5. Challenges
Consumer Culture Theory: a set of studies drawing on
sociology and anthropology challenged this view of
consumer-brand relationships, identifying:
• Consumers used brands to build their identity
• Consumers used brands to address challenges of I
vs. WE
• Consumers connect to brands in often profoundly
simple ways (relationship metaphors) to solve day-
to-day problems
• Strategic challenges of mindshare and emotions:
creep and ownership issues
9. Cultural Brand Connects I with WE
via Ideology
• Brand advances an ideology
– Patagonia’s adventurist environmentalism
– Dove’s body positive feminism
– Under Armour ‘Female uber-competitiveness’
• That resolves a profound cultural tension at a
particular moment in history, due to societal shift
• Via content repurposed from subcultural ‘source
materials’
– Dove – feminism vs. beauty myth
– Under Armour – female athletics
– Patagonia – ‘dirt bag’ subculture
12. Summary
• Different assumptions about consumer-brand
relationships lead to different models
• Identity markets such as fashion are cultural myth
markets where consumers are trying to cultivate
the self
• Cultural branding emphasizes relevance in
turbulent times, thus emphasizing change
• Ideologies or myths are built on links with
subcultures, populist worlds, or crowd-cultures,
but link must be authentic in every way