Semiotics: How To Increase Meaningfulness, Effectiveness & Cultural Relevancy of Brand Comms in Local Markets?

How To Increase Meaningfulness,
Effectiveness & Cultural Relevancy
of Brand Comms in Local Markets?
www.martinaolbertova.com @MartinaOlb
Inspired by the presentation for
POPAI DAY, November 2016
Prague, Czech Republic
Keywords: Brand comms, Retail innovation, in-store,
POP media, semiotics, meaning, sense, behaviour,
human mind, mental networks, effectiveness, ROI
increase, cultural relevancy, brand value, brand equity

OBVIOUSLY, WE KNOW
WHO THIS IS. RIGHT?
Martina Olbertova © 2017

Superman and Semioticians have
one important thing in common.
They both can see beyond what‘s
visible to the naked eye.
BUT DO YOU KNOW
SUPERMAN IS ALSO
KIND OF A SEMIOMAN?

SEMIOTICS IS A SUPERPOWER: WE
CAN SEE AND READ THE INVISIBLE
Both Superman and Semioticians share
an X-ray vision. Through a conscious
interaction with and reading of culture
and social ideology that surround us,
semioticians are able to view reality in
a way that ‘mere mortals’ can usually only
perceive on a subconscious level.
This allows Semioticians to experience reality
in all its plasticity and which makes them
suited to inform brands on how to best deal
with implications of cultural change and
continuous shifts in the business world.

BEYOND WHAT MEETS THE EYE:
NOT VISIBLE, DOES NOT MEAN
NON-EXISTENT
The same way that skeletons aren’t visible
by a mere eye, but are positively there
(otherwise our bodies wouldn’t hold us
together), culture also isn’t visible,
but its effects on us are present in all the
things we do, believe, create and conform
to. Culture is what constitutes our thinking
and perception of the world, as well as
forms our roles and identities in it.

People
Signs
Signs
Signs
Signs
Signs
Signs
Signs
Signs
Signs
Signs
Signs
Signs
Signs
Signs
Signs
SEMIOTICS EXTRACTS MEANINGS FROM THE FOG OF CULTURE AROUND US
Signs

Semiotics studies how meaning is created,
shared and reproduced in culture and society.
Marketing semiotics focuses on creation and redefinition
of meaning in all brand communication and advertising.
HOW WE DEFINE SEMIOTICS?

Semiotics is a science, which enables brands
to strategically work with their inner meaning.
Why is that? It’s because no brand is an island.
No brand exists on its own in a vacuum, but rather
in context of a culture that naturally surrounds it.
When looking at brands from a semiotic angle,
we inspect their expressions of communication
(what‘s visible by a mere eye) to dissect meanings
and codes about the cultural ramiﬁcations of brands
in particular markets worldwide (what’s invisible to us).
Thanks to understanding these cultural cues and drivers,
we can then create new strategic positions for the brands
that will increase brand’s relevance and resonance.
HOW SEMIOTICS WORKS?

LOGIC AND CREATIVITY:
SEMIOTICS CONNECTS
LEFT & RIGHT BRAIN
Thanks to interest in meaning and sense
‘behind’ communication and the logical
principles that structure it, semiotics can
help us intuitively connect analytical (left
brain) and creative thinking (right brain).

SEMIOTICS HAS A DUAL ROLE IN MARKETING:
FIRST WE HAVE THE ROLE OF DOCTORS.
WE OBSERVE THE SYMPTOMS OF ILLNESSES AND
THROUGH A CAREFUL INSPECTION OF MARKETING
COMMUNICATION, WE DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEMS
AND HEAL BRANDS FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
SECONDLY WE ACT AS ARCHITECTS.
WE REDEFINE MEANINGS IN COMMUNICATION
AND CREATE A SUPERSTRUCTURE OF MEANING
TO HELP BRANDS MANIFEST KEY MESSAGES IN
A CONSISTENT AND BRAND-RELEVANT MANNER.

3 MAIN PILLARS OF COMMUNICATION
1. Meaningfulness:
limiting illogicality, randomness, meaning inconsistencies or plain derangement of sense
2. Relevancy:
creating content that resonates with brand DNA and cultural specifics of local markets
3. Consistency:
limiting fragmentation, creating a coherent communication line

THE CENTRAL PROBLEM OF
IN-STORE COMMUNICATION TODAY:
- MEANINGLESSNESS -
Retail segment today faces an unprecedented level of
fragmentation, oversaturation and communication
inconsistency. This further leads to an increasing
illogicality, homogenisation and meaninglessness.

