What makes a semiotician tick? SEMIOVOX’s Josh Glenn has invited his fellow practitioners in the field of commercial semiotics, from around the world, to answer a few revealing questions.

Switzerland…

SEMIOVOX

When you were a child/teen, how did your future fascination with symbols, cultural patterns, interpreting “texts,” and getting beneath the surface of daily life manifest itself?

JENNIFER VASILACHE

I suppose I qualify as a word nerd — someone strongly fascinated by the power of language over mind and imagination. I’ve always felt that language inherently contains poetry, regardless of style. As a kid, I couldn’t get enough of storybooks and Disney movies; and later, I discovered I could go even further by breaking down and analyzing the elements that contribute to storytelling. This led me to study literature and linguistics at Sorbonne-Nouvelle University in Paris. I had the opportunity to work on a wide range of literary masterpieces, from medieval lyric poetry to Romantic novels and Existentialist essays. I explored the intricate layers of language while testing the boundaries of creativity against the standards of analytical rigor. Oh, the fun I had!

SEMIOVOX

Describe your first encounter(s) with the theory and practice of semiotics.

JENNIFER VASILACHE

During my Bachelor’s, I took an introductory class on linguistics and discovered the French structural linguist and semiotician Émile Benveniste; this was a major turning point. I had always been structure-minded when it came to analysis, and Benveniste’s Problems in General Linguistics gave me a framework to assess language and literature through a scientific grid. Art and science coming together was a game-changer. Case in point, the thesis I wrote for my first Master’s degree in Linguistics was on how propositional logic (yes, math) helps decode the processing and understanding of sentences in the past perfect tense. I then pursued a second Master’s degree in Semiotics at the University of Limoges where I had the privilege to attend classes taught by [the French semiotician] Jacques Fontanille. I wrote a thesis on how semiotics can drive product innovation while interning at Research International in Paris. There, I applied my newly acquired expertise in semiotics to market research, product innovation, packaging design, and concept development. So my first encounter with semiotics was pretty foundational and immersive! I feel very lucky to have embraced it early on, as it has remained a constant in my professional life.

SEMIOVOX

How did you find your own way to doing semiotics?

JENNIFER VASILACHE

Right after my internship, I found a job directly in line with semiotics — a rarity at the time! I started as a semiotics studies consultant in the strategic planning department at Kantar Media in Paris. My role was to use semiotics to analyze global advertising, market, and cultural trends for national and international brands. A few years later, I moved to NYC and worked as a verbal strategist at Interbrand. I became an expert in brand naming — the perfect position from which to indulge my passion for language and semiotics. I integrated semiotics principles into the naming process to reinforce strategy and ideation, and guide clients in seeing the pertinence of their name choices. When I launched my brand strategy consultancy, Compoze, in 2016, it was a no-brainer that semiotics would be integral to every project.

SEMIOVOX

What are the most important attributes of a good semiotician?

JENNIFER VASILACHE

• Open-mindedness. Approaching any material without bias is crucial for uncovering deeper meanings. Preconceived ideas or assumptions can compromise cultural fit and undermine the process by favoring shortcuts over thorough analysis.
• Analytical acumen. Semioticians live in a realm of signs, codes, connotations, and concepts, and this level of abstractness requires sharp analytical skills and critical thinking. It’s what helps us navigate the complexity and turn it into something that makes sense to others.
• Curiosity. Saussure said that meaning comes from difference… and nothing is more satisfying for a semiotician than dissecting differences, whether they are cultural, competitive, strategic, behavioral, or structural. Curiosity finds, semiotics refines.
• Creative communication. People can feel overwhelmed by semiotics if it isn’t presented well. Sharing tools and results in a client-friendly way requires flexibility, clarity, and creativity. Not always easy, but it’s possible — and fun.
• Ongoing education. Continuously educate yourself in cultural trends and best practices, and continuously educate your clients on the diverse ways that semiotics can address and solve their challenges.

SEMIOVOX

What three books about semiotics have you found the most useful and enlightening in your own work?

