This paper explores the intersections between semiotic theory and marketing by addressing the foundational problem of value attribution in consumer culture. Drawing from structural and interpretive semiotics, the author argues that marketing objects are not merely economic goods but semiotic constructs subject to complex evaluative and inferential procedures. The analysis traces how value is attributed through processes of pertinence, judgment, and argumentation, influenced by both individual cognitive acts and socially shared valuation habits. Challenging traditional dichotomies between use-value and exchange-value, the paper proposes a model of “eccentric marketing” where product meaning emerges through dynamic semantic negotiations between producers, retailers, and consumers. Through a semiotic lens, the paper advocates for a redefinition of the marketing object as a syntactic and argumentative field, opening new perspectives for value-driven strategy and theory.
This document is identical to the version already available on Zenodo:
Cresci, G. (2025). The Arguments of Value: Notes for a Semiotics of Marketing. Zenodo.
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