This document discusses how semiotics can help brands navigate modern cultural branding challenges. It explains that semiotics examines the relationship between brands and culture through signs and their meanings. By understanding dominant, residual, and emergent cultural codes, semiotics can help brands identify opportunities to position themselves to connect with consumers on a cultural level. The document provides examples of how semiotics has helped brands reposition by leveraging shifting cultural trends beyond their categories.

1. Hello. Cultural Branding for the 21 st Century.

3. Challenging time for Marketing. How can my brand have presence across many platforms? How can I persuade consumers to embrace my brand world? Should I re-evaluate my media planning/ media spend?

4. Culture. ‘ Culture’ has come to play a key role in today’s society Postmodernism: merging boundaries between different social & cultural forms

5. Interdependency. Consumers are using brands to give more meaning and purpose to their lives Brands and culture are increasingly co-dependent A key way for brands to assume this role across a range of platforms is by fusing brand identity with broader cultural developments

6. Management of Meaning . Building brands as cultural icons creates inspiring connections with consumers … Ensuring the organic growth and profitability of the brand Therefore need to look at positioning strategy and brand architecture, NBD, NPD, creative development and executional refinement (packaging etc)

7. Semiotics.

8. Semiotics.

9. Semiotics. So what? CULTURE Semiotics looks at the relationship between branding and culture through the medium of signs SIGNS Through examining signs and what they mean to consumers, semiotics reveals often overlooked meanings and can create attention or differentiation BRANDING

10. Semiotics. So what? How a sign mediates branding and culture…

12. Research Psychology talking to consumers consumers instinct & ‘feelings’ Conscious culture & communications analysing ads, packs, NPD etc consumer as cultural decoder Unconscious Semiotics As it is now (dominant codes) As it will be (emergent codes) Qualitative research ask consumers what their opinions are, semiotics investigates where those opinions come from

14. Semiosphere. Chain Associations. Body language Sex Art Branding Architecture Fashion Science Industrial design Dance Sport Ecology Provides socio-cultural frame, tracks shifting trends, probes for category patterns, identifies codes and discourses

15. Semiosphere. Chain Associations. Art Branding

16. Semiosphere. Chain Associations.

17. Example. Semiotics helps a skincare brand (US, Brazil, Germany) MOISTURISATION Refreshing, Water-based / Liquid, Serious / Aggressive, Lighter, External, Correcting/Repairing NOURISHMENT Indulgent, Solid/Food, Playful / Warm / Loving, Strengthening & Weightier, Internal & External, Improving / Boosting Semiotics identified emergent key cultural trends beyond the skincare category and how they could be leveraged to signal a ‘nourishment’ positioning as opposed to category-wide moisturisation Emergent Codes in food & eating led to specific recommendations on packaging, point of sale, product formula, crucial to credible re-positioning of skincare brand

18. Example. Semiotics and CO2 emissions identity project MULTIPLE ICONS Unclear message, static image, consumer outtake confused - dark colours only code problem not solution SINGLE UNIFYING ICON Icon codes problem (linked to popular phrase) and solution (reduction of size & blue sky clarity), active icon Semiotics identified contradictions communicated by signs & imagery in existing brand comms and executional solutions for strengthening overall message and consumer awareness of and engagement with campaign Semiotic insights led to specific recommendations on executional cues for logo & above/below the line communications crucial to credible re-brand and development of new advertising campaign

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