How can we create sense
in oversaturated market?
KEY QUESTION:
Oversaturation leads to a fragmentation of activities, chaos and noise.
Surprisingly, we don’t lack information, data, communication, products, innovations…
What we lack is a mechanism how to make sense of this world & effectively communicate.
The one who creates and owns meaning & sense, creates and owns everything.
Meaning and sense are the new leading currencies of any business, brand or organisation.

WHAT FACTORS
AFFECT POP MEDIA?
SOCIAL IDEOLOGY
MARKET SPECIFICS
ZNAČKA
CULTURE & TRENDS
PRODUCT
CATEGORY
COMMUNICATION
CHANNELS
POP
BRAND
VISIBLE
INVISIBLE
The invisible part
affects meaning of
what we can see =
the physical world
At all times, POP
communication is
being affected by
a broad context of
social ideology,
culture & trends,
market speciﬁcs,
product category
and the local
marketing
discourse. We can’t
create POP media
in a vacuum, but
should look at it
systematically in
context of the local
culture as well as
market speciﬁcs.

Create meaning strategically and
consistently across all channels,
brands and markets...
SOLUTION:

Where can we
find the world
of POP media?

marketing
Hypothalamus =
the centre of
emotional response

marketing
communication
brand communication
advertising and digital
PR and promotion
POP media...

POP
media
POP media only take up a mere
fragment of human awareness
when it comes to processing
marketing messages. On the
other hand, recent consumer
survey clearly show that
spontaneous decision-making
at the point of sale dominate
people’s purchase behaviour.

vs.
7
mild. CZK
Annual spend on POP media in the
Czech Republic amounts to an
astonishing 7 mild. CZK (approx 222
mil. GBP). This either means we have
a huge problem, or a huge opportunity.

“How can we increase ROI and effectivity of
something that takes up such a small space in
a human mind, and yet has such a huge impact
on everyday reality of the marketplace and
its further development?”
THE 7 MILD. CZK QUESTION

“We can achieve this by connecting POP to
something that naturally has a much higher
relevance for people because it occupies their
unconsciousness and structures impulses and
perceptions, which we all view as normal…“
THE 7 MILD. CZK ANSWER

AND WHAT IS IT?
CULTURE
= bridging in between the conscious and unconscious parts of a human mind
= our mutually shared collective unconsciousness, our mutual mental software
By culture, we obviously
don‘t mean going to the
galleries, theatres, or the
movies. Culture is our
mutually shared collective
unconsciousness, it‘s our
shared mental software
installed in our minds.

MEANING IS THE ALPHA & OMEGA
OF SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION
People don’t consume
products, but meaning.
Humans are basically walking talking meaning-making machines 24/7.
Meaning is how we relate to the world, perceive and interpret our reality.
Based on the meaning we ascribe to the world around us, we form our ideas, attitudes, values,
behaviours, interpersonal relationships and our many social role and identities.
The actual value that people consume in brands isn‘t
the service or a product, but the meaning behind them.
This meaning is precisely what enables us to identify
with the brand and create a relationship with it based
on our shared values, much like with a human being.

BRANDS CREATE NETWORKS
OF MENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
When we imagine 7UP for example,
the real value and the richness of our
experience with this brand is in the
network of associations and the volume
of meanings, which roll out in our minds
when we think of the brand. This mental
imprint creates brand‘s symbolic value.

Branding attempts to
create a mental structure
to clarify decision
(Keller, et al.)
‘MEANINGS DRIVE OUR BEHAVIOUR’

THE KEY TASK WHEN CREATING COMMUNICATION
“Key task for clients is to get as near as possible
to meanings that people themselves already
perceive as natural…“

CASE
STUDIES:

EXAMPLES OF CZECH IN-STORE COMMS
Martina Olbertova © 2017Imagery: Tesco Czech Republic

MAIN PROBLEM OF THE CZECH POP MEDIA
INTENTION x EXECUTION
Sometimes, there is a good idea, but a bad execution.
Other times, the execution is good, but the lead creative idea doesn’t make sense culturally.
My job as a semiotician is to find this sense and help managers embody it in communication.

