myth and cultural dominant aspects

(iconic branding). A brand that communicates its heritage effectively to its customers

possesses an opportunity to differentiate from competition. Differentiation is accomplished in

that heritage cannot be imitated (ibid.:2007:10). Heritage brands maintain a meaningful past,

and having a heritage helps to make the brand relevant to the present and prospectively to


26

the future. According to Aaker (2004:7), stories about the past help and add validity and

differentiation to the brand. Moreover, heritage branding describes a long-term standing and

long-term relationship with customers. The strategy of heritage branding is surrounded by

key elements and of strategic nature (Balmer, Greyser and Urde, 2007:12-13):

• recognition

• loyalty

• quality

• dependability

• history

• tradition

• value

• trust.

Studies of the U.K.’s British Brands Group claim that heritage can have a positive effect

in global markets since consumers are seeking out brands with history and authenticity

(Stewart-Allen, 2002). However, Stewart-Allen, in ‘Heritage branding helps in global markets’

argues that the nationality element is the least manageable element in a brand’s DNA. This

study shows that elements such as heritage with the synergy of the country’s values and

brand’s values in a brand are extremely valuable. All these elements lead to a differentiation

potential in the growing sameness of global brands.

2.4.2 Heritage and History

People often have difficulties differentiating between history and heritage. Indeed, there

has to be made a distinction between the two terms. Customers often look back to the past

and search for nostalgic products or brands with a history. However, every brand has a

history (Mollerup, 1997), but not every brand with a history is a heritage brand. Heritage

brands are about history and history in the making (Balmer, Greyser and Urde, 2007:6-7).

Balmer, Greyser and Urde argue that heritage clarifies and makes the past appropriate for

existing contexts and purposes. According to Wiedmann, Hennings, Schmidt, and


27

Wuestefeld (2011:6), various aspects of a brand’s past, present, and future can nurture

consumer loyalty: personal identification within the consumer’s behavior, self-image and

product image (Graeff, 1996), exclusivity of the brand and the consumer’s wish for

differentiation (Vigneron and Johnson, 2004). The main difference between heritage and

history is that “a historical overview is necessarily grounded in the past”, and corporate

heritage brands address three different times: “the past, the present and the future” (Balmer,

Greyser and Urde 2007:6).

2.4.3 Definition of Brand Heritage

A brand heritage is a “dimension of a brand’s identity found in its track record,

longevity, core values, use of symbols, and particularly in an organizational belief that its

history is important” (Balmer, Greyser and Urde, 2007:8-9). To be a heritage brand, a

company has to emphasize its heritage as a key component of its identity and positioning.

Heritage also embraces three different time frames “the past”, “the present” and “the future”

and has a value proposition based on its heritage (ibid.:6). Noticeably, a company doesn’t

need to run back in time to possess heritage. One can say, a company can be modern and

innovative while expressing their heritage.

Companies should use heritage as an advantage over competitors to differentiate and

to build a brand that is of value for stakeholders and customers (Balmer, Greyser and Urde,

2007).

2.4.4 Elements of Brand Heritage

Balmer, Greyser and Urde’s brand heritage construct

Balmer, Greyser and Urde’s (2007) study, based on case studies, explored situations

where heritage played an important role and added value. They first realized the value of

heritage in their study focusing on monarchies as corporate brands (2004) and portrayed


28

parallels between the branding of companies and monarchies. For the research on heritage

brands, the leading researchers in the field of branding explored the heritage of more than 20

brands and interviewed more than 30 executives.

According to Balmer, Greyser and Urde, (2007:10) a heritage brand should hold certain

characteristics in and around a brand, which can be “woven into its culture”, structure and

memories. Based on the high number of case studies of companies and different industries

in their study, certain elements indicate whether and how much heritage there is.

Furthermore, if these elements are communicated effectively, the brand can become a

corporate asset (Balmer, Greyser and Urde, 2007:9).

These five dimensions are:

• track record

• longevity

• core values

• use of symbols

• history important to identity


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THE ELEMENTS OF BRAND HERITAGE

Figure 1: Brand Stewardship Model: The elements of brand heritage

Source: Balmer, Greyser and Urde (2007:9)

2.4.4.1 Track record

By track record the three branding experts Balmer, Greyser and Urde (2007:8)

describe a company that delivers value to stakeholders over time. A track record gives proof

that the company has lived up to its values and promises over time (Urde, 2003:1017). It also

sends out a feeling of trust, credibility and confirms expectations about the current and the

future. A heritage brand will be able to point out a trend and forecast results, which can be

used for marketing success. Managers should record the heritage and document the

changes because it promotes the most undervalued qualities and reveals its intrinsic

strengths. According to literature, the track record of successful companies in combination

with innovation, the present and the future give the company a specific and distinctive image

(Urde, 2003; Aaker, 2004; Balmer, Greyser and Urde, 2007; Buehler and Duerig 2008).


30

2.4.4.2 Longevity

A company with longevity is a meaningful brand attribute and can be a key element of

a heritage brand, but does not necessarily result in one. However, a company does not need

a long existence to become a heritage brand. Balmer, Greyser and Urde (2007:9) reveal that

a company can qualify as a heritage brand within only a few generations. “ ‘Longevity’

reflects a consistent demonstration of other heritage elements (especially track record and

the use of history) under many CEOs, such that one can believe they are ingrained in the

organization’s culture” (ibid.).

2.4.4.3 Core Values

A company with long-held communicated core values helps to define corporate

strategy and becomes part of their heritage over time, but only if values become part of the

positioning expressed as an assurance in the external communication and becomes an

integral part of the overall corporate mindset (Urde, 1994). Kapferer (2004) describes the

core values like a promise in external communication and as values that define the corporate

identity. Externally communicated, core values are the foundation of the message and

represent the company at-heart (Urde, 2003). However, customers have to perceive the

values as unique (ibid.) in order to differentiate. Companies need to communicate clearly

defined values and create an experience that is relevant and differentiates it from others. In

order to compete in today’s competitive world, these brands need to communicate these

values in form of a story that is unique and makes the consumer loyal in both preferences

with the company and the product (Fog et al., 2010).

2.4.4.4 Use of symbols

A company who’s past is communicated via symbols to express its identity and

heritage (e.g. Nike ’swoosh’) acquire a deeper meaning. The meaningful communication of


31

symbols in form of logos (e.g. University logo) and design (e.g. Burberry) gives a brand a

heritage on their own (Balmer, Greyser and Urde, 2007:10).

2.4.4.5 History important to identity

The history plays an important role for a company that identifies itself not just within the

past, but also within the present and the future. History accounts for what a brand is and who

they are. Brands often position themselves in the light of their heritage (Patek Philippe, “since

1839”) as a vital part of their external communication.

The conceptual framework of the Brand Stewardship Model of Urde, Balmer and

Greyser (2007) determines the level of heritage in a brand. When identifying how much

heritage a brand possesses, the chronology of a company is often communicated. It is not

necessary to be a heritage brand in order to be successful; however, when heritage is part of

a company’s identity it can be a valuable corporate asset if communicated to its customers

(Balmer, Greyser and Urde, 2007:9-10).

I will apply elements of The Brand Stewardship Model (Balmer, Greyser and Urde,

2007:4) in this thesis as part of the analysis to assess the level of heritage elements and

values that are communicated on the Web sites. I will use the model in a way to explore to

what extent the elements are communicated on the three Web sites, and therefore define

similarities and differences.

The model is useful for this thesis, since it addresses the differentiation potential of

heritage and helps to answer the aforementioned research questions. Balmer, Greyser and

Urde (2007:10) suggest to use heritage to take advantage of differentiation that is of value for

stakeholders and difficult to imitate. They name three potentials to differentiate in detail:

1. Distinctiveness in positioning, which generates competitive advantage in form of

higher prices or margins. Also to hold customers who value the heritage of a

company.


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2. Depth, authenticity and credibility for stakeholders by adding to the brand’s value

proposition, e.g. some brands advertise with a heritage of innovation.

3. A special relationship with stakeholders and also internal commitment and pride, e.g.

gaining support in times of crisis and change.

2.4.5 Product design, communication and history itself

Defined by Balmer, Greyser and Urde (2007:12), the principal drivers for how and

where to use a company’s heritage is product design, communications and a brand’s history.

Product design is according to the marketing and branding experts the need of revealing the

core values of the brand and the heritage. The design needs to reflect the core values at

heart. Thus, the communication needs to expose the past, present and the future, as did

Siemens in its U.S. advertising campaign in 1990 “That was then. This is now” (ibid.). The

third lever history itself can derive from an earlier time or via acquisition. Even though

another company might acquire a brand, even the shortest period can revive the brand

successfully. In this way, if the approach is intended to meet the needs of the present

marketplace and reflects a deep heritage, the brand’s heritage can be effectively activated.

2.4.6 Storytelling

According to specialists in strategic management, branding and storytelling, a modern

company can bring stories about the past to life: “the stories that circulate in and around the

organization paint a picture of the company’s culture and values, heroes and enemies, good

points and bad, both towards employees and customers” (Fog, Budtz, Munich and

Blanchette, 2010:16).

According to Fog, Budtz, Munich and Blanchette (2010:5-6), consumers want to hear

persuasive corporate tales around the brand to let consumers be part of the whole (e.g..

Apple, Guinness, Adidas). Storytelling, as an effective tool, touches upon emotions and the

story reveals the brand values of a company, according to the researchers. In addition, the


33

authors further argue that storytelling can be used for effective communication purposes to

communicate the stories that picture a company‘s culture and values, heroes, rivals, success

and failure of the past, while combining them with the modern company of today. Strong

brands use this advantage to portray values and lifestyle within symbols and communicate

messages that reflect positively the company’s brand (ibid.). Fog, Budtz, Munich and

Blanchette (2010) and Buehler and Duerig (2008) both indicate the importance of

communicating and telling stories of the past. It is of significance to include the reader into

the story to let the reader be part of it to experience the content of the story.

Stories of the founder of the company are very similar, but reflect the company’s core

values on which the company was built and still rests today. Stories about the first footsteps

of the company touch people’s hearts all over the world and offer great value for a feeling of

identity if knowing the roots (Buehler and Duerig, 2008:105). According to the same authors,

there should always be communicated stories about events or milestones, which have been

of high importance to the company. Furthermore, Balmer, Greyser and Urde (2007:14) agree

with the aforementioned researchers and reveal storytelling as a very important tool to

protect the heritage of a brand and a requisite to create corporate thinking.

2.4.7 Heritage Communication

The goal of corporate communication is to reveal a unique, uniform image within

internal and external stakeholder groups. The image is a projection of the corporate identity.

So far, there are no comprehensive approaches how to actively use heritage in corporate

communication. However, there is a variety of literature dealing with the communication of

founding fathers or founding families such as the Siemens founder (Feldenkirchen and

Posner, 2005) or the Bosch founder (Lessing, 2007). Also the stories of family businesses

are part of research studies (Simon, 2005). Another trend in literature concerning heritage

communication concentrates on the myth of families and brands such as the famous Bugatti

family (Kurz, 2005) and BMW (Grunert, Triebel, 2005).


34

Heritage communication can help to support corporate communication to reach its

goals. When communicating heritage, a company can draw a clear, distinctively and credible

image (Buehler and Duerig, 2008:33). To insist the challenge of intercultural and international

communication, companies are in need of deep-grounded roots. According to Buehler and

Duerig (ibid.), the potential of the communication of heritage offers a unique advantage and

is often undervalued. However, in times of economic and financial crisis, the communication

of heritage sends out credibility and trust (ibid.). Heritage communication, if used effectively

on the corporate Web site, helps stakeholders worldwide to identify with the brand and to

break down intercultural barriers. Heritage serves not only as an internal identity factor to

give employees support in turbulent and changing times, it also strengthens the corporate

image and gives stakeholders a feeling of loyalty and trust (Buehler and Duerig, 2010:23).

