We assign meaning to everything we do, everything we eat, buy, wear.

When interacting with people and things around us, we are transacting through the medium of meaning. Everything from saying "good morning" to buying a pair of shoes, pass through the medium. People are meaning mongers.

We trade in meaning. We buy more than a pair of jeans; we buy being hip and sexy. We buy permission to feel good about ourselves.

But meaning is relative. Things mean different things at different times.

Meaning changes from person to person, from setting to setting, even from mood to mood.

Discovering and disentangling this lexicon/vernacular of meaning empowers brand stewards and product designers. It helps you say what you mean and mean what you say.

And meaning has value. It has cultural capital. It comprises your brand's equity. But extends beyond. It informs design. It defines our experiences.
Anthropologists are the snake handlers of meaning. In the hands of a skilled and talented anthropologist, the dangers of misinterpretation are tamed.

Brands and products take on their own life to shimmer, dance and hypnotize.