Research - Thinking, fast and slow

Thinking, Fast and Slow

by 

Daniel Kahneman

2011

Penguin UK

 Semiotics can help:

• Improve brand messaging;
• Communicate desired meanings;
• Influence consumers’ subconscious decision-making.

This post walks you through the basics of semiotics, its relevance to marketing, and how to apply it to your brand and messaging—with tons of examples throughout.

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols. It explains meaning through our social and cultural background, revealing how we interpret messages instinctively.

Our subconscious interpretations rely on emotions, not information. Psychologist Daniel Kahneman calls it the preponderance of System 1 (emotional) over System 2 (rational) in the human brain:

Your purchases furthermore, are driven by subconscious perceptions and emotions. Semiotics, the interpretation of signs and symbols, helps decipher those subconscious elements.

Our subconscious interpretations rely on emotions, not information. Psychologist Daniel Kahneman calls it the preponderance of System 1 (emotional) over System 2 (rational) in the human brain:

Although we might think it’s System 2 that helps us make rational decisions, it’s not so. Emotional System 1 calls the shots here: it’s the source of our beliefs, and it deliberates all rational choices of System 2.

Your feelings and impressions are influenced by the world around you [. . .] and especially by all the non-verbal symbols your brain interprets, packages and creates meaning from.