Thus, heritage provides a value-added factor if used properly. The communication of

what keeps companies together in the inner shell connects people from every part around

the world -- authentic and consistent corporate communication is vitally important in the

current global period (Buehler and Duerig, 2010:33).

2.4.8 Summary of heritage section

Brands with a heritage have a positive effect on the customer-brand relationship and

foster consumer loyalty. Heritage in combination with innovation makes the brand unique and

relevant for the present and the future. Through the use of storytelling, companies can attach

unique emotions and experience to the products by re-interpreting the heritage in a

contemporary light (Aaker, 2004:7-8). While emotional stories add validity and differentiation

to the brand, these stories also add a specific distinctiveness to the company through a

unique identity. A heritage of innovation is a specific identity that sends out depth,

authenticity and credibility to consumers. When companies communicate their heritage in

form of tales around the products, the customers feel persuaded to be part of the whole.

Storytelling is a distinctive tool to bring the past, present, and the future to life and to


35

emotionally attach unique attributes to products and to the brand. However, to be able to

differentiate, the heritage needs to be an element of the identity and address all three time

frames. Thus, core values need to be communicated and should match the overall identity of

the company to meet the customer needs (Fog et al., 2010).

2.5 Semiotics

Semiotics is the science of ‘signs’ and explains how signs correspond to one another to

create meaning (Silverman, 2009). It is an essential part for the analysis and a way to

understand verbal and visual texts. Most dominant methodologies in semiotic analysis are

qualitative (ibid.) and therefore match the orientation of my research.

Furthermore, semiotics is the study of meaning making as a social process (Lindlof and

Taylor, 2011:43). Semiotics derives from linguistics, which was viewed as a language that

combines units (words) within different meanings (Silvermann, 2009:249). The American

philosopher Peirce and the Swiss linguist Saussure are both seen as the core founders of

what is known as semiotics. Semiotics focuses on how to decode and interpret messages

and gives rules for the interpretation of texts (Silverman, 2009:250).

Jay L. Lemke defined a framework for the analysis of Web sites and distinguished

between three interrelated semiotic functions of how readers make meaning of texts in online

discourse. The first he mentions is presentational meaning, which accounts for when the

user tries to find out what the site is about in terms of what is said, revealed or portrayed

(Warnick, 2007:104). Orientational meaning, as the second function, addresses the

communicational situation of where the user is positioned and in terms of point of view

(Warnick, 2007:104). The last function concentrates on organizational meanings, which asks

the user to determine which signs belong together such as image patterns, graphic identities

and links to develop organizational meanings (ibid.). According to Lemke, meaning making is

essential when the visitor visits the Web sites in order to be able to “understand what is being


36

said is a vital component in the success of persuasive communication on these sites”

(Warnick, 2007:105).

It should be noted that this section of semiotics describes only an outline of the concept

and tools of semiotics depending on their relevance to answer the problem statement of this

thesis. I will explain the theory of semiotics and the models of the two leading theorists in the

field, then discuss visual semiotics, denotation and connotation, rhetorical strategies and

appeal forms to clarify the thesis approach.

2.5.1 Saussere’s Theory

According to Saussure, linguistic research focuses mainly on “historical changes in the

meanings of words” (Silverman, 2009:249). Saussure revolutionized the linguistics in that he

differentiated between language and speech. The linguist describes language as a system of

signs, which can be studied systematically. He made a distinction between “system and

usage, structure and event or code and message” (Chandler, 2007:14-15). Saussure’s

theory brings together concepts with images and sign systems that convey meanings solely

from their similarity and difference from other signs (Silverman, 2009:250). Saussure’s

dyadic traditional approach was to study the system rather synchronically than diachronically

over time (Chandler, 2007: 14-15). He also supported the conception of meaning as

structural and relational and that no sign has complete ‘value’ independent of the context

(Chandler, 2007:80)

2.5.2 Peirce’s Theory

The Peircean Model offers a triadic model combined of three elements, which are of

intrinsic value. The sign is represented in form of an object, how it is represented and how it


37

is interpreted. According to Peirce, the meaning of a sign is highly influenced by its

interpretation and more of a radical potential (Chandler, 2007:82).

2.5.3 Difference between the models

The most obvious distinction between the two models is that Peirce’s model features a

triadic rather than dyadic term. Peirce offers abstract concepts and fictional entities, while

Saussure mainly limits his model to physical things.

2.5.4 Visual semiotics

Visual semiotics serves as a tool to reveal hidden meanings in visual texts and help to

persuade consumers to form desired interpretations about brands (Daymon and Holloway,

2010: 290). Furthermore, Fog et al. (2010:208) sees images as a very effective way to speak

to everyone around the world, because “images speak a language that we all understand:

the language of emotions“. These can be implemented in form of parallel representations, a

strong headline or a metaphor, which creates an emotional image in everyone’s minds when

reading the text (ibid.). Within the issue of cultural barriers, Daymon and Holloway

(2010:289-290) suggest that it is of value to uncover cultural communication patterns to

persuade visitors of Web pages to build desired interpretations about their brands.

Depending on the cultural background, people interpret verbal and visual messages and

elements differently. Denotative and connotative meanings in semiotics is linked to how

meaning is identified by researchers (Daymon and Holloway, 2010: 290).

2.5.5 Denotation and connotation

The terms denotation and connotation in semiotics describe the relationship between

the signifier and its signified- a denotative signified and connotative signified (Chandler,


38

2007:137). The historian Panofsky explains denotation as a representation of a visual image

as all viewers worldwide would recognize the image at any time (1970:51-3). Denotative

meaning describes the obvious or apparent meaning of something (Daymon and Holloway,

2010:290), such as lots of snow showing the probability of good skiing conditions.

Connotation is more open to interpretation and relates to the background of the interpreter

and is thus context-dependent (Panofsky, 1970:51). Moreover, connotative meaning is

related to certain social context, and often consists of personal feelings or cultural values

attached to something (Daymon and Holloway, 2010:290). Even though theorists find it

useful to distinguish between the two terms, in practice, both meanings cannot be separated

since they require the use of codes.

2.6 Rhetorical strategies

Rhetoric theory traces back to ancient Greek philosophy and was developed for the

purpose of persuading public audiences (Lindlof and Taylor, 2011:27). Within the past

decades, rhetorical scholars have revised several of their traditions and incorporated the

methods of qualitative research. Rhetoric theory incorporates local patterns and developed

criteria for evaluating textuality. The long history of rhetoric highlights the many ways in

which speakers use “credibility, logic and emotional appeals to persuade an audience”

(Aristotle in Warnick, 2007:25). Even though there are different terms to describe “rhetoric”, I

will view rhetoric in a broader view, such as did Burkean in ‚A Rhetoric’, as “the use of

language as symbolic means“ and human “beings that respond to symbols” (Warnick,

2007:25).

Rhetorical strategies are found in arguments, which are constructed together with

content (Volmari, 2009:152). For the analysis of rhetorical strategies, different rhetorical

devices can be classified and determined by context. These strategies can be used to

communicate content in many different ways. Volmari describes rhetorical devices as


39

„figures and ornaments and tropes, that is, figures of speech“ (pp.154). Tropes can form

meanings in form of associations, whereas figures and ornaments build aesthetic elements

that give a variation of text, without changing the meaning (ibid.). According to Frandsen,

Johansen and Nielsen (2002:114), verbal and visual strategies are the most commonly used

tools in communication disciplines. Below, I will describe verbal and visual strategies as part

of rhetorical strategies. In order to present the identity of a company, brands are composed

of verbal and visual elements, for example “names, letters, numbers, a symbol, a signature,

a shape, a slogan, a color [sic], a particular type face” (Frandsen, Johansen and Nielsen

2002:47). An evident example of such an aesthetic element is the Nike swoosh (ibid.). All

organizations worldwide, if small or large, NGO’s, religious organizations, everyone is using

messages to convey their identity. These messages of strategic nature can be defined as

rhetoric in form of symbols to influence thoughts, emotions or behaviors of audiences

(Hoffman and Ford, 2010:7).

2.6.1 Verbal strategies

According to Daniel Chandler (2007:127-134), metaphors need to be verbal and are

described as tropes that can be divided into different concepts:

1. Metaphors: one signified acting as a signifier referring to a different signified.

- Metaphor as iconic mode, symbolic

- Smilies- form of metaphor: made explicit through the term ’as’ or ’like’

- Visual metaphor: associating a product with a specific set of social values to

differentiate the product or the service

2. Metonymy: one signified stands for another signified.

- Visual and verbal

- Based on consistency and proximity.

3. Synecdoche: one element is part of the other one, e.g. close-up. 4. Irony: stands for the opposite of what it means

- Exaggeration can be part of irony.

- Most known feature of modern texts.


40

2.6.2 Visual strategies

Communication is turning from verbal to the visual element. Visual rhetoric play an

important role, especially when looking at Web sites. Most Web sites consists of more than

just logos, photographs and other visual elements to convey their messages. The ethos,

pathos and logos of documents are not only determined by verbal rhetoric, but also visual

and the interplay between the two (Brumberger, 2005:319). Online, users expect to receive

quick access in verbal, but also visual forms.

To qualify as a visual rhetoric element, a visual element needs to be symbolic, include

human interaction in form of creating the visual or interpreting it, and must be presented in

order to communicate with an audience (Barbatsis, Kenney, Moriarty and Smith, 2005:144)-

a symbol that communicates. According to Barbatsis, Kenney, Moriarty and Smith

(2005:144), a stop sign is an example and accounts as rhetoric, because it uses arbitrary

symbols to communicate the act of stopping a car.

Visual elements are further used to communicate with an audience and can be

produced in forms of “colors, lines, textures, rhythms” and other elements (Barbatsis et al.,

2005:145). Visual rhetoric can be seen as a tool to view images in the eye of conceptual

lenses, ranging from metaphors to ambiguity to argumentation. To identify the elements of an

image, Barbatsis et al. suggests to describe major physical features such as space (mass or

size of the image), material and shapes of the image. Then the researchers associate the

features with themes, concept, ideas and attributes (e.g. power, wealth) to develop a

meaning of the image (Barbatsis et al., 2005:146). Furthermore, a visual element is analyzed

by the means to explore if the image is congruent with its current environment. In this study,

visual rhetoric is seen as a tool to communicate meaning.

In summary, there are different visual rhetoric elements (Barbatsis et al., 2005):

- Choice of colors:

- Choice of lines

- Textures


41

- Rhythms

- Metaphors

- Ambiguity

- Argumentation

- Physical features (mass or size of the image, material and shapes of the image)

- Relationship between visual and text

- Placement of logo (Frandsen, Jogansen and Nielsen, 2002:116)

2.6.3 Logos, Pathos, Ethos

In Aristotle’s Rhetoric (Volmari, 2009: 155), Aristotle describes the three forms of

appeals that often work together: logos, pathos and ethos. The sender can use these forms

of appeal to convince the receiver. Hoffman and Ford (2010:51) describe the identification of

rhetorical strategies as follows:

Ethos: Appeals to Organizational Credibility

Competence

Community

Pathos: Appeals to Emotions

Needs: Identify the Needs being created or appealed to

Values: Identify the value being appealed to

Values advocacy

Explicit appeals to values

Demonstration of how products or services uphold values

Discussion of philanthropic activities consistent with values

Praise of individuals who embody values

Identification


42

Common ground

Assumed ‘we’

By antithesis

Unifying symbols

Logos: Use of Claims and Evidence

Claims

Evidence

Statistics

Testimony

Examples

The three elements will be defined as in Volmari’s monograph (2009:155), based on

Aristotle’s classification of rhetorical devices:

1. Logos stands for the presentation of an argument and gives the argument the

necessary evidence in form of objective facts.

