ABSTRACT
Over the course of the 20th century, the marketplace came to occupy a more central position in the daily lives of much of the world’s population (Bauman, 2001; Cohen, 2000; Cross, 2000; Iyer, 2000; Marchand, 1985; Schudson, 1984). Most of the world now is exposed to consumer culture. Branded goods are the defining icon, the prime mover, in this social transition. A little more than a century ago, relatively few things were branded. Soaps, beers, and most “soft goods” were purchased by number, volume, or weight. They were unbranded commodities. Today, even water and dirt are branded. The desire for branded consumer products and the social agenda that derives from their unequal distribution are reputed to be significant factors in events such as the fall of the former Soviet Union and geopolitical struggles the world over. Brands are major markers of social identity (Cova, 1997; Frank, 1997; Gladwell, 2000; Kotlowitz, 1999). Clearly, consumption
is important in its own right, not just in terms of inequities of labor, production, or income (Lasch, 1991).