REPRESENTATIONS IN POP: BEWARE, CZECH LANGUAGE ENTICES LITERALITY
LITERAL
(MEANING DENOTATION)
ZERO INSPIRATION & ADDED
VALUE FOR THE BRAND
LATERAL
(MEANING CONNOTATION & METAPHORS)
INNOVATIVE THINKING, INSPIRATION,
EXPERIENTIAL DIMENSION

DEGREES OF POP INNOVATION: TURNING UP THE VOLUME
Use of feelings, emotions (ESP), contextual
and meaning-driven communication
Innovation as an embodiment of freshness,
usefulness and educational aspect of customer
experience, inspiration for home use
Literality as an entry level position –
won’t hurt, but won’t add any value either,
hygienic level of communication, zero
inspiration, use of clichés and residual codes
Interactive
communication,
clear imprint of brand
values and
embodiment of brand
essence
Experiential interactive comms,
complex experience that goes
beyond the brand itself
Brand message developed for
POP media, clear call to action
Brand message or
brand claim (direct
remediation of the
brand campaign in 1:1)
VOLUME

•  Creating alternative
interactive worlds that people
can touch & feel
•  Using people‘s own
imagination as a point of brand
identification
•  Rule of code substitution
(we don‘t have to write it, if we
can feel, sense & experience it)
•  Building complex multi-
dimensional and multi-sensory
retail experiences
LITERAL MESSAGE VS CREATING ALTERATIVE WORLDS

MULTISENSORY RETAIL EXPERIENCE EXAMPLE Metro Cash & Carry in Germany
pioneered the ﬁrst in-store herb
installation in Europe named INFARM.
It’s a great example of a multisensory
retail experience that is both
educational, inspirational and stretches
boundaries of traditional presentation.

THE SEMIOTIC PRINCIPLE: REDEFINING MEANING IN BRAND COMMUNICATION
Current brand comms
(Concrete comm, usually
unsuitable in terms of cultural
relevancy, image-driven, empty,
fragmented or meaningless)
PRESENT FUTURE
Abstraction of meaning
(What is the abstract concept
behind current communication?
What cultural concept can we
identify?)
Physical
level
Abstract
level
Redefinition of meaning New redefined meaning
(New abstract concept enriched
by cultural insight and relevancy
within the framework of concrete
local / regional market)
New brand comms
(Concrete communication, but
more relevant, meaningful,
richer and culturally synced with
the specifics of local markets)

BEER

Current retail communication of beer:
•  Literal description of beer as the ‘golden
richness’ or a ‘golden treasure’
•  Clichéd representation of beer based on the
dichotomy of its category: ‘Light, or dark?
Always great’
•  Fails to elicit emotion or cultural meaning,
doesn’t go beyond the product itself
Moving forward:
•  Ask culturally relevant questions such as: What
do ‘richness’ and ‘heritage’ actually mean in the
Czech Republic?
•  How can we define and portray these? How can
we create a complex experience based on the
values that beer connotes culturally?
BEER & BRAND COMMUNICATION

BEER: NETWORK OF CZECH MENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
our crown jewel, national treasure and heritage
the most precious thing we have
the best thing from our nature (freshness and authenticity)
golden fluid (aesthetic quality of beer)
liquid bread (feeling of satiability and fulfillment)
legacy of our native land
part of our national identity
national pride
part of our cultural DNA…
OUR
CULTURAL
HERITAGE

CLEANING

CLEANING & BRAND COMMUNICATION
Current retail communication of cleanliness:
•  Literal description of functionality and product
benefits (cleanliness, fresh breeze, 0% bacteria…)
•  Rigid communication, which is minimally
contextualized with people’s everyday life...
Moving forward:
•  Ask culturally relevant questions such as: What
does ‘cleanliness’ actually mean to the Czechs?
•  What lies behind the functional aspect?
•  E.g. Fresh smell produces good feelings, increase in
self-esteem and one’s integrity. Tidying up links to
gaining mental space and a fresh perspective.
•  What about the story behind the story? How can we
tell the story of cleanliness and purity that will inspire
people to become better versions of themselves?