2. Pathos appeals to the emotions of the audience and is connected to the passion of

the speaker. Pathos is often used in form of an image or a story (2009:81-82) and

often possesses interpersonal and emotional functions. Pathos describes commonly

held values.

3. Ethos is described as the establishment of trust and credibility with the audience.

Moreover, ethos links the knowledge and relationship of the speaker with the

audience. Foreground aspects of the product or company.


43

Table 2: Classification of rhetorical devices found in arguments according to their

function into logos, pathos and ethos devices

Source: Volmari (2009:155)

2.7 Summary and analytical model for analysis

The literature review reveals the theory of literature within different fields of

differentiation, online communication, branding, heritage, semiotics, and rhetoric. In order to

give a clear understanding of the concepts and theory I will use for the analysis, I will now

explain the analytical model in detail.

The goal of the analysis model will be to point out similarities and differences of the

communication of heritage between three different companies and to form recommendations

of how to best communicate heritage. The model begins with three different Web sites of

company A (Omega), company B (Patek Philippe) and company C (Rolex). The first step

indicates that companies can select between two types of Web sites, which I have discussed

in the theory section of this thesis. First, a globalized Web site, which illustrates common


44

denotative elements. Second, the company can adapt the Web site depending on cultural

patterns and highlight connotative elements. After discussing why companies can

communicate denotative or connotative elements, in each case one arrow from the two

different options goes down to the actual analyze phase.

This part analyzes how the Web sites communicate their heritage in form of how they

identify themselves online and communicate core values, how they use different rhetorical

strategies to persuade the consumers in verbal and visual form and a detailed analysis of the

heritage that is communicated in form of founder stories, storytelling, and Balmer, Greyser

and Urde’s five heritage elements: track record, longevity, core values, use of symbols and

history important to identity. All these elements that I have illuminated in the theory section

will be analyzed for all three companies individually. Finally, all three companies will

eventually reveal similarities and differences of how to communicate their heritage on the

Web site. The summarized similarities and differences are then used to form

recommendations of how to communicate heritage on the Web site to differentiate from

competition.

The analysis model is based on the findings of the theory section. Since the purpose of

this thesis is to find similarities and differences of how companies communicate their heritage

and to form recommendations, the model has been developed after the theory was

established. The model is developed for companies that possess a Web site and emphasize

their heritage.


45

Figure 2: Analysis model

Source: Own model, 2011

Methodology

46

Chapter Three

3.0 Methodolog y

To best answer the research problem and the research questions I had to determine

the study’s feasibility and usefulness by assessing the scope of the project, and access to

material against my own time constraints, mobility, and resources. I will now explain the

analytical approach and the theoretical approach, which I will use to perform my research

and the analysis method. Then, I will describe the empirical foundation of this study and

conclude the chapter with the limitations, the structure of the thesis, and the literature search.

3.1 Analytical Approach

In respect to the formulated research problem, I will make use of a qualitative

methodology to gain an in-depth understanding of how companies communicate their

heritage on the Web site. Daymon and Holloway (2011:45) suggest that to enhance depth

and richness of a study, a qualitative rather than quantitative research is needed of a smaller

sample size on a small scale. Very insightful studies have been conducted within small

samples, because they allow the researcher to focus on specific detail, rather than across a

variety familiar within quantitative studies. I will use three companies in this research to

collect detailed information from the analysis and the theory to define similarities and

differences. Then I will compare the findings to form recommendations of how companies

should communicate their heritage on Web sites. The qualitative study is best suited, if the

aim of the research is to get an in-depth understanding of heritage communication, rather

than on numbers and facts (ibid.). Additionally, a qualitative method, unlike quantitative

Methodology

47

studies, cannot be truly replicated and data is collected while being reflexive and through the

lens of the researcher’s own background, personality and perceptiveness of the subject

(ibid.). The aim of qualitative research is to understand the communication of heritage of

companies to explore meaning and to ensure a fit of ‚how’ and ‚why’ questions, which are

suitable for qualitative research questions (Daymon and Holloway, 2011:49).

The qualitative analysis is based on an analytical model derived from theory to identify

similarities and differences. I selected the Web sites of Omega, Patek Philippe and Rolex,

since they all compete in the same industry to generalize with respect to how companies

within this particular industry communicate their heritage looking at theory within the related

field of literature. For the analysis, the corporate Web sites were chosen since they are “rich

sources of information” and “availability” (Lindlof and Taylor, 2011: 234-235). Furthermore,

the advantage of analyzing Web sites is that they are validated by internal and external

authorities and presented to stakeholders. Web sites are helpful in linking the past and the

future, as it is of high value to link the past, the present and the future, which is of high

relevance in this study (Lindlof and Taylor, 2011:235).

3.2 Theoretical approach

As a theoretical approach, I will do a qualitative analysis using the method of

hermeneutics in my scientific work of the three mentioned Web sites as empirical material.

The qualitative analysis will be taken from a hermeneutic approach, since my analysis

includes my personal subjective interpretation. I will explain the hermeneutic approach and

the thesis empirical foundation, which I will combine with theory for the analysis.

3.2.1 Hermeneutics

The field of hermeneutics formulates techniques that open-up the scope of textual

study (Palmer, 1969). Hermeneutics includes interpreting the meaning of a text by imagining

Methodology

48

the knowledge of its authors and by “engaging in a movement between its features and

context to generate holistic knowledge” (ibid.). I included this practice since I wish to recover

meaning and I will use hermeneutics interpretation as a basis for conclusion. I selected

hermeneutics as the best suitable approach, because it is the study of interpretation and to

better understand a text rich in meaning (Palmer, 1969). Another reason for selecting this

approach is that corporate Web sites offer the very subject matter, which hermeneutics

stands for (ibid.). Theoretical traditions focus on the connotations of brands as social text-like

objects (Hatch and Rubin, 2006:1-2) and hermeneutics is therefore appropriate for this

study. Hatch and Rubin further argue that recent hermeneutics theory envisions a text in

form of interpretation as a dialogue with the past, present and the future. This view

corresponds with the orientation of this study, since the research includes elements that

entail these time frames.

3.3 Thesis empirical foundation

To analyze the communication of heritage, I selected the Web sites of three traditional

Swiss watchmakers in the same industry, because smaller samples are valuable for deep,

rich data they provide (Daymon and Holloway, 2011:218). The Web sites of Omega, Patek

Philippe S.A., and Rolex will be analyzed. The main areas for analysis are online branding,

rhetorical strategies and heritage introduced in the literature review. Online branding entails

the analysis of how these companies brand themselves online and to examine values linked

to the company. The actual tools for the analysis are denotation and connotation, appeal

forms: logos, pathos and ethos, and verbal and visual rhetorical strategies. The analysis of

each company will be summed up with the analysis of the company’s heritage by looking at

the company’s founder, storytelling and on Balmer, Greyser and Urde’s five heritage

elements: track record, longevity, core values, use of symbols and history important to

identity. All the information collected for the analysis derives from their Web sites; Omega:

Methodology

49

www.omegawatches.com, Patek Philippe: www.patek.com and Rolex: www.rolex.com.

The written and visual material from the Web sites was retrieved during the first week

of July 2011 to assure reliability and validity (Lindlof and Taylor, 2011:234-235) and to

generate adequate and significant information (Daymon and Holloway, 2011:45). The screen

shots of the analyzed pages can be found in Appendix A for Omega, Appendix B for Patek

Philippe and Appendix C for Rolex. The intrinsic interest of my study was to select the Web

sites due to convenience and accessibility for exploring the research topic. Because all three

companies are headquartered in Switzerland, I had to make use of the Web site due to

limited financial resources. Also, the shortage of time imposed limits on my aims and that is

why I decided to concentrate solely on the communication of heritage on their respective

Web sites. Furthermore, I selected the online medium, because it is increasingly used in

communication disciplines (Lindlof and Taylor, 2011:242).

The choice for selecting these companies entails that they are known as leaders in the

Swiss watch industry (Federation of Swiss watch industry FH, 2011) and were all founded in

Switzerland. According to Hoovers (2011), all three are direct competitors in their industry

and present the best Web sites in the watch industry (TrustedWatch, 2011). Another criteria

is that all need to possess an English version of their Web site, which all of them fulfill. The

selection criteria allow me to compare companies in the same industry and to analyze

similarities and differences of direct competitors. All three watchmaking companies are

leading watch manufacturers in the industry and are described in detail in the analysis

chapter of the thesis.

I will begin to analyze Omega, which was founded in 1848 and its identity lasts already

more than 160 years. Omega is famous for its innovative watchmaking and a company that

created the first true divers’ watch. Louis Brandt was the first to set up an assembly

workshop for pocket watches and until today, Omega became an important part of many

sporting events worldwide.

The next company I will analyze is a direct competitor of Omega. Patek Philippe was

http://www.patek.com/

http://www.rolex.com/

Methodology

50

founded in 1839 and is a well-known Swiss family-owned company. The company owns

more than 70 patents and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, along with its case and

bracelet workshops, the Museum, and the Salons in Geneva, Paris and London. The

worldwide-recognized company is famous as a manufacturer of classy and timeless watches

created from generation to generation.

Rolex is the third company to be analyzed. Hans Wildorf founded Rolex in 1905 and is

headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The company distributes its products in over 100

countries, with 28 affiliates. Rolex is well known as a leading brand in luxury wristwatches

and takes part in different initiatives and activities.

Analysis

51

Chapter Four

4.0 Analysis

In this chapter I will analyze the Web site of Omega, Patek Philippe, and Rolex. In this

chapter, I will analyze all three Web sites individually, following the analysis model.

For the individual analysis of Omega, Patek Philippe S.A., and Rolex, I will look at three

main areas of analysis for each company, namely, online branding, rhetorical strategies, and

heritage introduced in the literature review. When looking at online branding, I will analyze

how these companies brand themselves online through such means as values linked to the

company and how they communicate their identity. Furthermore, the actual tools for the

analysis are denotation and connotation, appeal forms: logos, pathos and ethos, and verbal

and visual rhetorical strategies. To conclude the analysis of each company, I will concentrate

on the company’s heritage by looking at the company’s founder, storytelling and on Balmer,

Greyser and Urde’s five heritage elements: track record, longevity, core values, use of

symbols and history important to identity. All the information collected for the analysis of

Omega, Patek Philippe, and Rolex derives from their respective Web site, if not stated

otherwise.

Analysis

52

4.1 Omega

Figure 3: Omega logo (Source: www.omega.com)

Omega was founded in 1848 and dates back to an identity of more than 160 years.

Omega is famous for its innovative watchmaking and as the company that created the first

true divers’ watch. As a true manufacturer of Swiss watches, the company opened the

OMEGA Museum in 1984 as the oldest watch museum devoted to the history of a single

brand. The exclusive creation of the OMEGA Co-Axial calibres has contributed to the

success story of the company. Louis Brandt was the first to set up an assembly workshop for

pocket watches. After his death, his two sons turned the workshop into manufacture to

increase the overall quality of the products. The company was the first to develop the mass-

produced calibre, followed by the first minute-repeater watch, as well as other outstanding

innovations. In 1932, the company was given full responsibility for time measurement of the

Olympic Games in Los Angeles. From that moment on, Omega became an important part of

many sporting events worldwide. Another important launch was the first waterproof watches,

among other innovations in the history of watchmaking: “mechanical watches with

unmatched precision, chronographs which have been to the Moon, and more than a century

of the industry’s best series production movements” (p.17).

4.1.1 Analysis of Omega

The English version of the Omega Website, www.omega.com, will be used for analysis.

