ABSTRACT
Brands are firmly embedded in politically charged contexts, and this reflects a pronounced aspect of contemporary civilian life: the personalisation of politics–how it is conceived, articulated and enacted. Insofar as consumer decisions both carry and endorse these ‘personal lifestyle values’, contemporary brands must negotiate this or risk losing both cultural relevance and commercial cut-through. To reiterate, Douglas Holt stresses how, since the mid-20th century, branding has been propelled by a constant tension best seen in dialectical terms–akin to a conversation between consumers and advertisers. Brands must synchronise every aspect of both their inner workings and their cultural presence so that transgressions, hypocrisy or duplicity are not just less likely, but designed out of the value chain as much as possible. The need for emotional engagement points to another trend identified during the festival: as both advocates and critics, consumers engage with brands on social media in ways that bedevil attempts to control or contain brands’ meanings.
