Using semiotics analysis to impact how consumers think about your brand

SEMIOTICS:

HOW
SYMBOLS
AND

SIGNS
CAN
BE
USED
TO
IMPACT

CONSUMER
BEHAVIOUR

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ON
THE
NEXT
SLIDE
FIND
THE

GREEN
SQUARE

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Easy
wasn’t
it?

•  There
were
40
coloured
shapes
on
that
page

•  You
found
the
green
square
quickly
and
subconsciously

•  You
could
do
this
because
you
understood
the
visual
language
of
a
green

square

•  We
culturally
share
this
language

•  Every
category
has
its
own
visual
language
which
shoppers
share.
They
use

this
visual
language
to
idenCfy
products
and
brands
and
judge
their

relevance
to
the
shopping
mission

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BUT
WHERE
WERE
THE
BLUE

TRIANGLES???

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Visual
Language…

•  The
blue
triangles
were
not
relevant
to
your
task

•  You
subconsciously
deselect
them

•  Customers
shop
by
automaCcally
dismissing
most
informaCon
as
irrelevant

to
their
shopping
tasks
and
seeing
only
those
things
that
are
relevant

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TODAY
I’D
LIKE
TO
TALK
ABOUT

VISUAL
COMMUNICATIONS
AND

THEIR
IMPACT
ON
PEOPLE

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It’s
about
how
we
can
in8luence

behaviour
change

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What
does
this
mean?

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stop

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stop
apple

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stop
apple
dove

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Signs
are
important
because
they

have
more
meaning
than
the
obvious

danger
health
peace

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THE
INTERPRETATION
OF
A
SIGN
IS

DEPENDENT
ON
THE
CONTEXT,
ITS

RELATIONSHIP
TO
OTHER

SIGNS

AND
ITS
ENVIRONMENT.

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IN
OTHER
WORDS,
CULTURE.

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SEMIOTICS
IS
THE
STUDY
OF

SIGNS
–
VISUAL
AND
SENSORY

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Sometimes,
signs
don’t
signify
the

same
thing
to
everyone,
depending

on
context

...
brands
need
to
provide
that
context
if
they
want
to

use
signs
to
create
meaning
with
consumers

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fruit
from
the
tree
of
knowledge,
with
a
byte/bite

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What
does
this
mean
to
you?

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How
about
this?

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HOW
DO
WE
GET
CONSUMERS
TO

UNDERSTAND
OUR
BRAND
IN
A

GLANCE?

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LET’S
START
WITH
COLOUR

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Red
ac'vates
your
pituitary
gland,
increasing

your
heart
rate
and
causing
you
to
breathe

more
rapidly.
This
visceral
response
makes
red

aggressive,
energe'c,
provoca've
and

a;en'on-‐grabbing.
Count
on
red
to
evoke
a

passionate
response,
albeit
not
always
a

favorable
one.
For
example,
red
can
represent

danger
or
indebtedness.

source:

www.entrepreneur.com/arCcle/175428

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Cool
blue
is
perceived
as
trustworthy,

dependable,
ﬁscally
responsible
and
secure.

Strongly
associated
with
the
sky
and
sea,
blue

is
serene
and
universally
well-‐liked.
Blue
is
an

especially
popular
color
with
ﬁnancial

ins'tu'ons,
as
its
message
of
stability
inspires

trust.

source:


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In
general,
green
connotes
health,
freshness,

environmental
consciousness
and
serenity.

However,
green's
meaning
varies
with
its

many
shades.
Deeper
greens
are
associated

with
wealth
or
pres'ge,
while
light
greens
are

calming.

source:


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In
every
society,
yellow
is
associated
with
the

sun.
Thus,
it
communicates
op'mism,

posi'vism,
light
and
warmth.
Certain
shades

seem
to
mo'vate
and
s'mulate
crea've

thought
and
energy.
The
eye
sees
bright

yellows
before
any
other
color,
making
them

great
for
point-‐of-‐purchase
displays.

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Purple
is
a
color
favored
by
crea've
types.