The Website will be analyzed according to the criteria mentioned above. Screen shots will be

attached to the pages with different page numbers that I will analyze and present in the

Analysis

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Appendix A section of this thesis. For the analysis, the overall Web site will be analyzed;

however, specific pages in detail. Firstly, online branding of Omega will be examined, while

focusing on communicated core values and the overall identity. Followed by rhetorical

strategies, the thesis will concentrate on how Omega communicates their heritage. If not

stated otherwise, the information for the analysis of Omega is from their Web site.

4.1.1.1 Online branding

Omega represents itself as an innovative company as its core identity (p.16). Even

though Omega does not explicitly state its values, the Web site focuses constantly on the

term ‘innovation’. The heritage of innovation has significant differentiation potential, because

it reveals depth, authenticity, and credibility for customers, as it is represented on Omega’s

Web site. Omega’s advertisement promotes not only the products, but also the period in

which they were created. The company mainly places its products on the sites and attaches

valuable emotions and stories to every individual piece. This outlines the uniqueness of the

individual products and communicates the company’s values in form of innovation, quality,

and design rather than on heritage. The watchmaker dedicates a passage to reflect its high

importance on quality, design and precision. According to the Web site, the dedication to

quality starts within the very first thought and lasts throughout the development. In form of

logos appeal, they bring evidence that the quality is “a hallmark of every Omega

watch” (p.21) and that every material used in the process has been carefully selected to

ensure the highest quality standards. Additionally, design is described in detail and

mentioned as an important value of the company. Here, a heritage element is attributed to

the value of excellence: “Design excellence has been a defining part of Omega from the

company’s earliest days” (p. 22). On the Web site, they proud themselves with evidence of

awards they have won in the past as logos appeal. Furthermore, Omega shows action

behind their written words by illustrating these awards that they have achieved and by

representing the watch company as the only one in the world receiving most records for

Analysis

54

accuracy (p.23).

Even though the company addresses their long history and heritage in different

themes, the overall identity focuses on the communication of the products and its special

features while combining them with universal events such as the moon landing and the

Olympic Games. Also the reader will be introduced to the sporting and pioneering spirit of

Omega; sports, as a big part of the company for years and as an active part of the

challenging and fascinating events in human history in form of the pioneering spirit. This

forms a triangle of three important Omega values: innovation, sporting spirit and pioneering

spirit. All three are somewhat attached to each other, since all three demand high

performance and quality, courage and reliance.

4.1.1.2 Rhetorical strategies

Verbal tools

Omega’s Web site is based on large amounts of text and also has a scroll button to

achieve access to diverse headlines, themes, and stories. . The Web site of Omega offers

many different passages of text and contains a lot of information in verbal and visual forms.

Pathos is a very important appeal form on the Web site. In almost every section and in every

theme, the company appeals to the reader’s emotions and explicitly appeals to universal

values in form of design, quality, and innovation (p.16) compared to lasting events in sports

and other historical events (p.15). Thus, the Web site takes on a narrative story and uses

comparison in the form of metaphors to describe their work as „our pioneering spirit has

taken us to the Moon, helped us conquer the oceans’ depths, and allowed us to time the

world’s most important sporting events“ (p.15). They use this metaphor to compare their

working commitment, spirit, and culture to provide their watches with strong symbolic values

such as the long travel to the moon and the difficult task to conquer the sea (p.15). They

speak in metaphors to attach emotional values to their products and to emphasize

Analysis

55

authenticity to the brand. They also constantly compare their watches with outstanding

achievements in human history and famous people to attach unique attributes to their

watches: “watches which have been to the moon and back with Apollo astronauts, as well as

the watches of kings, queens, presidents, explorers and visionaries” (p.24).

Key words such as ‘spirit’ and ‘time’ refer to words like ‘original’, ‘enduring’ and

‘credible’, which supports the authenticity and credibility of the brand. Customers can identify

with the attached emotions like the discovery of the moon and the prestigious, worldwide-

known Olympic Games. The company prides itself and dedicates an individual section for

watches that made history for years, while emphasizing innovation as an essential value: “a

selection of our legendary watches ... and some of the key calibres and innovative

movements which have always kept Omega at matchmaking’s cutting edge” (p.17). Here, the

company effectively combines the success of the past, with the need to being innovative to

reassure great success in the future. Within these strong statements, Omega builds trust with

its customers and conveys the reader of its ability to create modern and innovative watches

in the future. Over and over again, the company emphasizes the term innovation as its core

identity (p.16). Also similies, a form of metaphor, is used while comparing the precision

records they have earned ‘as’ to any other watch brand (p.14). In this case, visual metaphors

are also used to associate a specific product to a specific set of values: “Omega has been

responsible for the timekeeping of the world’s most prestigious sporting events, including 24

Olympic Games, ... “ (p.13).

Omega also uses in some form the metaphor of irony, which exaggerates in any way.

The watch manufacturer constantly exaggerates how good they are in what they do as

watchmakers and refer to statements like ‘so much excitement’ and ‘consistent determination

to be the best at what they do’ (p.13). The term ‘good’ is not good enough for Omega, it

must always be stated as superior. The Web site uses logos to reveal credibility and

evidence for its unique products in form of the statement: “On 1st March 1965, OMEGA's

Speedmaster chronograph was "flight-qualified by NASA for all manned space missions” (p.

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19). Again, the written text is supported by a powerful visual image showing the arm of a

NASA astronaut wearing an Omega watch. It represents the watch in the light of highest

innovation and technology that NASA stands for. Remarkably, Omega consistently places its

corporate name in every passage and within almost every picture. They reassure that their

name is represented in visible light to everyone in every passage and page. This also signals

credibility and trust in what they do. They are proud of their corporate name and their overall

success. At the same time, the company has a section representing the ambassadors of

Omega. Famous actors, models, athletes, which all represent individual watches on

individual pages. This is a great way to reveal credibility, since these famous people are role

models for many people around the world, and consumers trust these ambassadors in what

they believe is a unique product. Again, Omega uses linguistics to convince the visitor of its

excellent watches. The famous ambassadors bring uniqueness and differentiation to the

products as it is of intrinsic value for some individuals to possess a watch that a famous

person stands for. In a great way, the characteristics of the famous and well-known

representatives are carried over to the brand. The strong statement is especially supported

by one of the world’s best all-around swimmers, Michael Phelps: “With his impressive

dedication to performance and his determination always to give his best, he shares the same

pioneer spirit as the brand” (p.20). Immediately, the brand attaches unique attributes to its

brand and compares these attributes with the ones of the worldwide known representatives.

This is known as pathos appeal, as they praise certain individuals who embody the values

that Omega stands for. Once again, a strong emotional image is shown above the written

text in Michael Phelps wearing the watch that he represents and stands for. This establishes

trust and credibility in the appeal form of logos, since the top actors, models and athletes

give their name for an individual watch of Omega. In summary, Omega uses a high degree of

linguistic tools and visual elements. However, one has to make sure not to get distracted by

the load of information and number of images on the Web site.

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Visual tools

The watchmaker uses a lot of images and pictures to underline what they stand for—an

innovative watchmaker since 1848 (p.16). When one opens the Web site of Omega, the logo

is presented on the very top of the page on the left side. The color red makes the logo visible

and gets the attention of the visitors, since it is the only text in red color. The logo includes

the corporate name and the last letter of the Greek alphabet, the letter Omega. In a

denotative way, Omega represents visual images that all visitors worldwide would recognize

at any time, e.g. the flag of the Olympic Games. The denotative meaning is immediately

given and interpreted by all users worldwide, since the Olympic Games are the most

prestigious and well-known sports event in the world. The prestige value of the Games can

be attached to Omega’s products and reveal highest excellence (p.13) and appeals to the

emotions of the customers. Also the image of the footsteps of the man on the moon creates

a powerful and emotional image that everyone can relate to (p.14). One can link powerful

values such as fascination and uniqueness to the brand.

The overall colors of the Web site are white and blue, representing the water. The font

of the text is mainly grey, which reveals elegance. The background of the Web site is white

and this helps to give depth to the written text and to the high degree of visuals, used to

support the text. The pictures are primarily used to add emotions to the text as the pictures

often show humans with extraordinary skills wearing the Omega watches as pathos appeal.

When showing feminine images, the color gold is often used to symbolize the elegance and

beauty of the woman and to affect the image of the brand. The soft colors and images of

females are used to directly speak to the female customers and to attribute soft values to the

brand. Overall, Omega presents their products in form of images representing each product.

All the visual elements used on the Web site are closely related to the meaning of the text.

The most outstanding and the biggest image in size and shape is placed on the opening site

of the Web site. The opening site of Omega is illustrated by the image of the Omega watch,

surrounded by a flood of water. The picture shows that the watch successfully survives the

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flood of water and within this non-verbally signifies its unique quality and design. The bottom

of the opening site is filled with smaller images and matching headlines linking the reader to

important products and services. The images overshadow the text and create an emotional

environment congruent to the meaning of the text.

4.1.1.3 Heritage

Founded in 1848 in Switzerland, Omega possesses a heritage of more than 160 years

of innovative watchmaking. The homepage reveals their outstanding heritage in many

different passages, but again the main focus is on an innovative identity. In narrative and

visual form, they explain their timeline and how the company was founded, but they do not

accentuate the founder of the company.

However, Omega uses storytelling in many different ways on their Web site. They use

sports to tell the story of their success: “Sports timekeeping has been a part of the Omega

story for more than a century” (p.13). They again use the universal story of the men and

women of the Olympic Games to represent Omega as ‘flawlessly times’, ’boldly displayed’

and ‘recorded’ product for future generations. They also use the tool to denote their products

in the high performance stage as all the athletes are competing at this event. Once more, the

Olympic Games are an emotional event that compares the values of such an event with the

ones of Omega in form of authenticity and credibility. The Olympic Games, as the most

prestigious sports event worldwide can be understood and valued the same way worldwide.

For the second time, the watch company also reveals storytelling as a communicative tool

under the heater pioneering spirit (p. 14). The story of the pioneers pictures the long journey

of a company’s success of the past until today. It again builds its metaphors and key words

to underline the brand with symbolic values such as ‘precision’ and ‘world-class’, which

emphasizes authenticity. Within that, strong written words attach emotional meaning to the

brand and compare the products to well-known events of human history like the lunar

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landings, the Olympic Games and airplanes powered by the sun (p.14).

In order to tell their story more effectively, the Swiss watchmaker uses ‘old-fashioned

media’ in form of books and a lifestyle magazine. This gives a unique note to the company as

it goes back in time and shows that both the ‘old’, visualized as books, and move towards the

future ‘new’, visualized in form of the Web site. Omega is proud of its history and highlights

this in verbal and visual ways: “...the brand has created an enormous number of timepieces

made important by their technical innovation, their unique design, their precision or the role

they played in history” (p.18). The importance of history is underpinned by the image of text

that represents dates of the past and automatically adds credibility to the watches. When

looking at heritage, it is noticeable that the company names the founder of the company, but

does not put high emphasize on it. More obvious, the text tells in a narrative way the success

of the company so far and in detail mentions the legacy of innovation (p.23). It reveals that

the success of the company derives from the earliest innovation and the legacy of

commitment. The word ‘pioneering’ is mentioned several times on the Web site and gives

connotations to a new way of thinking and communicates unique knowledge in innovative

thinking and leadership. The heritage section once more exposes the powerful and emotional

statement: “In its more than 160-year history, Omega has been part of some remarkable

adventures: the conquests of space and the oceans’ depths, a century of high-profile sports

timekeeping, and more precision records than any other brand“ (p.14). This long statement is

of very important value for the watchmaker and proofs that Omega has been successful in

difficult times since the foundation in 1848. It represents the success of the past, present and

the future by giving customers a feeling of security in difficult times.

