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Author: Clotaire Rapaille
Title: The Culture Code
Read: Fall 2006
Format: Text
Reviewer: bek
Cultures are created and evolve over time, though the rate of change is glacial. Clotaire Rapaille is a scientist that is for hire by corporations looking to understand a general cultural pheonomenon. Formerly from France, Rapaille makes his home in the United States. He has interesting insights in uncovering what he calls the "Code" of a culture regarding their general feelings towards a product or a theme. He has five principles he works through when uncovering the Code.
- Principle 1: You can't believe what people say
- Principle 2: Emotion is the energy required to learn anything
- Principle 3: The structure, not the content, is the message
- Principle 4: There is a window in time for imprinting, and the meaning of the imprint varies from one culture to another
- Principle 5: To accent the meaning of an imprint within a particular culture, you must learn the code for that imprint
Through this process, he has derived these key insights into various products.
- French Code for cheese is ALIVE
- American Code for fat is CHECKING OUT
- English Code for England is CLASS
- Amercian Code for perfection is DEATH
- American Code for cheese is DEAD
- American Code for America is DREAM
- German Code for cars is ENGINEERING
- Amercian Code for dinner is ESSENTIAL CIRCLE
- American Code for love is FALSE EXPECTATION
- American Code for food is FUEL
- American Code for alcohol is GUN
- American Code for Jeep is HORSE
- French Code for France is IDEA
- American Code for car is IDENTITY
- American Code for toilet paper is INDEPENDENCE
- American Code for quality is IT WORKS
- German Code for America is JOHN WAYNE
- French Code for shopping is LEARNING YOUR CULTURE
- German Code for Jeep is LIBERATOR
- American Code for seduction is MANIPULATION
- American Code for beauty is MAN'S SALVATION
- American Code for luxury is MILITARY STRIPES
- American Code for the President is MOSES
- American Code for wellness is MOVEMENT
- German Code for Germany is ORDER
- American Code for hospitals is PROCESSING PLANT
- American Code for shopping is RECONNECTING WITH LIFE
- American Code for Betty Crocker is THE SOUL OF THE KITCHEN
- French Code for America is SPACE TRAVELLERS
- Canadian Code for Canada is TO KEEP
- English Code for America is UNABASHEDLY ABUNDANT
- American Code for sex is VIOLENCE
- American Code for work is WHO YOU ARE
Rapaille is often very vague in his interpretation, but these insights do serve as interesting starting point for marketing discussions.
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