The sign value of beer and the consumption of beer in Thai society

Abstract

The emergence of beer as a product that appeals to a wide range of people is quite recent. Moreover since the 1990s many new brands have been introduced into the Thai beer market to cater to each class of society. Since than beer consumption in Thailand has increased enourmously. So far not much research has been done on this phenomenon. The hypothesis of this thesis is that, one reason for the increase of beer consumption in Thailand can be found in the creation and acceptance of sign value behind the brands. This thesis has used advertisements of the beer companies to understand the message the brands try to create to the public. A questionaire has been distributed to one hundred and twenty people to ask them about the reasons for their consumption of a particular brand and to determine how important sign value is to them. The framework of sign value is proposed by French philosopher Jean Baudrillard. He argues that people choose to consume goods which differentiate them from other consumers. According to Baudrillard, consumers nowadays spend money not only for the value of the product but also for the sign value. This sign value can be found in images or linkages to status, lifestyle,taste etc. By applying Baudrillard’s theory of sign value this thesis aims to demonstrate that different types of beer brands aim to create sign value which contibute to the image of the product through advertising. The finding reveal that each beer reflects a different sign value i.e. Heineken : Stylishness, Singha : Thainess, Chang : Thainess, Leo : Easy going and Cheers : Easy going. Regarding the consumption of beer appears that most people consume a particular brand because of taste and price but also because beer has become a beverage which is widely used for sharing purpose among friends, colleagues etc. Regarding the importance of sign value only a small number of people made their purchase because of this reason which took place in the premium beer market. It remains therefore open whether the theory of Sign Value as proposed by Baudrillard can be applied for the entire Thai beer market or not.