With
its
blend
of
passionate
red
and
tranquil

blue,
it
evokes
mystery,
sophis'ca'on,

spirituality
and
royalty.
Lavender
evokes

nostalgia
and
sen'mentality.

source:


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Pink's
message
varies
by
intensity.
Hot
pinks

convey
energy,
youthfulness,
fun
and

excitement
and
are
recommended
for
less

expensive
or
trendy
products
for
women
or

girls.
Dusty
pinks
appear
sen'mental.
Lighter

pinks
are
more
roman'c.

source:


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This
earthy
color
conveys
simplicity,
durability

and
stability.
It
can
also
elicit
a
nega've

response
from
consumers
who
relate
to
it
as

dirty.
Certain
shades
of
brown,
like
terraco;a,

can
convey
an
upscale
look.
From
a
func'onal

perspec've,
brown
tends
to
hide
dirt,
making

it
a
logical
choice
for
some
trucking
and

industrial
companies.

source:


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White
connotes
simplicity,
cleanliness
and

purity.
The
human
eye
views
white
as
a

brilliant
colour,
so
it
immediately
catches
the

eye
in
signage.
White
is
oMen
used
with
infant

and
health-‐related
products.

source:


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Black
is
serious,
bold,
powerful
and
classic.
It

creates
drama
and
connotes
sophis'ca'on.

Black
works
well
for
expensive
products,
but

can
also
make
a
product
look
heavy.

source:


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Cheerful
orange
evokes
exuberance,
fun
and

vitality.
With
the
drama
of
red
plus
the
cheer

of
yellow,
orange
is
viewed
as
gregarious
and

oMen
childlike.
Research
indicates
its
lighter

shades
appeal
to
an
upscale
market.
Peach

tones
work
well
with
health
care,
restaurants

and
beauty
salons.

source:


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WARM
COLOURS
COOL
COLOURS

(red,
yellow,
orange)
(blue,
green)

outgoing,
energeCc
calmer,
more
reserved

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HOW
DOES
SEEING
A
SOFT
SHAPE

AFFECT
YOU
VERSUS
A
HARD

SHAPE?

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SHAPES
COMMUNICATE.

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Designers
use
shape
to...

•  Organise
informaCon
through
connecCon
and
separaCon

•  Symbolise
diﬀerent
ideas

•  Create
movement,
texture,
and
depth

•  Convey
mood
and
emoCon

•  Emphasise
and
create
entry
points
and
areas
of
interest

•  Lead
the
eye
from
one
design
element
to
the
next

(source:

www.vanseodesign.com/web-‐design/visual-‐grammar-‐shapes/)

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Circles
have
no
beginning
or
end.
They

represent
the
eternal
whole
and
in
every

culture
are
an
archetypical
form
represen'ng

the
sun,
the
earth,
the
moon,
the
universe,

and
other
celes'al
objects
between.

Circles

suggest
familiar
objects
such
as
wheels,
balls

and
fruit.

They
suggest
well-‐roundedness
and

completeness.

Circles
are
graceful
and
their

curves
are
seen
as
feminine.

They
are
warm,

comfor'ng
and
give
a
sense
of
sensuality
and

love.

Their
movement
suggests
energy
and

power.

Their
completeness
suggest
the

infinite,
unity
and
harmony.

Circles
protect,

they
endure,
they
restrict.

They
confine

what’s
within
and
restrict
what’s
without.

They
offer
safety
and
connec'on.

Circles

suggest
community,
integrity
and
perfec'on.

hYp://www.vanseodesign.com/web-‐design/visual-‐grammar-‐shapes/
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Squares
and
rectangles
are
stable.
They’re

familiar
and
trusted
shapes
and
suggest

honesty.
They
have
right
angles
and
represent

order,
mathema'cs,
ra'onality,
and
formality.

They
are
seen
as
earthbound.
Rectangles
are

the
most
common
geometric
shape

encountered.
The
majority
of
text
we
read
is

set
in
rectangles
or
squares.

