Brand Kinetics: EPS
Visual Semiotics
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Rational brand and product attributes are easily
copied and hard to defend, while emotional
connections are difficult to displace and replicate, they
are unique and ownable. Brands quickly become
interchangeable commodities when they compete on
rational benefits alone. However, it’s not easy for
consumers to explain their emotions, making it difficult
to measure how/why they connect with brands.
The challenge
©2020 All Rights Reserved – Brand Kinetics LLC
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What is a brand?
“A brand is the intangible sum of a product’s attributes.”
David Ogilvy
A brand is what your prospect thinks of when he or she hears your brand
name. It’s everything the public thinks it knows about your name brand
offering—both factual and emotional. A brand name exists objectively;
people can see it, but a brand exists only in someone’s mind.
A brand is a promise, it’s also a bundle
of attributes, and can be a special
badge of appeal.
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A brand is a shortcut to an
emotional connection with
the consumer
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Emotions are core to our System 1 response
In 2011, Daniel Kahneman in his book
“Thinking Fast and Slow” brought to
mainstream marketing and research the
details and application of System 1
(implicit/subconscious) and System 2
(explicit/conscious).
System 1 System 2
95% of decisions 5% of decisions
Unconscious emotion Conscious thinking
Associative Rule following
Fast Slow
Involuntary Controlled
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System 1 decisions have the greatest impact on behavior
SYSTEM 1
SYSTEM 2 CONSCIOUS
UNCONSCIOUS
Rational product and pricing messages
Emotional brand associations
Emotional
Priming
Short term behavioral responses
Long term brand preferences
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Using visual semiotics, EPS (Emotional Positioning
System™) helps us understand
what emotions our brand evokes in
the hearts and minds of the
consumers. Ultimately, giving us to
the tools to forge a closer
connection with them.
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People share emotions through images
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An image is worth 1,000 emotions
Far away, the whole image is complete.
As one moves closer, different elements and structures
capture attention.
When very close, the details in the paint layers and
textures are revealed.
By focusing on different elements, respondents may
connect the same image to unique emotions.
Our EPS tool decomposes each image and identifies
the various emotions associated them.
Think about viewing a Monet.
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Our library of 9,000 images are each
associated with at least 10 emotions
Our normative library has been validated in 50 countries
and has been used successfully in over 90. The model
is international and language agnostic, as the structure
of images is a universal language.
Embattled
Vulnerable
Restrained
Challenging
Hopeless
Restorative
Nurturing
Joyful
Optimistic
Transformative
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We have identified
72 primary emotions
related to color, each
fits into one of nine
emotional segments
Energy Satisfaction Competency
Confidence Authority Creativity
Power Isolation Inertia
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EPS works through six symbolic layers,
altogether, including color, we have identified
144 primary emotional cues
Color
emotional
drivers and
expectations
Shapes
psychological
context
Physical
Context
your role or
place in the
image
Social Context Responsibility Experiential
Context
1 2 3 4 5 6
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How it Works
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Respondents complete a short exercise
Gamified
visual
library UX
Create a collage of (10)
images when taken together
best illustrates the range of
qualities and characteristics
of the brand.
01 Now thinking about Porsche,
the products they produce,
the services they provide
and/or the image that they
project to the world. What
would an IMPROVED
BRAND in this very same
category look like? A brand
that is BETTER in most if not
every way?
Create a collage of (10)
images that you feel best
represents what IMPROVED
BRAND in this category
should be.
02
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We de-code the images to discover
the most associated emotions
Selected images are translated in verbal explanations of
common emotional and psychological motives that make
up the “emotional signature” of a brand choice or other
decision.
We analyze the percentage of image structural elements
found in the selected image responses and compares
that to the images presented as possible choices.
The structures (codes) that over-index the most against
this norm are the unconscious “winners.” These winners
represent the associations with the question that cannot
be random and are directly related to specific emotions.
Strongest Emotional Response
Prepared (162)
Readiness, complete, sense of
adequacy to accomplish upcoming task
3rd Strongest Emotional Response
Energetic (118)
Acute, impassioned, zealous (amplifies
other emotions) -
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We derive the brand’s
emotional signature.
This captures the
“intangible sum” of
attributes and
emotions that are the
brand in consumers
hearts and minds
Emotional
Signature
Anticipating a positive
future
Commanding,
preeminent, superior
Working together,
help or support
accomplishment,
social confidence
Optimistic Dominant Cooperative
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From the emotional
signature, we
create emotional
segment maps
which focus on the
nine core emotional
segments
Emotional
Signature
Emotional
Segment
Map
Energy Satisfaction Competency
Confidence Authority Creativity
Power Isolation Inertia
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Energy Satisfaction Competency
Confidence Authority Creativity
Power Isolation Inertia
Emotional segment maps make it easy to compare
versus your ideal, or competitors
Current
vs Current Ideal
vs
Energy Satisfaction Competency
Confidence Authority Creativity
Power Isolation Inertia
Energy Satisfaction Competency
Confidence Authority Creativity
Power Isolation Inertia
Energy Satisfaction Competency
Confidence Authority Creativity
Power Isolation Inertia
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Energy Satisfaction Competency
Confidence Authority Creativity
Power Isolation Inertia
The Ideal emotional segment map is the key and “how to”
achieve competitive advantage
Unlike
competition, we
illustrate
“HOW” to
achieve this
advantage in
System One
language!
vs Current Ideal
and
Energy Satisfaction Competency
Confidence Authority Creativity
Power Isolation Inertia
Satisfaction Creativity
Target Emotion-Opportunity Satisfied (“Semiotic Definition”)
Target Emotion-Opportunity Creativity (“Semiotic Definition”)
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At its heart EPS is a unique semiotic
deconstruction of the visual environment for the
same signals and clues that the brain reads in its
own pre-conscious “fast thinking”.
This Emotional Signature is the brain's hidden
analysis that always influences and most often
dominates rational decisions.
These diagnostics are translated in verbal
explanations of common emotional and
psychological motives that make up the emotional
signature of a brand choice or other decision.
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Applications
Consumers are more open to messaging when the message is
delivered in same emotional wrapper as they perceive
the brand.
By understanding how different audiences feel about a brand we
can use the Emotional Signature to tailor communications with
those consumers utilizing the same emotional elements.
This can be used for:
• Brand fit
• Product & brand messaging
• Visual optimization
• Logo optimization
• Package optimization
• New product development
• Growth & strategy work
• Market barriers & advantages
• Emotional ethnographies
(mapping the emotional
journey)
• Affinity diagnostics for growing
affinity groups
(AffinityGardens™)
Thank You.
Contact me: Michael C Sack Founder/Owner [email protected] 513-712-0604