Using symbols to build brands

Semiotics: The roots of semio­tics are said to date back to the Pre-Socratic era, when Hippo­crates identified bodily symptoms or signs as conveyors of messages about the physical and mental state of a human being. However, it was not until the turn of the 20th century that semiotics achieved a level of identity and recognition, thanks to the work done by Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure and the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce.

Semiology or semiotics is the study of how meanings are derived from various modes of communication, including words, images, sounds, smells, in fact, anything that can signify something to someone about something else. So, when we say “cat” what are we communicating and what is the receiver decoding it as? Or when a red flag or a national flag is waved, what is the intended communication and what is derived interpretation from it?

Semiotics takes two forms: a general semiotics that seeks to answer “what is the nature of meaning” and a specific semiotics that asks “how do our words, gestures, myths, products, services and theories acquire meaning”. To address these questions, semioticians investigate the sign systems or codes essential for all types of communication to derive latent rules that facilitate sign production and interpretative responses.

I was reminded of semiotics when I saw the public discourse around the Sengol when it was installed in the new parliament building. For some, it is just a special purpose golden stick, but to many the Sengol signifies power, responsibility, rule of law and more. In a sense it is a symbol that can signify wise use of power (Sengol in Tamil literally means righteousness and power).

Brand marketers have been using the power of symbols for a long time. McDonald’s used the Golden Arches as a sign that signalled to a vehicle miles away on a highway that there is a clean restaurant that they can stop for a quick snack or meal. The colour red was used by Coca-Cola to sell fizzier drinks in winter by making the ever-so-loved Santa Claus get a bright red coat. But it is only in recent times that the science of semiotics has evolved into an important way of building and analysing brand success.

Martin Lindstorm’s book Brand Sense analyses the many senses that brands can and should use to engage with consumers. While the simplest branding tools are the brand name, logo, packaging and symbol that all engage the sense of vision, wise brands use sound, touch, smell and even taste to strengthen their branding quotient.

In India, we have seen Amul use the power of symbols (or mascots), with their consistent use of the little girl in a polka dot dress. Air India has used the symbol of a “Maharaja” to signify a level of comfort that only the royalty can experience. Airtel uses its logo well and also has a powerful audio signature. Royal Enfield has its almost patentable 4-stroke engine exhaust sound. When your use of a particular colour becomes ubiquitous you may even get it registered just the way race carmaker Ferrari has done with its red colour, now known as “Ferrari Red”. LIC has managed to keep its old symbol (hands protecting a flame) under its more recent yellow and blue identity; it is possible for LIC to just use the “hand protecting flame” visual to communicate its brand promise without saying anything more. In recent times, IPL has managed to create for itself a highly recognised and maybe even loved audio signature (composed by Ron Vivo based on a traditional Spanish tune and an intro to a song called En Er Mundo). When it comes to creating stories or myths around a brand, no other brand in India can come close to Tata.

All said and done, marketers still have a lot to learn from the real masters of semiotics, global religions and nation states. Arguably the most recognised symbol in the world is the Holy Cross and the most recognised monument is probably the Statue of Liberty. And Sengol became one of the most recognised Tamil words in India last month. Marketers can still only dream of such ubiquity for the symbols they lovingly create.

Ambi Parameswaran is a best-selling author, an independent brand coach, and founder, Brand-Building.com. He can be reached at ambimgp@brand-building.com