1.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 1
@MartinaOlb
SEMIOTIC
MANUAL
An Innovation Tool Helping Global Brands Scale
Sense Across Touchpoints, Markets & Geographies
PhDr. Martina Olbertova
Founder & CEO, Meaning.Global
Semiofest Toronto 2017
July 21, Gladstone Hotel

2.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 2
meaning.global!
: Helping global brands create, articulate and scale
sense and meaning across the markets worldwide.

3.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 3
THE WORLD HAS
CHANGED.
• Two-way stream of communication vs. top-down hierarchy of global planning
• Crisis of traditional globalised values (West) vs. authenticity / diversity / humanity
• Tension of global vs. local with an increasing importance of local markets
• Pressure on cultural relevance in delivering sustainable brand and business value
• Inability to systematically create cultural relevance stunts value creation & growth

4.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 4
1. End of Global Planning: Redefining Strategy to Maximise Brand Value
2. Crisis of Global Values: Exhaustion of Globalized Communication Formats
3. Post-truth & Post-factual Age: Rise of Authenticity & Diversity of Thought
4. Return to Meaning: The Most Understated Value in Business
5. Global Rise of Local Relevancy: Cultural Context Triggers Our Behaviour
6. Value Creation & Growth: Meaning is Alpha and Omega of Value & Equity
GLOBAL BRANDS ARE INCREASINGLY IRRELEVANT –

5.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 5
Globalisation and homogenisation are no longer relevant
mechanisms for brand management, value creation & growth.
We use top-down approach to global brand development, planning
and management in an interconnected world whose very relevance
is driven by diversity, local resonance and cultural nuances.
THE INTERCONNECTED WORLD

6.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 6
OVER-
SATURATION
FRAGMEN-
TATION
HOMOGENI-
SATION
NOISE
THE 4 GLOBAL MARKET AILMENTS

7.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 7
…oversaturation of brands & products leads to lack of differentiation.
…inconsistency fragments memory structures which breeds clutter and meaninglessness.
OVER-
SATURATION

8.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 8
…global oversaturation and lack of differentiation lead to homogenisation of lifestyles & values.
HOMOGENI-
SATION

9.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 9
...too much data, data, data & too little meaning...
…overemphasis of technology & data leads to fragmentation of human sense…
FRAGMEN-
TATION

10.
…ubiquitous clutter & noise clogs our minds and poisons our ability to think clearly…
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 10
NOISE

11.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 11
…culturally irrelevant brand campaigns and/or their local adaptations lead to
illogical communication or culturally insensitive un-nuanced messages…
CULTURAL
IRRELEVANCE

12.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 12
The marketing industry today is based on a
corporate scalability model, but it operates in the
communication business. We scale infrastructure &
production costs, but what about sense & meaning?
Without the essence, the former is irrelevant.
THE LONG-STANDING BELIEF

13.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 13
ARE MARKETS MACHINES, OR LIVING SELF-EVOLVING ORGANISMS?
vs
We have become accustomed to see markets and
manage organisations as machines. This point of view
creates siloes and fragments value creation. But what if
they’re really more of living self-evolving organisms?

14.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 14
A HOLISTIC APPROACH LEADING TO
THE SCALABILITY OF SENSE & MEANING.
WHAT THE INDUSTRY UTTERLY LACKS?
We are missing a holistic structural approach to brand
management that would enable brands to strategically
scale sense and align meaning across cultural
landscapes around the world to help drive
value & equity from bottom-up.

15.
Insight Crea-ve
3 CORE PILLARS OF BRAND MANAGEMENT
GAP 1 GAP 2
Strategy
Not just diverge, it‘s equally important (if not more) to know where to converge
to in order to connect with the local points of cultural reference correctly.
This is where the brand value & potential for brand growth is.
Research & Insight
Exploration
Inspiration
Ideation
Brand relevance
Codes of expression
Cultural resonance
Semiotic square
Opportunity maps
New positioning
Creative execution
Meaning embodiment
Brand essence
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 15

16.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 16
Post-tests can only do as much. It‘s much better, more effective and cost-efficient
for brands to develop communication with the global cultural nuances already in mind,
rather than waste resources on research validations and reverse-engineering,
when it’s already too late to make any structural changes in the campaigns.

17.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 17
BRAND STEWARDSHIP
This is why we need to apply semiotics to the structural level of
brand management to help brands make sense of a global basis…
…to respond to an increasing need for internal strategic mechanism that
would help global brand teams unite their ability to navigate meaning
and scale sense across touchpoints, markets and geographies.