The elements of Balmer, Greyser and Urde uncover heritage as important, but not as

an essential element of their success as is the innovation and pioneering element. However,

the Web site fulfills the element of track record. When looking at the company’s timeline and

mentioned records and awards, the company has lived up to its values and promises over

time. In combination with innovation, the company shows a distinct image of itself and adds

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to the brand’s value proposition. Longevity exists to a small amount. Even though the

company reflects heritage and track record, one cannot truly believe to the full extent that

heritage is ingrained in the corporate culture. The Web site puts too much emphasize on

innovation and pioneering spirit. As already mentioned, Omega does not explicitly mention

their core values in a summarized section, but reveals unique values throughout the Web

site; values such as ‘innovation’, ‘quality’, ‘design’ and well-known ‘events’ in human history.

Overall, the company reveals their logo individually in different sections and passages and

reveals the design. Within the communication of their logo and the detailed description of

their design excellence (p.22), Omega gives their brand a unique heritage. For Omega, the

history is part of their identity and helps them to assure who they are: “continuously re-

defining state-of-the-art mechanical watch making since 1848” (p.15). Although, the company

rather identifies itself within its innovation and spirit, the advertisement of heritage of

innovation adds to the brand’s value and sends depth, authenticity and credibility for its

customers. Also the fact that Omega opened a watch Museum exposes their dedication to

the history of their brand.

4.2 Patek Philippe

Figure 4: Patek Philippe logo (Source: www.patek.com)

Patek Philippe was founded in 1839 and is well known as an independent family-

owned company. The company owns more than 70 patents and is the only manufacturer that

crafts everything according to the strict requirements of the Geneva Seal. Patek Philippe’s

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headquarter is based in Geneva, Switzerland, along with its case and bracelet workshops,

the Museum, and the Salons in Geneva, Paris and London. The watchmaker is worldwide

recognized as one of the manufacturers of classy and timeless watches created from

generation to generation. The company is proud of its awarded International Magazine

launched in 1996. Thus, the company opened a museum: The Patek Philippe Museum. The

museum celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2011 and presents the first watch ever made and

the collections starting from the foundation of the company in 1839.

4.2.1 Analysis of Patek Philippe

I will analyze the Web site www.patek.com and examine the English version. I will

attach screen shots to the pages that I will analyze and present them in the Appendix section

of this thesis. Patek Philippe’s analysis will be presented in Appendix B and the different

pages will be revealed in different page numbers. It is important to mention that the overall

Web site will be analyzed according to the criteria described earlier and specific selected

sites in detail according to the established theory. I will begin to analyze the overall online

branding strategy, mainly focusing on the communicated identity and values. Thus, rhetorical

strategies are examined, followed by the communication of heritage on the Web site. Again,

the analysis is based on the information brought together solely from their Web site, if not

explicitly stated otherwise.


Patek Philippe reveals 10 unique values on their Web site that belong to the past and

the future and account as a fundamental part for the success of the company. The branding

strategy of the company links emotions and strong values to their products. Thus, they

emphasize their corporate-product advertising on the Web site by basing their main two


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advertisements on the slogans: “Begin Your Own Tradition" and "Something truly precious

holds its beauty forever" (p.1). Within these two campaigns, they illustrate that the company

takes into consideration the equal representation of feminine and masculine values both

represented in the images and slogans of this page. The feminine values stand for ‘enduring

value’ and ‘profound beauty’, which highlight global values that can be understood worldwide

in a denotative way. In addition, male values are centered on universal emotions such as the

father and son relationship. The father explains to his son the ‘idealised’ world of the

company. Both advertisements can be understood in the sense that customers can identify

with the products and associate themselves with the long-term values of the company. Both

slogans are underlined by emotional images showing the strong bond of relationships: father

and son, mother-daughter and best friends. The strategy successfully attaches the product

and service with emotional values and denotes global values such as enduring value, beauty

and universal relationships.

Furthermore, the Web site highlights 10 distinct values that stand for the company’s

success of the past and the future to express their identity (p.2).

• Independence: “Founded in 1839“.

• Tradition: “Uniquely comprehensive nature of our production method”.

• Innovation: “We treasure our traditions; it is the future that inspires us”.

• Quality and Workmanship: “Many elements contribute to the unique quality inherent

in the watches”.

• Rarity: “Something of rare value”.

• Lasting value: “This allows us to say: You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You

merely look after it for the next generation".

• Aesthetic: “It is beauty that brings a watch to life”.

• Service: “WE“

• Emotion: “YOU“

• Heritage: “Values and beliefs that have always been at the heart of the company”.

10 values reflect emotional and universal values, which are explained in detail on the

Web site. These values provide the brand with high symbolic values and refer to words like

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‘aesthetic’, ‘rarity and ‘value’, which stand for credibility and authenticity. It is noticeable that

Patek Philippe bases its success on the past, the present and the future. The values

characterize a strong feeling of “WE“ – a corporate unit and a “YOU“ – directly speaking to

the customer and involving him or her. The company actively includes the reader into the

success of the company and speaks to him or her in a direct way, which shows that not only

the employees play a valuable role, but also the customer. Even though the values are

represented in text within pathos appeal, they create emotion and build strong attributions to

the services and products. In addition, heritage and tradition are included to present the

importance of unique production methods that have the highest watchmaking quality and

excellence. Thus, they reflect the respected values that have been of intrinsic value for the

success of the watch company. They also portray symbolic attributes in form of written words

such as quality, rarity, innovation and aesthetic to their watches, which gives customers a

feeling of credibility, trust and accountability.

Overall, Patek Philippe represents their values in an emotional way that touches upon

the reader’s feelings and reveals credibility in the products and what they do. Within the

value ‘tradition’, the company also reflects the importance of the highest official

endorsement, ‘Geneva Seal hallmark’, which stands for unique watchmaking, quality and

excellence. Overall, the company reflects its identity in the form of unique values and

represents credibility as a main feature. This is shown by characterizing itself as a unique

watch company that builds on a lasting heritage combined with unique knowledge and

expertise. They also denote their identity in form of a golden watch, representing the color

gold perceived as elegant, unique, and precious. The watch as a symbol stands for an

elegant, classy, and timeless denotative image (p.10). Therefore, the company identifies

itself with a heritage of innovation as it names the ‘spirit of innovation’ as essential for

longevity and again reveals depth, authenticity, and credibility at the same time. In addition,

value innovation stands for the latest technology that demonstrates the outstanding quality

and reliability of their watches (p.6). Finally, the company displays its product design in form

Analysis

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of their core values at heart: “works of art, classicism and modernity and timeless appeal”

(p.13). These core values expose not just the core values of the product, but also its

heritage.


Verbal tools

The Web site is using a narrative story and takes the reader on a journey through the

past and the present. The company takes on the emotional story of long tradition and

heritage throughout the entire Web site. It represents itself as a watch manufacturer that

bases its success on generations and a company that has sincere interest in offering its

costumers the best products and services possible: "These precious, timeless elegant

watches, proudly handed down from one generation to the next, are the result of latest-

generation technology combined with traditional watchmaking know-how" (p.3). The overall

Web site consists of different passages of text, depending on content and themes and

appeals to the emotions of the reader. The pages are not overloaded and do not contain too

much information in form of written text. Representing ethos plays a significant role on the

Web site. The company establishes trust and credibility with the customer by showing

following factors: “With its vast experience and more than 70 patents to its credit … “(p.3)

and by showing: “100% of the Patek Philippe mechanical movement are awarded by the

prestigious official hallmark of the Geneva Seal granted since 1886…“ (p.2). The company

reveals credibility as they proof that they are licensed by the Geneva Seal and comply with

12 quality criteria that the Seal indicates. Furthermore, the company is based on a strong

heritage by developing 70 unique patents. This is also expressed by the continuous

repetition of their long-lasting heritage within passing unique knowledge from one generation

to another: “the experience and know-how of our master watchmakers is passed on to new

generations” (p.4). Again it is revealed in written form: “we will always live by the ideals that

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built our reputation” (p.5).

The entire Web site is loaded with pathos and appeals to the emotions of the

customers by presenting the relationship between father and son or mother and daughter

(p.1). Customers can strongly identify with such emotions and perceive the products as

trusted. It also reveals credibility by sending verbal understatements showing that it offers

“something truly precious“ (p.1). The truly specious stands for products that are unique and

cannot be imitated by other watchmaking companies since the knowledge and expertise has

been acquired within generations. This also describes the commonly held values in the

company, because the company bases its success on the values that have been an integral

part of their success for generations (p.2). Once more, the involvement of pathos in form of

repeating the long tradition and highlighting the fact that Patek Philippe is a successful

family-owned company possessing commonly-held values sends out trust and credibility to

its customers that trust in the success of the past and the continuous success of the future.

The Web site also introduces the rhetorical device of drawing parallels between

attributes and the actual product: “the timeless beauty and value of a Patek Philippe watch

and the eternal beauty of a mother-daughter relationship” (p.1). This also accounts for

rhetorical devices in form of aesthetic elements. Words such as ‘beauty’, ‘enduring value’,

and ‘eternal beauty’ give a variation to the text, while attributing the product with a powerful

aesthetic element (p.1). ‘Eternal beauty’ can also be seen as a metaphor to describe the

enduring success of the products while maintaining its unique aesthetic appeal to customers

over years. A denotative meaning is constantly proofed within a constant communication of

the obvious aesthetic elements of the products, as well as a connotative representation of

values and feelings attached to the watches: “each watch is individually assembled, polished

and regulated by hand” (p.2). This statement shows that every individual watchmaker

contributes to the development of one single watch in endless work hours by hand and

automatically gives a unique note to the assembling and reassurance of top quality.

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Visual tools

The logo of Patek Philippe is placed on the bottom left of the Web site. It is very

understated and not eye-catching. However, this represent more than words. It shows that

the watch manufacturer is confident about their excellent quality and work and they do not

need to put emphasis on an outstanding logo. The color used to fill the logo is a discreet grey

and displays only their name, the city it was founded and a small symbol of a crystal. A

crystal adds unique connotative attributions to the watches as it outlines the uniqueness and

rarity of the products. In accordance with the simple logo, the Web site is kept in white and

blue and stands for elegance and timelessness. In a connotative meaning, the colors

represent the sky with the color blue and white. The overall visual elements correspond with

the linguistic tools as it intensifies the meaning of the text. When Patek Philippe

communicates its history, they automatically visualize it with a specific image, e.g. the image

of the very first manufacture plant (p.9). When looking at the timeline, the images

complement perfectly the written text and also the font of the year numbers fit the specific

epoch and timeline (p.9). When first opening the Web site, one gets to see a brown and

golden watch, emphasized on a green background. The watch shines in golden colors and

exposes the matching connotations such as elegance, timelessness and uniqueness.

Everything in the background is presented in a grey light and full attention is on the watch.

The watch company is doing a significant job in highlighting what is important to them without

using lots of visuals.

All the pictures on the Web site either show the products or pictures that complement

the written text on the sites. However, in summary it can be said that there is not a single

picture that takes away the focus from the text. The only image that takes all the attention is

the opening image of the golden Patek Philippe watch. This also represents the identity of

the company as it mentions the commitment of its employees that work in the background

without receiving much attention (p. 12).

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4.2.1.3 Heritage

Patek Philippe, as already mentioned, uses storytelling as a tool to convince their

visitors of their quality and reliability. The Web site describes the watchmaking as passion

and a story that goes on from generation to generation. The story of the history of the

company touches upon emotions and represents the hard work from the first two Polish

founders until the present (p.7). It is also viewed in a way that it communicates the traditional

skills and tools of the founders and the following generations combined with an innovative

company of today. Here, the word ‘pioneering’ is mentioned to give connotations to a new

way of thinking (p.7). It seems that the story is written in a narrative way to show that the

success mainly derives from being a family-owned company with innovative thinkers.

