How semiotics marketing research is different from quantitative marketing research.
Semiotics is concerned with the meaning and the way it is interpreted through signs, symbols and narratives. The traditional methods of research that is quantitative research and qualitative research can tell you how consumers think and feel, what they do and what actually triggers them, but semiotics focuses on what evolves consumers thinking. In other words, semiotics can be defined as an investigative form of cultural insight and a method to unwrap the way people (or consumers) exist and how this world behaves.
The quantitative research method focuses on gathering numerical data and the information helps to generalize it across groups of people or to explain a particular phenomenon. The method used is static and rigid, thus, the outcome is the inflexible process of discovery. The results of the process are limited as they provide numerical description rather than detailed narrative and give less importance to human perception. The human’s behavior, attitudes and motivation are given less attention. The preset answers will not necessarily reflect how people really feel about a subject and there is a possibility that in some cases it is just closest to the preconceived hypothesis. The research is often carried out in an unnatural, artificial environment so that certain level of control is applied to the exercise. The ‘laboratory results’ are not as accurate as ‘real world results’.
Semiotics is all about decoding culture on a large scale and at speed. It works at speed to analyse large volumes of implicit, decode the text or image to help brands read between the lines and make smarter decisions. Semiotics helps the brand to quickly understand the codes of a category, identify and leverage the most compelling conversations. It improves both messaging as well as experience for the brands and the consumers. It enhances building more effective and creative media strategies with the help of perceptual maps. Semiotics analysis helps in enhancing customer targeting and also improve tone of voice and visual language.
Quantitative semiotics is BIG. Having seen the results that it has produced so far, it’s a valuable part of the research toolbox.
Leapfrog Strategy Consulting is a leading brand of India in the field of applied semiotics. The company works with research partners for conventional qualitative and quantitative research, and with design and creative partners for design solutions. Perceptual map is one of the creative approach for strengthening the brand solutions and strategies. Semiotics and quantitative research are unique in its own way but data analytics through semiotics has helped in understanding a big picture within which the client’s category, brand, pack or product are embedded. It also enables the structuring of intuition and provides direction for recording and reframing.