18.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 18
WHAT WENT WRONG WITH
BRAND ADAPTATION?
LOCAL PERSPECTIVE
ON GLOBAL BRANDS

19.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 19
Cultural irrelevance as inability to
adapt to the local frame of thought –
1. Illogical message:
“Flush the roll, it’s easy.”
The fact that something is easy,
doesn’t mean it should be done.
2. Non-functioning call to action:
Easy = zero entry level barrier, but
here it fights with a social norm
(empty rolls belong in a rubbish bin)
3. Missing cultural reference to the
frame of thought: Czechs are rational
traditionalists, new behaviour can be
adopted only in compliance with sense
THE LITERAL TRANSLATION FAIL

20.
BRAND ADAPTATION
Brand localisation means adapting the entire system of thought
and cultural sense-making, not just literally translating brand
messaging. Localisation means adapting communication to the
local cultural values, not language only. It‘s a two-way street.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 20

21.
UNILEVER (LYNX/AXE): REDEFINING MASCULINITY
Global non-scalability of progressive masculinity based on
cultural diversity
Lack of grounding & value resonance of the progressive portrayal of
postmodern masculinity leads to cultural irrelevance and inability to adapt
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 21

22.
The future is already here — it's
just not very evenly distributed.
~ William Gibson, American-Canadian writer, the "noir prophet”,
father of "cyberspace”, author of Neuromancer (1984).
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 22

23.
HOWEVER, CODES DEVELOP IN DIFFERENT TIME ACROSS CULTURAL SPACES –
TRADITIONAL
MASCULINITY
CULTURALLY
PROGRESSIVE
masculinity space/time continuum
BRAND LOCALISATION NEEDS TO ADAPT NOT ONLY IN SPACE, BUT ALSO IN TIME!
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 23

24.
TRADITIONAL
MASCULINITY
non-traditional
non-masculine
traditional
masculine
non-traditional
masculine
traditional
non-masculine
EFFEMINITE/SOFT
MASCULINITY‘THE NEW MAN’
CULTURALLY
PROGRESSIVE
DIFFERENT BENCHMARKS OF CULTURAL RELEVANCE IN THE LOCAL CONTEXTS!
HOWEVER, CODES DEVELOP IN DIFFERENT TIME ACROSS CULTURAL SPACES –
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 24

25.
TRADITIONAL
MASCULINITY
non-traditional
non-masculine
traditional
masculine
non-traditional
masculine
traditional
non-masculine
‘THE NEW MAN’
seen as irrelevant –
even more ‘unmanly’
EFFEMINITE/SOFT
MASCULINITY
CULTURALLY
PROGRESSIVE
HOWEVER, CODES DEVELOP IN DIFFERENT TIME ACROSS CULTURAL SPACES –
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 25
DIFFERENT BENCHMARKS OF CULTURAL RELEVANCE IN THE LOCAL CONTEXTS!

26.
The same goes for the attributes
of beauty and femininity...
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 26

27.
UNILEVER (DOVE): REDEFINING FEMININITY / ‘REAL BEAUTY’
Global non-scalability of progressive femininity based on culturally diverse body image.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 27

28.
Lack of grounding & value resonance of the progressive portrayal of feminine beauty
leads to cultural irrelevance and inability to adapt to the local framework of sense.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 28

29.
RADICAL ACCEPTANCE OF HUMAN IMPERFECTION IS EVOLUTIONARILY NOT ON THE
CZECH CULTURAL RADAR OF BEAUTY YET. BEAUTY IS SEEN AS ASPIRATIONAL VALUE.
NO POINT OF REFERENCE: CODES OF FEMININITY ACROSS CULTURAL TIMESPACES
TRADITIONAL
FEMININE BEAUTY
CULTURALLY
PROGRESSIVE
MASCULINE /
ANDROGYNOUS FEMINIITY‘THE SUPERWOMAN’
seen as irrelevant –
even more ‘unfeminine’
unisex
The non-
traditionally
feminine
women
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 29

30.
THE KEY DENOMINATOR
An alarming inability to make
sense culturally and convey
a real meaning in accordance
with the meaning intended in
context of local cultural values.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 30

31.
THE CONTEXT (AND NOT SEX) SELLS
What really sells is the CONTEXT, not just TEXT.
Strategically speaking, not just the strategy but
a CONTEXTUALISED STRATEGY.
These all are simple mistakes that would have been
easily preventable were the brand owners immersed
in how different cultural signifiers drive brand value
behind messaging strategies across markets.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 31

32.
If brands want to communicate
successfully, they need to press
the right ‘referential points’ in
different cultural time-spaces.
Cultural relevance works with the local frames of reference.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 32

33.
‘Cultural automatisms‘ based on shared
points of cultural references (intertextuality)
help brands make contextual sense and
create cultural resonance with customers
in different markets around the world.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 33

34.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 34
We can’t afford to be adapting
brands by trial and error
anymore. In 2017, there simply
must be a better way to do this.