Furthermore, they try to convince the customer by showing that they can non-verbally

present the quality and strength of the product by solely highlighting the emotions attached to

every individual watch, and within that the power to stand for something unique without using

words: “A Patek Philippe watch is not merely a method of telling the time. It is a silent

statement about your values. Each Patek Philippe is made to become a story, a tale of

emotions” (p.14).

By highlighting the past, the present and the future, the watch manufacturer points out

that they treasure traditions, but within that also focus on new innovations and technologies

to save the future of the company: “while we treasure our traditions, it is the future that

inspires us. Innovation is the true driving force of the company” (p.8). This statement clearly

sends credibility and reliability to customers, because it reflects that they acknowledge and

know about their success of the past, but also keep learning and innovating to further

improve the products. It is outstanding that they praise the valuable heritage of their

company, but also acknowledge innovation as a driving force of the future. By mentioning the

need of both the heritage and innovation, they give people the assurance of reliable quality

and work of the past combined with innovations and technology of today to assure the

success of the company in the future. By looking at pathos, the company explicitly addresses

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the visitor’s emotions: “All of our watches have the ability to create an emotional response in

their own right. This emotion is not just at the heart of every watch - it is at the heart of our

company” (p.14). Pathos as the unique appeal strategy evokes unique emotions attached to

products in the heart of the consumers.

When focusing on the five elements of Balmer, Greyser and Urde, one can agree that

history is very important for the company. When reading through the different sections on the

Web site, the history is always highlighted and also accounts as a huge part for their identity.

The company itself identifies itself on a constant basis with its history, but still also considers

the future within new innovation as a very significant aspect: “These precious, timeless

elegant watches, proudly handed down from one generation to the next, are the result of

latest-generation technology combined with traditional watchmaking know-how” (p.3).

Longevity is also fulfilled, as the company constantly demonstrates the role of the history as

an integral part. This is demonstrated in the statement: “based on respect for the past and

fascination for the future. Upholding the founding values of the company is integral to the

way we work at Patek Philippe” (p.2). Also the statement “the spirit of innovation which reigns

at the company's workshops has been instrumental for the longevity and reliability of its

watches” represents the importance of longevity for the company (p.12).

The two statements also represent the high emphasis on core values as part of the

company’s positioning and the corporate mindset: “values of the company is integral to the

way we work at Patek Philippe” (p.2). The description of the core values is clearly stated and

highlighted as part of the corporate culture and is stated within an individual menu item called

‘values’. Overall, heritage is an essential part of the corporate mindset of the company and is

responsible for the ongoing success of the watch manufacturer in the past and the future.

Track record is also fulfilled as one of the heritage elements, since Patek Philippe

continuously tracks its heritage and proofs that they have lived up to its values in

combination with innovation to keep being successful and reliable in the future. The use of

symbols is important for the watchmaking company and shows this in its logo, which

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illustrates a crystal. In a connotative meaning, a crystal presents attributes like uniqueness,

distinctiveness, aesthetic and rarity. All attributes again match the stated values of the

company and also the design of the watches give Patek Philippe a unique image, named as

‘cult objects’ (p.11).

4.3 Rolex

Figure 5: Rolex logo (Source: www.rolex.com)

Hans Wildorf is the founder of Rolex and recognized the need and success of

wristwatches for the future: “Hans Wildorf foresaw that they could become both elegant and

reliable“ (p.33). Rolex is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and distributes its products

in over 100 countries, with 28 affiliates. The leading brand in luxury wristwatches looks back

on a long history and opened the Rolex Institute, which honors and supports talented people

in science, culture, education and arts. Besides the support of talents, Rolex takes part in

different initiatives and activities (p.32). Furthermore, Rolex invented the very first self-

winding mechanism with a perpetual rotor.

4.3.1 Analysis of Rolex

When one enters the Web site of Rolex, www.rolex.com, one can select the English

version. I will analyze the Web site according to the same criteria as I analyzed the Web site

of Omega and Patek Philippe. Again, screen shots will be attached to the pages with

different page numbers that I will analyze and present in the Appendix C section of this

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thesis. For the analysis, the overall Web site will be analyzed and particular pages in detail.

At the beginning, I will look at the identity of Rolex in form of communicated values and

analyze the overall identity that Rolex communicates. Rhetorical strategies will be examined

and then, I will concentrate on how Rolex communicates their heritage. If not stated

otherwise, the information for the analysis is from the Rolex’ Web site.


Rolex represents itself as a leader in watchmaking and symbolizes a unique reputation

of quality and know-how (p. 25). When looking at their Web site, one reveals immediately

their dedication to sports and culture, with which they identify themselves. They have built a

strong relationship between their brand and sports and culture, which is based on common

values: “the relationship ... has continuously grown and prospered based on common values,

such as pursuit of excellence and the respect of tradition” (p.28). They identify themselves

within strong athletic and artistic values, which perfectly match the culture of Rolex at-heart.

The brand places strong athletic qualities at their core such as “determination and precision”

and reveal them as main attributes of their watches. In order to identify within different sports

and culture, Rolex signifies every individual sport and attaches unique attributes and values

to it. When summarizing these attributes and values, one gets to see emotional and strong

athletic values like “excellence and fascination” (p.26), “absolute precision ... to create

records: a prestigious competition of endurance” (p.29), and within the art “individual

excellence and the pursuit of perfection in its long tradition“ (p.27). Over and over again, the

value of ‘excellence’ is outlined and mentioned as the unique value of Rolex, as one can find

in sports and culture.

Furthermore, Rolex identifies itself within a strong statement that summarizes the

values they stand for: “The spirit and philosophy of the sport are in perfect harmony with

values that Rolex holds dear: “excellence, precision and team spirit” (p.30). Striking on the

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Web site is that Rolex shows itself in the light of its heritage, combined with outstanding

values in sports and culture and as a company with worldwide presence (p.31). They also

communicate themselves as a “pre-eminent symbol of performance and prestige for over a

century” (p.31). This is a powerful tool to identify themselves in form of a unifying denotative

symbol within pathos appeal worldwide. This attaches uniqueness to the brand and attaches

emotions and reveals trust and credibility in what they stand for and do since their

foundation. In summary, Rolex on one hand communicates their watch collections, but on the

other hand expose their heritage and origin in form of the world of Rolex.


Verbal tools

The Web site is very unique and does not present lots of information in form of text.

The overall Web site is dominated by visuals, which are accompanied by text. However,

these images are presented in a very distinct way and one can give meaning to them without

reading the text. In form of logos appeal, Rolex demonstrates credibility and accountability of

its products by naming awards they received and name the ‘Rolex Institute’ as a place to

“make a meaningful contribution to the world in which we live through their exceptional talent,

quality and achievements” (p.32). Meaning making is such an essential tool when convincing

their customers of their outstanding quality and design. This is also achieved by stating that

Rolex was the first wristwatch awarded with the Swiss Certificate of Precision in 1910 (p.34)

in use of logos.

Through comparison, the company creates a special relationship between the watch

and the values: “watches are first and foremost a symbol of a way of life, a benchmark for

style” (p.35) and add unique attributes to their products. Within these strong words, they

compare their watches as benchmarks and create a powerful meaning when using the

slogan “symbol of a way of life” (p.35). While representing emotional attributes and highest

Analysis

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standards to their watches, a picture embodies a golden watch. Again, the visual

complements the text perfectly as it visualizes the style and excellence of their watches and

attaches pathos appeal to the products. Furthermore, Rolex closely associates both

adventurous women and men to the success of the “superiority of the Rolex brand” (p.36).

Furthermore, the company attaches emotional stories to the brand and points out that their

watches are more than just objects telling the time (p.37). Pathos is used here in form of a

story and a powerful image that shows two male on an expedition climbing the summit of the

Mount Everest with the Rolex watch. Such an event attaches emotions of lasting enthusiasm

and inimitably to Rolex’ watches, known as “the watches of achievers” (p.37). In this way,

they also praise the individuals, e.g. the adventurous men who embody the same values of

the watches, e.g. lasting enthusiasm. Moreover, the representation of the image offers a

denotative meaning that everyone around the world can recognize. Key words like

‘excellence’ (p.40), ‚’prestige’ (p.31) and ‘partner’ (p.40) refer to words like ‘authentic’ and

‘original’, which highlight the authenticity and credibility of the company.

The company also attaches unique attributes of famous athletes, artists and other

respected individuals to their watches. These famous people attach emotions and attributes

and evoke credibility and trust in the products, since consumers worldwide trust these

exceptional individuals of what they believe is a credible product. In that way, Rolex brings

uniqueness and differentiation potential to their watches as only the top athletes and artists in

their respective environment advertise for the Rolex watches. With pathos appeal, the brand

representatives carry out the values that the brand lives and stands for: the success of the

company “has continuously grown and prospered based on common values, such as pursuit

of excellence and the respect of tradition” (p.28).

Visual tools

The visual elements are the main features on the Web site. Visuals in form of images,

pictures and photographs convey the messages of the texts. The visuals are carefully

selected and accompany the meaning of the text. Every statement and every passage is

Analysis

73

illustrated in form of matching images like the presentation of Rolex and motor-sports

underlined by pictures of a racing driver and racing cars of the present and the past. This

shows a matching combination of informative text and meaningful images that convey the

denotative meaning of the text.

Rolex also arouses strong metaphors, which create emotional images in the reader’s

mind when reading the text and the parallel representation of the pictures. This is presented

in form of the image of the ‘Hahnenkamm races’ in the Austrian Alps, the most difficult skiing

races worldwide (p.39). Most people are familiar with the connotative image; however, it is

rather context-dependent and consists of personal feelings and values attached to the skiing

competition. The page shows the leading skiers in the world like Lindsey Vonn, Hermann

Maier and Carlo Janka, and one automatically attaches feelings of ‘determination’ and

‘precision’ to the images, which are also named as attributes of Rolex in the text. When

entering the Web site of Rolex, a close-up of a golden watch shows up (p.38). The watch

dominates the shape of the Web site and receives full attention. The watch is represented in

front of a huge water wave. One apparently associates the watch as perfectly resistant to

water, while revealing its uniqueness in form of the color gold and the word ‘yacht-master’

engraved in the body. A metaphor like ‘yacht’ is used standing for wealth and uniqueness,

perfectly symbolizing the values of Rolex. To the very left of the Web site, the logo of Rolex

is placed in the colors white and yellow. The color white fills the name of Rolex and the

crown on top of the name is filled with yellow. The crown symbolically matches the

superiority, performance and reliability of the watchmaker. As evident aesthetic element, the

crown is part of the Rolex logo. The crown symbolizes power and wealth and is congruent

with the values presented on the Web site. A crown stands for long tradition, excellence and

superiority. Also the color yellow reminds one of the crowns of monarchies and identifies the

brand within a unique luxury segment. Furthermore, the crown is an evident example of an

aesthetic element to present their identity.

Analysis

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The overall color of the Website is deemed in black and a dark green. The general

darkness of the Website helps to bring details of images in the foreground. Thus, the reader

can focus on the pictures and photographs without being distracted by large amounts of text.

When representing the watches individually, the background of the image dissolves and

centers the watch in the eye of the visitor. The watch literally stands in the center of attention.

Depending on the era and epoch, they support the text by presenting the images and

pictures in black and white or in color. The presented past is often reflected in the colors

black and white, while the present and the future are shown in colorful images.

4.3.1.3 Heritage

Rolex is a symbol of prestige in luxury wristwatches for over a century and according to

their Web site, Rolex continues to expand its long history of achievement and innovation

(p.31). Their success is based on the visionary founder, Hans Wildorf, who convinced the

people of the watch as a reliable and innovative timepiece (p.33). The powerful close-up of

his face underlines this statement as it attributes wisdom and engineering spirit to the image

and gives it a powerful connotative meaning. The image is illustrated in black and white and

accents the tradition of Rolex, as often black and white reminds one of the past. The Web

site highlights the founder of the company as an important resource for the overall success of

the well-known brand. The watchmaker praises the past of the company and in form of

storytelling reveals its values in verbal and visual strategies.

