Pre-Conference Workshop

*Please note a laptop is required for the workshops

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Intro to Market Research Semiotics: Going Deep Into Qual

Breakfast 8:00-8:30am

Workshop 8:30am - 12:15pm

This half-day workshop will teach you the fundamentals of semiotic analysis, a specialized qual methodology designed to give you deep, bathymetric layers of insight beyond consumer-facing approaches. If you’ve ever struggled to work with shallow, monosyllabic respondent answers (or shrugs!), semiotics will open up avenues of meaning for you and your project – it taps into the shared cultural foundations of communication and meaning, and can inform research in any industry or category. The workshop starts with some theory, so you’ll understand what you’re doing, but then moves quickly onto guided, hands-on practice conducting your own semiotic analyses across a range of media and texts: words and written language, print advertising, TV advertising, packaging, and music – enabling you to look at virtually all aspects of market research through a new lens, in a new light.

Why Attend

Attending this workshop will equip you with the tools to move beyond surface-level responses and access the deeper meanings embedded in cultural context. Whether you are seeking to enhance your qualitative research skills, bring innovative approaches to your team, or simply wish to better understand the implicit codes that drive consumer behavior, this session provides practical strategies, hands-on experience, and a new lens through which to interpret market realities. It’s an opportunity to build expertise in a method that brings clarity and richness to both client projects and your own professional development.

Who Should Attend:

• Market researchers seeking deeper qualitative insights
• Brand strategists and communications professionals
• Product managers and innovation teams
• Anyone frustrated by surface-level responses in qualitative studies
• Researchers or analysts interested in cultural context and meaning-making

Course Format:

The workshop is structured as a half-day session, beginning with a concise introduction to semiotic theory and its relevance in market research. The majority of the program is dedicated to interactive, hands-on exercises, allowing participants to practice semiotic analysis on a variety of media types, including written language, advertisements, packaging, and music. This experiential format ensures that attendees gain both a theoretical foundation and practical skills to apply immediately in their work.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand the principles and value of semiotic analysis in market research

• Gain practical experience conducting semiotic analysis across multiple media types
• Learn to extract deeper layers of meaning from qualitative data
• Develop skills to interpret cultural codes in communication and branding
• Be able to apply semiotic methods to enhance research projects in any sector

Instructor:

Dr. Charles Leech holds his PhD in Applied Semiotics and Media Studies and has worked tirelessly as an evangelist for market research semiotics his entire career, which is 25 years and counting. He has instructed market research clients and practitioners in semiotic analysis for the QRCA, PMRS, MRIA, ESOMAR, and other initialisms/acronyms he’s now forgotten. He’s currently a Senior Vice President with Ipsos Canada.

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Lunch 12:15-1:00pm

Afternoon Workshop 1:00-4:30pm