35.
AND THAT’S WHY
WE NEED THE MANUAL.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 35
A Call for Unity: Global brands need both scale & diversity to align sense culturally.

36.
THE IDEA
Develop an internal tool for a systemic brand management that will
help brand owners adapt campaigns and localise communication
in sync with (and not against) the local variations of sense.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 36

37.
BRAND BOOK
VISUAL STYLE GUIDE
BRAND GUIDELINES
GRAPHIC MANUAL
BRAND MANUAL
BRAND BIBLE
Brands today are managed on the surface which leads to proliferation of form.
But brand value is tied to BOTH corporate identity AND brand essence.
We‘re utterly lacking an inner mechanism how to capture, shape, translate
and adapt meaning across an array of touchpoints, channels and markets.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 37

38.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 38
SEMIOTIC
MANUAL
An 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 messaging across channels. Localisation of sense
1. Meaningfulness
2. Consistency /
Effectiveness
3. Cultural relevance /
Local resonance

39.
THREE KEY TARGETS ARE TO INCREASE –
2
Consistency
Limiting fragmentation,
creating coherent
communication and
brand experiences
across touchpoints
1
Meaningfulness
Limiting illogicality,
randomness, meaning
inconsistencies or plain
derangement of sense
3
Relevance
Creating content that
resonates with brand
DNA and cultural
specifics of local
markets
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 39

40.
SEMIOTIC
MANUAL
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 40
THREE PARTS:
1. Global brands and value, meaning-
making process and cultural relevance
2. Local adaptation fails – what went
wrong & why the execution didn’t work
3. Localising sense – new approach to
adaptation for cultural resonance

41.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 41
THE MECHANICS: TWO-WAY STREAM OF MEANING-MAKING
Top-down: Global to Local
Helping global brand management teams understand cultural
nuances ad hoc prior to developing a strategy and creative
execution with the universal scalability of brand comms in mind
Bottom-up: Local to Global
Argument for Regional Brand Units to leverage their negotiation
power & impact ROI, creating locally relevant brand comms that
can drive brand value and boost equity from bottom up

42.
THE SCALE OF SENSE
Current brand comms
(Concrete comm, usually
unsuitable in terms of cultural
relevancy, image-driven, empty,
fragmented or meaningless)
PRESENT CODE NEW CODE
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)
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 42

43.
BRANDS COMMS & CLEANING
Current communication of cleanliness
• Literal description of functionality & benefits
(cleanliness, fresh breeze, 0% bacteria…)
• Rigid communication, which is minimally
contextualized with people’s everyday lives
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?
Imagery: Tesco Czech Republic
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 43

44.
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
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 44

45.
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?
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 45

46.
FEMININITY AND DIVERSITY: REDEFINING MEANING OF A CZECH WOMAN
• 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?
• 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 does she care for?
FEMININITY
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 46

47.
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.
TAPPING IN THE POOL OF MEANINGS
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 47

48.
3 KEY TAKEAWAYS –
Value & Growth
There is a pressing need
to address and increase
cultural relevance of
global brands on a
structural basis to help
them grow and create
new value and meaning.
Scalability
By anchoring meaning
in space and time, the
Semiotic Manual can
help brand owners and
agencies scale sense
and cultural relevance
across touchpoints,
markets and geo-
graphies worldwide.
Benchmarking
Develop a strategic tool
for cultural bench-
marking to help brand
owners and agencies
create coherent &
consistent brands not
prone to fragmentation,
irrelevance & illogicality.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 48

49.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 49
Meaning & sense are the new currencies
of value creation and growth.
Brands that can create, articulate and own their
meaning, will become the creators of their future.

50.
MARTINA OLBERTOVA: THE SEMIOTIC MANUAL meaning.global 50
@MartinaOlb
If you’re interested in more information about the
Semiotic Manual, please contact me:
THANK YOU!
PhDr. Martina Olbertova
+44 (0)7564 272 872
hello@meaning.global