DETERGENTS: NETWORK ON CZECH MENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
clean environment = having no worries, relaxed mind, being at peace
escapism from daily stressors = pausing for a moment, taking a
deep breath, calming down, having a rest
cleaning up = clearing one’s mind, mental health exercise
clean slate = tiding up leads to creating a new beginning
emotional state = having a great mood, feeling good, being joyful,
having better relationships
personality aspects = increase in one’s self-esteem and self-
confidence, being a role model for others, gaining social respect
social role aspects = being a good parent, good friend, being
accountable
spiritual aspects = knowing what’s truly important, having more time
to devote to things that truly matter, living an authentic life…
CLEANLINESS
&
FRESHNESS

Mental associations create a pool of meanings
that brands can tap into while developing
communication.
These meanings are implicitly linked to the logic of the
category so they will be natural for people to identify with.
When using mental associations strategically to portray
moments of consumption and experience, brands can
increase both cultural relevancy and identification since
these naturally constitute the cultural fabric of the category.
Using relevant meanings that resonate with people in
context of a culture will further help brands increase their
symbolic value, brand valuation and boost brand equity.

GENDER

FEMININITY: STEREOTYPED PICTURE OF WOMEN IN CZECH RETAIL
COSMETICS SEGMENT
(CLEANLINESS SEEN AS INNOCENCE à
OUTER EXPERIENCE OF FEMININITY
FOR THE SOCIAL / MALE GAZE)
TECHNOLOGY SEGMENT
(RELAX AND ENTERTAINMENT à
INNER SENSATION, EXPERIENCING
ONE’S SELF IN A POSITIVE WAY)
BUT WHY?

FEMININITY AND DIVERSITY: REDEFINING MEANING OF A CZECH WOMAN
•  How else can a woman be portrayed in advertising and retail?
•  What’s the contemporary Czech woman like?
•  What does she look like? What’s her behaviour?
•  What are her values? What does she like? What she cares for?
•  Why are there such drastic differences in between femininity in
cosmetics and femininity in the technology category?
•  Why is the tech woman self-confident, relaxed, happy and authentic
while the woman in cosmetics is self-aware unconfident and heavily
stereotypical? (Expressing one’s self versus Being there just for the
fetishizing gaze of others)
•  Why is cleanliness stereotypically presented just as purity (feminine
virginity)? Why can’t a woman be BOTH confident and clean?
•  What depictions can we use to portray (Czech) women authentically
across different market categories?
FEMININITY

SEMIOTIC
MANUAL
Innovation tool for marketers, brand managers,
creative agencies, production agencies, market
researchers, shopper insight managers or CX
and UX managers to plan, develop and create
better, more effective and culturally accurate
imagery and communication across channels.

SEMIOTIC MANUAL
It‘s a unique project.
First step in the right direction.
(After many years of walking in circles.)
It’s an opportunity to learn how create brand and
retail communication that is culturally relevant.
First edition will be piloted in the Czech Rep in 2016.
It will be published in both Czech and English.
Editions for other markets worldwide are also possible.
Please, contact me to discuss details, if interested in
mapping your own market and its cultural specifics.

SEMIOTIC MANUAL
My goal is to provide answers to questions as:
-  what codes to use in retail communication,
-  which cultural concepts should be accentuated and how,
-  how to frame communication visually in accurate ways,
-  and how to create retail comms that maximise effectiveness
and return on investment (via cultural resonance)
3 key parts:
1.  View of current retail brand comms in the Czech Republic
2.  Cultural concepts and their interpretation in Czech context
3.  Semiotic analysis of retail comm examples and practical
recommendations for maximizing comms effectiveness

SEMIOTIC MANUAL
3 key benefits:
1.  Increasing meaningfulness via brand comm optimisation
2.  Increasing cultural relevancy and resonance with consumers
3.  Increasing brand consistency across different communication channels
Learning how to strategically work with meaning and communication codes, learning why
some concepts simply won’t make sense culturally (as an argument for global adaptations)
Understanding of cultural connotations behind the most frequently used communication
concepts such as cleanliness, femininity, humour, tradition and heritage, childhood etc.
Ability to create a compact, coherent and compelling communication / creative idea
inspired by the cultural values that won’t get fragmented anymore

THANK YOU!
@MartinaOlbwww.martinaolbertova.com

Semiotics: How To Increase Meaningfulness, Effectiveness & Cultural Relevancy of Brand Comms in Local Markets?

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Semiotics: How To Increase Meaningfulness, Effectiveness & Cultural Relevancy of Brand Comms in Local Markets?