Brand Culture

"An impressive book that does much to reconcile the glaring disconnect between the revealed cultural lives of brands and dominant views of how branding works. Positioned squarely at the intersection of theory and practice, and informed by a wide array of perspectives and disciplines, the book is invaluable for practitioners and researchers who have struggled with the contextural, mutable, and co-created realities of the brand. This necessary and useful counterpoint truly advances our understanding of the why and how of brands." Susan Fournier, author, brand consultant, and Professor of Marketing at Boston University "For better or for worse, brands have become potent sites of cultural expression and contest... Brand Culture is a pioneering and ambitious collection that helps unveil how brand symbolism works." Douglas Holt, L'Oral Professor of Marketing, Sad Business School, University of Oxford "Brand Culture makes a hefty nudge in the direction of a paradigm shift in brand management theory. Accessible and insightful, this collection of analyses and case studies clearly shows why branding must be understood first and foremost as a cultural process." Craig J. Thompson, Churchill Professor of Marketing, University of Wisconsin-Madison 'An impressive book that does much to reconcile the glaring disconnect between the revealed cultural lives of brands and dominant views of how branding works. Positioned squarely at the intersection of theory and practice, and informed by a wide array of perspectives and disciplines, the book is invaluable for practitioners and researchers who have struggled with the contextual, mutable, and co-created realities of the brand. This necessary and useful counterpoint truly advances our understanding of the why and how of brands.' - Susan Fournier, author, brand consultant, and Boston University,USA

Jonathan E. Schroeder is Professor of Marketing at the University of Exeter, UK, and Visiting Professor in Marketing Semiotics at Bocconi University, Milan. His research focuses on the production and consumption of images. Miriam Salzer-Mrling is Associate Professor at the School of Business, Stockholm University. As a branding consultant she has specialized in the development of the corporate soul and communicative strategies for both public and commercial organizations.

Part 1: Corporate Perspectives on Brand Culture 1. Corporate Branding as Strategy: The Case of LEGO Company 2. Corporate Brand Cultures and Communities 3. Ambi-Brand Culture: On a Wing and a Swear with Ryanair 4. The Two Business Cultures of Luxury Brands 5. Managing Leader and Partner Brands: The Brand Association Base Part 2: Clarifying Brand Concepts 6. Brands as a Global Ideoscape 7. Brave New Brands: Cultural Branding between Utopia and A-topia 8. Rethinking Identity in Brand Management 9. Design Management and Branding Management: A Nice Couple or False Friends? Part 3: Consuming Brand Culture 10. Symbolic Brands and Authenticity of Identity Performance 11. Branding Ethics: Negotiating Benettons Identity and Image 12. Brand Ecosystems: Multilevel Brand Interaction 13. Selling Dreams: The Role of Advertising in Shaping Luxury Brands Meaning