ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author argues that— while largely overlooked by organizational scholars— the organizing mechanisms that turned Alex Lee into "Alex from Target" are key to understanding the (communication) dynamics of contemporary neoliberal capitalism. The purpose of this case study "Alex from Target" is to explore how the relationships between branding, agency, and communicative capitalism are enacted through talk. First, he addresses the relationship between branding and organizing, arguing that the current iteration or "spirit" of capitalism places branding at the epicenter of organizing and the capital accumulation process. Second, he argues under neoliberal post-Fordist capitalism, Marx's "hidden abode of production" has moved beyond the walls of "the social factory". Third, he suggests in the context of neoliberal communicative capitalism. Finally, he describes a case analysis using a transcript from "Alex from Target's" appearance on CNBC's Fast Money to demonstrate how the process of communicative corporate capture constructs Alex as a "branded subject".
