Arranged by Associate Professor in Marketing Yusuf Öç, Michael regaled students with his tales of semiotics derring-do (=showing off about his successful projects) and explained what makes semiotics a uniquely powerful tool in today’s marketing space.
Decoding signs and symbols is something we have been doing since the origins of culture. We are a symbolic species and value the meanings of things unlike any other, whether that is obvious (denotative) meaning or more mysterious and hidden (connotative) meaning.
Semiotics, Michael explained, can help a brand understand what it really communicates to consumers–often contradicting what it thinks it means to people.
It can help companies innovate new products, refresh pack imagery, tell new and more culturally relevant stories in adverts and other comms, and understand their competitors as never before.
The fact that after the talk Michael was surrounded by students keen to ask questions showed just how interesting and provocative his talks can be.
At least that’s what he tells himself.