Building Cultural Capital
Who we are, how we dress, how we speak, what we buy, how we vote and how we interact are all shaped and informed by cultural norms and social expectations.
Even the mundane act of cleaning our home has wide cultural variation, whether it be the product smells that create memories of childhood or the varying ‘standards’ that people clean to. Culture is defined and experienced through a complex web knitted together by common understanding and shared expectations.
Brands, like people, are part of this cultural web. And just like people, brands need to be positioned in context, which includes the surrounding media and public discourse, politics and popular culture, history and tradition, as well as marketing and advertising. Mapping the cultural context allows us to interpret how we see the world in front of us.
The mix of all this communication shapes our habits, beliefs and aspirations – which define and characterise a specific culture (or subculture). People and brands absorb and respond to this cultural context in a mutual relationship which in turn transforms culture itself (consider the cultural connotations of pink and blue clothing), affecting how brands and content are received.
In a media-saturated, high-speed consumer culture where attention spans are shrinking, it is ever more important that brands communicate quickly and effectively. Understanding the role that culture plays in our lives has never been more important for anyone interested in explaining, making sense of, or engaging with, people.
Cultural Intelligence at Ipsos
Cultural intelligence is key for any business, brand or institution that wants to communicate and engage effectively with its audience.
Cultural intelligence at Ipsos works across sectors, industries and categories to identify and make sense of cultural landscapes around the world, working with cultural experts and utilising a combination of methodologies.
As cultural experts, we can provide, for brands, companies and institutions, a deeper understanding of the cultural landscape they inhabit. The accompanying zines elaborate on some of our most effective methods to identify core cultural insights. They are:
- Semiotics - Looking at the power of semiotic cues (signs and symbols) to position your brand within a category or territory, or to create cultural relevance.
- Ethnography - Creating an unfiltered view of reality through observing 2 behaviour, and using empathy to understand people.
- Applied Anthropology - Using academic knowledge for business insight.