The story of the founder reflects the core values of Rolex and describes the values on

which the company was founded and lives up to until today: “reliability of his resolutely

innovative timepieces, he equipped them with small, very precise movements manufactured

by a Swiss watchmaking company in Bienne“ (p.33). Here, a rhetorical strategy is used to

highlight Bienne as a city in Switzerland, since most people in a connotative way associate

Swiss as an outstanding country of unique watch making. Accordingly, Rolex throughout the

Analysis

75

entire Web site communicates the stories of athletes, artists and events to demonstrate the

importance of the heritage to the company.

When looking at the five elements of heritage, Rolex presents a combination of the

past, present and the future to show a track record of their successful company. They

illustrate and show that innovation and heritage belong together by signaling that they work

with “28 affiliates worldwide and relying on 4,000 watchmakers in over 100 countries, Rolex

continues to expand its long history of achievement and innovation” (p.31). They show

evidence in form of logos of their achievement with such numbers and also guarantee the

innovative future of Rolex. Longevity is consistently demonstrated through their visual and

verbal representation of heritage and track record by revealing the lasting and unique

relationship between sports, culture and Rolex: “given the longevity and strength of these

relationships, Rolex is seen not merely as a sponsor... but also as a partner” (p.40). Their

core values are communicated as part of their heritage over time as they link the heritage of

Rolex to the visionary spirit of the founder Hans Wildorf (p.33). They also communicate their

values as an assurance of the future success of the company to give the customers a feeling

of reliability.

The use of symbols plays a valuable role for the brand on their Web site: “Rolex is a

symbol of prestige in luxury wristwatches” (p.31), especially the meaningful communication

of their logo and the attributed crown gives the brand a unique heritage. When concentrating

on the history, one can agree that for Rolex the history is important to identity combined with

innovation: “Rolex continues to expand its long history of achievement and innovation"

(p.31). Overall, Rolex values its heritage on their Web site, but they indicate that innovation is

necessary to keep up with competition and to assure the future success of the company.

Analysis

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4.4 Summary

All three companies are based in Switzerland and founded between 1839 and 1905.

When focusing on their individual Web site, one can find similarities in many ways, but also

differences. When looking at how these companies communicate their identity, all three

companies identify themselves differently. Omega identifies itself as an innovative company

and represents itself within universal events in human history and sporting and pioneering

spirit. Patek Philippe focuses on heritage as their core identity. Lastly, Rolex identifies itself

as a brand that values the relationship between sports and culture and associates itself with

a worldwide presence, innovation and a powerful heritage. In summary, Omega stands for

innovation combined with sporting and pioneering values, Patek Philippe identifies strongly

with their heritage, and Rolex identifies itself with athletic and artistic values.

Commonly, the Web sites are dominated by text and complemented with a high use of

visuals. All three Web sites use a rather narrative style, but always trying to persuade the

reader by attaching strong emotions with pathos-appeal to the text and the visuals.

Furthermore, all Web sites identify themselves with a strong heritage of innovation and see

heritage as an important part of their identity. Notably, Rolex and Omega attach unique

attributes to their watches by using ambassadors as role models to represent their particular

watches on their Web site. When focusing on heritage in detail, all three brands value the

past, the present and the future and fulfill to different degrees the five elements of the

heritage model. Except Omega, the two others mention their company success based on

their visionary founders. In general, Omega, Patek Philippe and Rolex use storytelling as an

effective tool to communicate their products in an emotional way and to add pathos-appeal to

their stories.

Comparison

77

Chapter Five

5.0 Comparison

In this chapter, I will compare the Web site of Omega, Patek Philippe and Rolex based

on the main focus areas for analysis for each company, namely, online branding, rhetorical

strategies, and heritage. To illustrate the main similarities and differences of the

communication of heritage elements and tools of these companies, I will summarize the

findings in the table below:

Focus areas for analysis:

Similarities Differences

Online branding • Core values matching the respective core identity

• Heritage of innovation • Origin

• Core identities • Core values • Logo

Rhetorical strategies:

Verbal tools

• Pathos appeal • Ethos appeal: credibility • Use of metaphors • Text complemented by

images • Communication of

credibility, accountability, trust

• Physical features

• Amount of text and visuals

Rhetorical strategies:

Visual tools

• Highly denotative images

• Visuals complement the text

• Color use of Web site • Logos • Connotative images

Heritage • Innovative company • Focus on past, present

and future • Heritage innovation

• Different degree of importance

Founders of the

company

• Heritage identity • Role of the founder for success

Comparison

78

Storytelling • High use of storytelling • Focus of stories

5 elements of

heritage

• Track record • Communication

of core values

• History Important to Identity

• Degree of longevity • Use of symbols

Table 3: Focus areas for analysis: Similarities and differences

5.1 Online branding

When looking at how these companies identify themselves, it is clear that all three

present themselves within a different core identity. Omega classifies itself as an innovative

company, while Patek Philippe highlights ten unique values dedicated to heritage at the heart

of the company. Throughout the entire Web site, they commit their success to their lasting

heritage. However, what differentiates them from the other two is the fact that Patek Philippe

solely communicates their success and unique products in the light of their heritage. The

other two watchmakers, on the other hand, use famous ambassadors such as athletes,

models and artists to make their products more interesting to customers by attaching unique

attributes to their watches. Rolex also uses famous role models, which identify themselves

with the products and give their name to differentiate the brand. Rolex overall connects itself

with a strong relationship between the brand, sports and culture. They put strong athletic

qualities at their core, while emphasizing their heritage. Moreover, Rolex identifies itself

within strong athletic and artistic values, which match the culture of Rolex at-heart.

All three companies communicate their identity successfully, as they present core

values that represent their corporate culture perfectly. Overall, they try to attach their

products with unique attributes and aesthetic elements to differentiate their watches from

their competitors. Omega and Rolex both praise famous and unique individuals. They

embody the values of their particular brand and distribute unique attributes and values that

Comparison

79

are attached to their watches. Clearly, Omega, Patek Philippe and Rolex accentuate unique

values matching their communicated identity. Omega attaches strong values of universal

events such as the moon landing and the Olympic Games to their watches and expose

values like innovation, design, precision and excellence. Patek Philippe identifies strongly

within their heritage and addresses values like tradition, rarity, emotion, aesthetic, heritage

and quality. Rolex, dedicated to sports and culture, uncovers athletic qualities at the core like

pursuit of excellence, determination, fascination, endurance, team spirit and the respect of

tradition. In the table below, the summarized identities within communicated core values and

unique attributes are illustrated:

Identity Core Values Unique attributes

Omega • Innovative company

• Innovation, design, precision and excellence

• Universal events in human history: Moon landing, Olympic Games

• Unique attributes of famous ambassadors

Patek

Philippe

• Heritage identity

• Tradition, rarity, emotion, aesthetic, heritage and quality

• Feminine and masculine attributes

• Heritage

Rolex • Athletic and artistic identity, in light of heritage

• Pursuit of excellence, determination, fascination, endurance, team spirit and the respect of tradition

• Athletic and cultural attributes of famous ambassadors

Table 4: Identity, core values and unique attributes

Comparison

80

5.2 Rhetorical strategies

Verbal tools

When focusing on verbal tools in rhetorical strategies, Omega stands out as they base

their Web site on lots of information within verbal and visual elements. Patek Philippe uses

more text and less visuals, while the Web site of Rolex is dominated by visual elements. One

can outline that Omega is the only company that communicates lots of information and

almost overloads their Web site. The other two rather focus on less information, but on highly

connotative and denotative images that accompany the text. The three companies similarly

focus on the use of pathos appeal as a strong tool to appeal to the emotions of the visitors.

They all do this by attaching emotional attributes and values to their watches to persuade the

public of their unique products. Here, Patek Philippe, raises itself up from the other two as

they use the written text in a way that involves the reader and directly speaks to the customer

by using “YOU“. Moreover, they incorporate the visitor with a strong feeling of “WE“. These

powerful words let the visitors be part of a united corporate culture. All three Web sites have

in common that they all wrap their products and who they are and what they do around

emotional stories that generate a unique environment for all three brands. Omega often uses

metaphors to add pathos appeal to the stories, while Patek Philippe creates an emotional

story of long tradition and heritage from generation to generation, while Rolex creates strong

emotions by creating relationships between the famous representatives and their watches.

In form of logos appeal, all watchmaking companies create sufficient evidence that

their quality is excellent and unique in form of awards or certificates they have received.

Effectively, it creates credibility and accountability and convinces the customer of highest

quality assured for the future. Moreover, within this strategy, they all persuade the public by

mentioning that the success derives from the past and goes on in the future. While Patek

Philippe and Rolex do this by highlighting their heritage over and over again as main factor of

lasting success, Omega indicates this by naming innovation and heritage innovation.

Comparison

81

The text of all of the Web sites is filled with emotional key terms like ‘excellence’ and

‘prestige’, and again refers to words like ‘authentic’ and ‘credible’ that customers want to be

persuaded with. Moreover, when introducing feminine and masculine attributes to their

products, the visitors can identify with these elements closely and are more willing to buy the

watches. Patek Philippe bases their corporate product advertisements on denotative global

male and female attributes such as ‘beauty’. Commonly, all three Web sites highlight their

strong relationship to what they associate themselves with or what they stand for. Patek

Philippe praises their lasting heritage from generation to generation, Omega is proud of their

strong heritage innovation and closely connected to universal events in human history, and

Rolex focuses on the relationship between sports, culture and the brand.

Verbal tools


• Unique attributes • Amount of text • Pathos appeal • “WE” & “YOU” • Storytelling • Logos appeal • Narrative style • Emotional key

terms

Table 5: Rhetorical strategies: Verbal tools – similarities and differences

Visual tools

The Web site of the three watchmaking companies are accompanied by mainly

denotative images to immediately reveal the meaning of the image, interpreted the same way

worldwide. However, especially Patek Philippe in form of the color use and the logo include

connotative meanings depending on the visitor’s background. One can say that the images

and pictures are fairly objective and arouse certain emotions towards the products. All three

individually illustrate denotative images that people worldwide can associate with and create

emotions that positively affect the purchasing decision of the consumer independent of the

country-of-origin.

Comparison

82

Nevertheless, Rolex also focuses on connotative images like the crown in the logo. The

symbol such as the crown is well known, but one can associate different feelings and

connotative meanings within the symbol. Still, it is a very universal symbol and mainly

creates unique denotative meanings and associations with high differentiation potential. The

logos of all three watchmaking companies are very different and display different colors and

symbols. While Omega shines in bright red, Patek Philippe’s symbol is white and very

discreet, and Rolex again illustrates its name in white with a yellow crown on top. These

logos are very different and create a high differentiation potential, as one would immediately

recognize these companies.

Another striking difference is the use of the color of the Web sites. Both Omega and

Patek Philippe chose unremarkable colors such as grey and white, but Rolex selected the

colors black and green for their Web site. Generally, all visuals on the Web site perfectly

complement the meaning of the text and accentuate the written meaning. Also when

highlighting the heritage of the individual companies, all Web sites use images that

complement the timeline of the story or the written text, e.g. black and white images when

telling about the foundation of the company or the past. The images of the watches also

represent the quality of the products non-verbally; strong images that show how resistant the

watches are to damage are placed on main pages. Such powerful image creates Rolex by

representing a flooded watch that resists all the hazardous conditions within one meaningful

image as the opening image.

Comparison

83

Visual tools


• Denotative images

• Logos appeal

• Connotative images

• Color use of Web site

• Images complementing the text and meaning

• Amount of visuals

Table 6: Rhetorical strategies: Visual tools – similarities and differences

5.3 Heritage

Heritage plays an important role for the overall communication of the three companies.

