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Bringing A Multimodal Discourse Mythological Approach to Online Consumer Communications

By Dr. Koblarp Chandrasapth Assistant Professor of Marketing at Chiang Mai University Business School Monday, 25 August 2025, from 12:00 to 13:00 Venue: Room 201 at Sasin School of Management or online via Zoom Register here to reserve your seat Abstract: Consumer research increasingly recognise the limitations of relying solely on traditional text-based analysis and have started to acknowledge the non-representative aspects of online consumer communications (e.g., Braggs, 2022; Jayasinghe and Ritson, 2013; Mak et al., 2022; Preece, Rodner, et al., 2022). However, current approaches are not inherently designed for a digital-native environment and often treat these two types of data separately, overlooking the changing role of consumers as prosumers who not only receive meaning but actively produce, remix, and reshape cultural content in digital spaces. Our study responds to calls for a more innovative marketing research method that could provide a holistic understanding of both the representative and non-representative data from online consumer communications. We introduce the Discourse-Mythological Approach (DMA) as an innovative method for analysing online consumer communications to consumer research. The method combines post-Jungian psychoanalysis with multimodal discourse analysis, offering a more holistic analytical scope that goes beyond the traditional focus on language and power found in critical linguistics. DMA fills this methodological gap by tracing how cultural myths and ideologies influence consumer and brand narratives across multimodal platforms. This allows marketing researchers to understand not only what consumers communicate but also the symbolic, ideological, and emotional processes that shape consumption decisions and brand value. In this seminar, two selected case studies will demonstrate the application of DMA providing deeper insights into how consumers create meaning and how marketing strategies operate. For example, an analysis of the Hero archetype in Army advertising shows how military recruitment campaigns blend archetypes, illustrating how brands tell stories that engage with shifting cultural ideas of masculinity and patriotism. Our paper contributes theoretically by applying the Discourse-Mythological Analysis (DMA) as a novel theoretical lens in marketing and consumer research. Through two selected cases highlighting the dynamic and context-dependent nature of archetypal branding, the study advances a more nuanced and flexible understanding of consumer meaning-making in marketing. From a managerial perspective, DMA enables brands to connect with consumers on a deeper symbolic and ideological level rather than relying on superficial messaging. By engaging with or reshaping cultural myths, brands can create powerful archetypes that resonate emotionally and ideologically, defend cultural symbols genuinely, and navigate cultural debates with care. This approach also supports adapting brand stories to local markets and encourages ongoing participation in consumer meaning-making, offering a solid foundation for emotional branding, storytelling, and values-based targeting in today’s digital world. DMA opens promising research avenues by uncovering unconscious motivations behind unexpected consumer behaviours. It also offers a valuable lens for examining consumer discourse around politically and culturally sensitive branding issues, such as geopolitical branding, greenwashing, sustainability misinformation, and brand authenticity. Moreover, DMA effectively addresses topics related to media stereotypes and brand portrayals, revealing how these narratives shape identity, self-perception, and consumer behaviour. Together, these directions position DMA as both a rigorous scholarly method for advancing consumer research and a practical strategic tool for brands navigating complex and contested cultural landscapes in digital environments.   For more information please contact +66-2218-4000 ext. 84095 or researchseminar@sasin.edu.