This paper focuses on the question of semiotics of brand communication. Lotman'sâ concept of semiosphere and three types of semiotic relations between imagined our brand and other brands, hindering the brand's acceptance in particular market, are introduced in this paper: non-semiotic relation; alien-semiotic relation; and different-semiotic relation. We would like to point out that in operating in culturally heterogeneous and fast developing eastern European markets, the marketer must note the context of emergence of self-awareness of consumer identities which entails prioritising uniqueness of the self and sharper opposition to others. Thereby the brand discourse turns to alien-semiotic rather often but this is a somewhat logical path leading to more tolerant different- semiotic which is a good basis for creation of the we-semiotic between the symbolic self of the communicated brand and the social self of the consumer.
The paper concentrates primarily on the development of the Estonian consumer market in 1992-1994, the first years of free market economy. The changes in the market are examined from the point of view of different indicators: objective ones, such as living standard and purchasing power, and those with subjective character, such as attitudes affecting brand consumption and buying behaviour. The data are from continuous surveys, such as household panel, advertising expenditure survey, target group index survey and brand monitoring, carried out by EMOR and its affiliates, Baltic Media Facts and Baltic Market Facts. Clearly in the following few years, the first markets to develop in Estonia will be those for food and essential commodities.