Squares
and
rectangles
suggest
conformity,

peacefulness,
solidity,
security,
and
equality.

Their
familiarity
and
stability,
along
with
their

commonness
can
seem
boring.
They
are

generally
not
a;en'on
ge;ers,
but
can
be

'lted
to
add
an
unexpected
twist.
Think
of

web
pages
that
'lts
framed
images
to
help

them
stand
out.

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Triangles
can
be
stable
when
siQng
on
their
base

or
unstable
when
not.
They
represent
dynamic

tension,
ac'on,
and
aggression.
Triangles
have

energy
and
power
and
their
stable/unstable

dynamic
can
suggest
either
conﬂict
or
steady

strength.
They
are
balanced
and
can
be
a
symbol

for
law,
science,
and
religion.Triangles
can
direct

movement
based
which
way
they
point.
They
can

be
used
to
suggest
familiar
themes
like
pyramids,

arrows
and,
pennants.
Spiritually
they
represent

the
religious
trinity.
They
can
suggest
self-‐discovery

and
revela'on.The
strength
of
triangles
suggests

masculinity.
Their
dynamic
nature
make
them

be;er
suited
to
a
growing
high
tech
company
than

a
stable
ﬁnancial
ins'tu'on
when
designing
a
logo.

Triangles
can
be
used
to
convey
progression,

direc'on,
and
purpose.

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Spirals
are
expressions
of
crea'vity.
They
are
oMen

found
in
the
natural
growth
pa;ern
of
many

organisms
and
suggest
the
process
of
growth
and

evolu'on.
Spirals
convey
ideas
of
fer'lity,
birth,

death,
expansion,
and
transforma'on.
They
are

cycles
of
'me,
life,
and
the
seasons
and
are
a

common
shape
in
religious
and
mys'cal

symbolism.
Spirals
move
in
either
direc'on
and

represent
returning
to
the
same
point
on
life’s

journey
with
new
levels
of
understanding.
They

represent
trust
during
change,
the
release
of

energy
and
maintaining
ﬂexibility
through

transforma'on.
Clockwise
spirals
represent

projec'on
of
an
inten'on
and
counterclockwise

spirals
the
fulﬁllment
of
an
inten'on.
Double

spirals
can
be
used
to
symbolize
opposing
forces.

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or
just
swirly
mixing
of
chocolate!

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Crosses
symbolize
spirituality
and
healing.
They
are

seen
as
the
mee'ng
place
of
divine
energies.
The
4

points
of
a
cross
represent
self,
nature,
wisdom,

and
higher
power
or
being.
Crosses
suggest

transi'on,
balance,
faith,
unity,
temperance,
hope,

and
life.They
represent
rela'onships
and
synthesis

and
a
need
for
connec'on
to
something,
whether

that
something
is
group,
individual,
self,
or
project

related..

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CURVED
SHAPES
SHARP
SHAPES

rhythm
and
movement
energy,
violence,
anger

happiness,
pleasure
and
generosity
lively
and
youthful

feminine
masculine

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OTHER
SENSES
TRIGGERED
BY

SYMBOLS
AS
WELL
–
TOUCH,
SOUND

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Semiotics
investigates
emergent

cultural
meaning

Research

Semio'cs

•  talking
to
consumers
•  culture
and

•  consumers’
feelings
communicaCons

•  conscious
•  analysing
adverts,
packs,

communicaCons

•  un/subconscious

•  As
it
is
now
–
dominant
•  As
it
will
be
–
emergent

codes
codes

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SO
HOW
ARE
BRANDS
USING

THESE
ELEMENTS?

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LOGOS
ARE
THE
EASIEST
PLACE
TO

LOOK,
BUT
THE
STUDY
OF

SEMIOTICS
GOES
BEYOND
LOGOS

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BRANDS
ARE
FUSING
THEIR

IDENTITY
WITH
BROADER

CULTURAL
SIGNIFICANCE

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FOR
MORE
INFORMATION,
PLEASE
CONTACT

CHRISTINA@DA-‐PAO.COM

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