The Role of Graphic Design Semiotics in Environmental Awareness Campaigns

Marc Vallverdu-Gordi and Estela Marine-Roig ()
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Marc Vallverdu-Gordi: Economics and Business Studies, Open University of Catalonia, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
Estela Marine-Roig: Economics and Business Department, University of Lleida, 25001 Lleida, Spain

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: This work aims to explore the usefulness of graphic design in awareness campaigns promoting sustainable tourist destinations and to identify their contribution to the success of the campaigns in terms of their generating increased protection of the natural and socioeconomic resources of the destination. The study applies semiotics to the field of social marketing to build a conceptual model that relates the graphic design of a campaign to public environmental awareness, and to the destination’s preservation. In order to test the conceptual model, the campaign “Que la montagne est belle!” of the “Parc Naturel Régional des Pyrénées catalanes” in the French Pyrenees is taken as a case study for analysis, as it aims to preserve the park’s natural environment and pastoral activities. The data are analysed using the partial least squares structural equation modelling technique (PLS-SEM), and the results are studied for different segments of the sample. The findings show that the graphic design semiotics influence public environmental awareness and destination preservation by generating in the audience a sensitive, emotional, and cognitive reaction towards the campaign. This innovative framework on graphic design can be adapted to other branding or marketing campaigns to improve destination images.

Keywords: semiotics; graphic design; social marketing; environmental awareness campaign; tourist behaviour; sustainable destination; structural equation modelling; natural park; Catalan Pyrenees; France (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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