ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the characteristics of brand communications options and media platforms available to organisations. It explores how these influence consumer decision-making and contribute to brand equity development. The chapter aims to understand how organisations can plan effective brand integrated marketing communications programmes. It discusses the implications of social media for consumer culture through the concepts of digital consumption, co-creation, and the (over)democratisation of marketing. The chapter considers the role of social media in the wider society by exploring ethical issues related to self-branding and hyper-narcissism in the attention economy. It provides a concise review of traditional and online brand communications options available to organisations and examines how they contribute to different stages in the aforementioned consumer decision-making processes. The chapter focuses primarily on advertising and on online brand communications options. It presents an overview of the traditional and digital media platforms organisations can take advantage of to transmit their messages and pursue the aforementioned communications options.