JENNIFER VASILACHE

• Émile Benveniste’s Problems in General Linguistics. A gem for anyone looking to analyze and interpret verbal assets. The way Benveniste translates the core principles of structural linguistics and semiotics into practical tools and frameworks is really amazing.
• Semiotics: An Introductory Anthology by [American philosopher] Robert E. Innis. A must-have classic for an overview or a quick refresher on the influential work of the “Founding Fathers” of semiotics.
• Cultural Misunderstandings: The French-American Experience by [professor of French] Raymonde Carroll. This book resonated with me as a semiotician and a newly arrived French expatriate in the US. Carroll calls it “cultural analysis,” but it’s really a semiotic study of how cultural conditioning shapes perceptions and interactions. She explains that cultural analysis isn’t about comparing norms and values… but instead making them meaningful within our system of communication.

SEMIOVOX

When someone asks you to describe what you do, what is your “elevator pitch”? How do you persuade a skeptical client to take a chance on using this tool?

JENNIFER VASILACHE

“I make brands meaningful and relevant to people.” I position myself as a brand strategist with semiotics as my secret weapon. Brand strategy is an efficient and reliable tool to build robust foundations and strong identity. Semiotics makes it even more powerful organically. It augments coherence and relevance in a way that is paradigm-shifting, especially when it comes to developing sustainable strategies, competitive intelligence, and cultural value.

SEMIOVOX

What specific sorts of semiotics-driven projects do you find to be the most enjoyable and rewarding?

JENNIFER VASILACHE

I love when semiotics takes me deep into ideas and concepts and leads to unexpected and disruptive brand strategic insights and recommendations. This usually happens when creative strategy and semiotics collide, whether a brand wants to challenge the status quo (e.g., positioning), explore creative expressions (e.g., verbal and visual identity), or identify key assets for both differentiation and relevance (e.g., cultural intelligence).

SEMIOVOX

What frustrates you about how semiotics is practiced and/or perceived, right now?

JENNIFER VASILACHE

Semiotics can sometimes be too theoretical or, on the other hand, oversimplified. The former buries insights under overly lengthy and abstract analyses that are disconnected from clients’ needs, market realities, and practical applications. The latter reduces semiotics to superficial clichés and symbols detached from context and culture. However, with companies becoming more knowledgeable about what makes a good brand, they are also increasingly able to recognize the expertise of proficient semioticians.

SEMIOVOX

Peirce or Saussure?

JENNIFER VASILACHE

By education and mindset, I’m all about Saussure. I naturally lean towards structuralism and systemic approaches, which I find indispensable for thorough analysis. However, working with brands has made me appreciate and apply Peirce’s semiosis theory. Brands are very permeable to societal and cultural changes, so integrating contextual influence is mandatory for interpreting and building meaning.

SEMIOVOX

What advice would you give to a young person interested in this sort of work?

JENNIFER VASILACHE

• Get your academics on. Not to become a top scholar, but to explore the wide range of tools that semiotics offers. Some are simple, others more complex, but studying them helps identify which ones align best with your approach to semiotics.
• Practice, practice, practice. Take anything — logos, a cereal box, a festival flyer, your favorite fitness app interface, political speeches, or the latest viral dance challenge — and work your semiotic magic. The more you flex your deconstructing and analytical muscle, the better you’ll get at digging up the brightest findings.
• Have a POV. As applied semioticians, we aren’t just selling a methodology, we’re selling the value it creates for clients. They want actionable strategies, so when engaging with them, having a strong and distinctive viewpoint on how semiotics drives business forward and helps make a concrete impact in culture can go a long way.
• Join the community. I have never had a conversation with a fellow semiotician that didn’t teach me something new. Don’t underestimate the value of these connections; they can be a great source of support and inspiration, and lead to exciting collaborations.

MAKING SENSE series: MARTHA ARANGO (Sweden) | MACIEJ BIEDZIŃSKI (Poland) | BECKS COLLINS (England) | WHITNEY DUNLAP-FOWLER (USA) | IVÁN ISLAS (Mexico) | WILLIAM LIU (China) | SÓNIA MARQUES (Portugal) | CHIRAG MEDIRATTA (India / Canada) | SERDAR PAKTIN (Turkey / England) | MARIA PAPANTHYMOU (Greece / Russia) | XIMENA TOBI (Argentina) | & many more.

Also see these series: COVID CODES | SEMIO OBJECTS | MAKING SENSE | COLOR CODEX