Introduction

Series One 

This episode of 'The New Abnormal' features the renowned semiotician Dr Rachel Lawes. 

One of the earliest providers of British commercial semiotics, her PhD was in social psychology, hence bringing a unique perspective to semiotics, placing her at the exact intersection of psychology, linguistics and cultural studies. 

Rachel has been using semiotics for nearly 20 years to rejuvenate brands, innovate products and services, and steer communication. 

As she points out in her excellent book 'Using Semiotics in Marketing', semiotics is big business - most famous for its unique ability to decode visual images - and can provide invaluable insights into understanding people's needs and behaviour. 

In this interview, we discuss the communication of codes / signs / symbols, how semiotic research can dovetail with ethnography, the post-modern theorists Jean Baudrillard and Michel Foucault, Western Individuality / Hyper Individualism, and Conceptual Art.