I’m coordinator of Semiofest’s series of informal online “sessions.” These events are intended not only to share best practices among, but to nurture collegiality and friendship within the global semio community.

Coming up on April 29th (at 2 pm UK time)…

SEMIOTICS & BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS

Semiotics can be applied alongside multiple methodologies but perhaps the one it can work especially well with is behavioural economics. There are mutual overlaps and areas of synergy between and across the 2 areas.

Ultimately both disciplines are about establishing a richer context for understanding human sense/meaning making (semiotics more from the cultural side, behavioural economics more behaviours). They’re both also about understanding subconscious factors and suggest that emotion and irrationality have a big influence.

There are major differences too. In epistemology, methodology and outputs. At Semiofest we have wanted to explore the overlap and synergy between these methodologies in a session so we have a convened a panel. This is a panel of practitioners who come from the behavioural economics side but who have worked with semiotics and have a perspective on the potential for these methodologies to work together.

Get tickets (suggested donations only) at the link above.

Our sessionists:

• ANNA CLIFFORD is a Strategist, Researcher and Behavioural Scientist currently working at the international development agency Zinc Network. In a previous life, Anna worked in branding and communications, where she had her first foray into applied semiotics. Now she develops interventions and communications to tackle complex social problems such as democratic backsliding, the rampant spread of disinformation and interethnic conflict – with an eye on how historical symbols are used as a tool of manipulation.

• ASIF NOORANI heads up Epiphany Productions where as a behavioural economist and storyteller. As an associate of the National Social Marketing Centre think tank, working on major nationwide government campaigns, he forged an approach blending behavioural economics with compelling storytelling. Asif has worked a number of times with semiotics and has enjoyed combining semiotics with his behavioural lens too. Clients have included NHS, Home Office, Virgin Media, Wincanton, Arts Council, BBC, ITV, PBS and Anthony Nolan.

• SHUBHO ROY. Researcher by training, surreal entrepreneur by chance, scholar by peer pressure. Behavioural Sciences, Founder- BIAS Pvt.Ltd. on Board of Leapfrog Consulting. Bias is a behaviour change consultancy. It is a collaboration between top behavioural scientists, private sector decision-makers, policy makers. Other than behavioural sciences, his interests lie in human rights, policy research, inclusive innovation and single malts.

• NICK SOUTHGATE is a philosopher turned advertising planner, turned into some sort of hybrid creature via work with The School of Life and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. Whether doing traditional advertising planning, training people how to use Behavioural Economics to make them better at marketing or teaching people how to be cool at The School of Life the common theme is trying to find ideas that change things.

Session host: CHRIS ARNING

SEMIOFEST SESSIONS: R/D/E | BINARIES | SEMIOTICS & UX | BODY SEMIOTICS | AI & SEMIOTICS | SEMIOTICS & CINEMA | FICTIONAL DECODERS | ON COLOUR | & more.

Also see these international semio series: COVID CODES | SEMIO OBJECTS | MAKING SENSE | COLOR CODEX | DECODER | CASE FILE