They all highly communicate heritage and especially, heritage innovation as the roots for

their success. All three are based in Switzerland and underline this on their Web site. Since

the Swiss watchmakers are worldwide famous for their unique watchmaking, they place their

heritage and origin on their individual Web site, including the name of the city. Especially

Patek Philippe, as the oldest of the three, understands to point out heritage in an emotional

and effective way in every passage and within every individual visual to strongly differentiate

itself from the other two. While all three demonstrate their heritage continuously on the Web

site, Patek Philippe accentuates strong core values connected to heritage and also highlights

heritage as a main differentiation factor and driver for lasting success.

While both Patek Philippe and Rolex accentuate their founder in form of text and visual,

one can recognize the importance of the founder for the success of the company. Omega

does not point out the founder as the factor for success, but reveals the legacy of innovation

instead. It is very noticeable that heritage and innovation are very interrelated as all three

mention heritage innovation as highly essential on their Web site.

Moreover, all companies throughout the entire Web site use storytelling as a tool to add

Comparison

84

emotions to their stories. Omega tells sports stories, Patek Philippe tells the stories of the

lasting heritage from generation to generation, and lastly Rolex conveys the stories of

athletes, artists and events. Storytelling is a very useful tool on all Web sites to add

authenticity and uniqueness to the text. While there are highly connotative meanings in the

stories that one has to interpret depending on the personal background, one can still find

denotative meanings. Again to communicate the heritage successfully, the three

watchmaking companies constantly point out the past, the present and the future. It is of

fundamental value for the brands to accentuate the three different time frames in form of

verbal and visual tools continuously. Patek Philippe and Rolex dedicate their lasting success

clearly to their achievements of the past and point out that history is very important to them.

Similarly, all three fulfill the five dimensions of the heritage construct and only Omega rather

bases their success on earliest innovation. However, they still emphasize heritage innovation

as necessary.

The communication of core values is of highest importance for all three brands when

communicating their heritage. They all reveal core values, which are equivalent with the core

identity and represent the culture of the company at-heart. Patek Philippe is the only

company clearly naming their core values on the Web site, but all eventually illustrate what

they stand for. This is commonly underlined by the use of strong symbols such as the

different logos, unique design or images that add emotions in pathos appeal to the products.

The core values communicated and represented (Table 4) express the culture of each

company and positions the brands individually in combination with their corporate mindset.

For all three watchmaking companies, the demonstrated core values on their Web site

communicate the core identity and are emotionally appealed to customers to differentiate

from each other. The core values are clearly defined and communicated in text and within

visuals and create unique experiences and stories that are distinctive and special in the eye

of the consumer. One can immediately recognize the individual core values as they are

either exactly pointed out or attached with unique attributes. These elements and tools

Comparison

85

differentiate all three companies as the customer can associate with the identity and the

unique attributes of each brand.

Again, they all express through the element of track record that they have lived up to

their promises. Furthermore, they reveal trust and credibility to customers about the future of

the brands as logos appeal. All three companies track their record of success in combination

with innovation in the light of the past and the future. Also longevity is revealed on the Web

site, especially on the Web site of Patek Philippe and Rolex. Omega addresses longevity, but

not highly in appearance of heritage elements like track record and the use of history. To

some extent they reveal these elements and admire their heritage, but still emphasize

innovation as the main driver for success embedded in the culture of Omega. The history is

equally vital for all three of them and is illustrated on the three Web sites in text and visual to

show who they are. In written text, they explain the history as essential for the success in the

past and for the future and underline this with complementing images. Overall, they place

high emphasize on heritage and innovation, but position themselves differently through

different core values and emotional elements and attributes.

Nevertheless, they all have in common that they add authenticity and credibility to their

image as they advertise themselves with a strong heritage combined with innovation.

Furthermore, they generate distinctiveness in positioning as they present special

relationships between their brand and human relationships, events in human history, and

sports and culture.

Comparison

86

Heritage


• Strong heritage combined with innovation – a heritage of innovation

• Founder of company as factor for success

• Powerful core values connected to heritage

• Legacy of innovation

• Origin • Distinctiveness in positioning

• Heritage communicated in form of the past, present, and future

• Track record • The use of history • Core values • Longevity • Storytelling to add

emotions to stories: denotative & connotative meanings

Table 7: Heritage – similarities and differences

Conclusion and recommendations

87

Chapter Six

6.0 Conclusion and recommendations

In times of strong competition, high fixed costs and shorter product life cycles

(Herbrand and Roehrig, 2006), consumers are searching for a feeling of authenticity and

credibility, which is deeply rooted in a company’s heritage. The watchmaking companies are

daily pressured to assure greatest quality and excellence and to communicate a feeling of

trust to their customers. Omega, Patek Philippe and Rolex all highly communicate their past,

the present and the future and reveal core values matching their respective identity on their

Web site. Even though all three identify themselves with different identities, all three deeply

focus on the communication of heritage and innovation as drivers for success and as an

essential part of the corporate culture. These findings correspond with the theory that a

company can be innovative, while being heritage. The Web sites use different attributes and

values to add emotions to their products as revealed in the analysis chapter, but all Web

sites commonly use text and visuals that complement each other. This is necessary to

differentiate in a unique way and to add distinctive elements to their watches. Omega

concentrates on a combination of innovation and heritage, Patek Philippe deeply identifies

within heritage, and Rolex within a strong athletic and artistic identity in light of heritage. All

three watchmaking companies add differentiating attributes to their brand (Table 4), but all

reconnect by revealing their heritage as main driver for success combined with a heritage of

innovation.

Commonly all three companies use storytelling as a tool to bring their stories to life. On

all Web sites, storytelling touches upon emotions and pictures a company’s culture, the past

and the innovative company of today.


88

In the same way, they all portray their unique values within strong symbols and logos

that represent the expressed identity. One can agree that all companies illustrate their

products on the Web site, but also all emphasize their history and heritage as equally

important. This increases the chance that consumers perceive the brands as being authentic

and credibly, since consumers of today want to know more about the company than just

about the products. In form of the five elements of heritage (Balmer, Greyser and Urde,

2007), Omega, Patek Philippe, and Rolex reveal quality, trust, credibility, and accountability

as they fulfill all five dimensions. However, Patek Philippe is the only watchmaking company

that emphasizes a high degree of heritage elements to differentiate and identifies strongly

with core values of the founder of the company. Omega, on the other hand, identifies itself as

an innovative company, but does not accentuate the founder as a factor for success.

What all three companies communicate is that they are about history and history in the

making (Balmer, Greyser and Urde, 2007:6-7) and as such nurture consumer loyalty. The

Web sites all display text, often complemented by images and pictures in connotative and

denotative ways. Mainly denotative images are used to persuade the consumer, which can

be interpreted the same way worldwide. The add of emotions to their products in form of

unique attributes and heritage elements helps the companies to differentiate in a unique way,

while presenting themselves as highly innovative companies based on a lasting heritage.

Heritage and innovation are the main drivers constantly repeated on the Web site, which is

important to proof the success of the past and to assure the innovative future of the brand. It

is recommended for watchmaking companies to communicate distinct core values that match

the overall identity of the company as all three analyzed companies have in common.

Moreover, a heritage of innovation needs to be represented to assure that the company is

further improving the quality and design of the products for the future. In form of pathos,

ethos and logos appeal, one can communicate a feeling of credibility, accountability and trust

to visitors as the appeal forms convince the customer of outstanding quality and design. The

individual analysis showed that Omega, Patek Philippe and Rolex heavily rely on the three


89

appeal forms to persuade the consumers verbally and visually of their quality.

However, it is of highest importance that the text complements the image and the other

way around to assure that the emotions are transferred to the products. One can say that the

color of the Web site does not play an important role, since all three Web sites are developed

in different colors and fonts. The same importance has storytelling for all three companies, as

they use it to bring their past to life and to create an environment full of emotion to let the

customer be part of the whole. In addition, to portray the deep-grounded roots of the

companies, stories are embedded in emotional tales around people, events, and

relationships that deepen the bond between the customer and the brand. The Web site of the

three examined brands portray also emotional stories to uncover core values and symbols

surrounded by meaningful stories of the past, such as distinctive and differentiated logos and

individual stories of ambassadors, universal events, and the past.

Overall, the heritage is always communicated in the light of the past, present and the

future combined with innovation. To add authenticity to the products, the role of the founder

is communicated in a denotative way that can be interpreted the same way worldwide.

Generally, the Web sites reveal the history as important to identity, the core values deeply

rooted into the culture of the company, combined with track record, longevity and the use of

recognizable symbols.

To see what elements and tools other companies in the same industry should focus on,

Table 7 elucidates the findings presented in the analysis in form of recommendations. If other

watchmaking companies focus on the most important elements that should be

communicated, they differentiate themselves in a unique way from competitors. The

recommendations for the communication of heritage are summarized in Table 8 – Table 10.

All elements and tools are described in detail and argued for in the analysis chapter and the

theoretical background of this thesis:


90

Commonly

1. Communication of heritage as a driver for

success

2. Communication of core values matching

the respective core identity

3. Point out a heritage of innovation

4. Attach unique attributes to the products

5. Focus on the past, present and the future

6. Storytelling, as a key tool

7. Use of all three appeal forms

8. Name the founder of the company as a

factor of success

9. Not too much information on Web site

10. Fulfill the five dimensions of the heritage

construct: track record, longevity, core values,

use of symbols, and history important to

identity.

Table 8: Common conclusions

Online Branding

• Core identity in light of heritage and

innovation

• Reveal core values

• Attach unique attributes in congruence

with identity (e.g. sports, culture, universal

events)

Table 9: Recommendations Online Branding

Rhetorical

Strategies

• Verbal

• Emotional and narrative storytelling

• Founder stories

• Pathos appeal- arouse emotions

• Denotative images complementing the text


91

• Visual

• Balance between text and visuals

• Images complementing the text

• Emotional images – pathos appeal

• Images of ambassadors, human events in

history or sports and culture

• Images of males and females

Table 10: Recommendations Rhetorical strategies

Heritage

• Tell the emotional story of the founder

• Reflect the past, present and the future

• Maintain an interplay between heritage

and innovation

• Show time frame

• Reveal the history important to identity in

written form and visuals

• Communicate core values in light of

heritage

• Name the country of origin

• Proof longevity in form of logos appeal

• Use universal symbols (logo)

• Present heritage products

Table 11: Recommendations Heritage

The tables above summarized the most important elements and tools when

communicating heritage on the Web site. Every watch company still needs to identify itself

within unique elements to differentiate from competition while using heritage to add trust,

authenticity and credibility to their products. Based on the findings of this study, the

recommended elements and tools need to be addressed and considered to create unique

emotions that build on a lasting relationship between the company and the customer. Thus,

when following the recommendations, companies can optimize their heritage communication

by adapting the optimum communication strategy of heritage on their Web site.

Further research

92

Chapter Seven

7.0 Further research

It is very important that further research is conducted within the topic of heritage

communication. So far there has been little research in this area and to contribute to further

understandings, more research is needed. Suggestions for further research involve:

- Test the analytical model for other industries and companies: This study focuses on three companies within the same industry. It would be of high

interest to evaluate how different companies and different industries communicate heritage

on their Web site.

- Focus in detail on the combination of heritage and innovation: Heritage is the main focus in this thesis, but the conclusion reveals innovation as a

driver of success for the brands. Further knowledge may be gained by examine the

relationship between heritage and innovation in detail.

- Analyze the heritage communication on a different platform/medium: This study concentrates on the analysis of heritage communication on the Web site of

companies. A look at other material or platforms could offer new insights into the research

area.

References

X

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