Consumer Culture

Selected Essays

Edited by Gjoko Muratovski

Distributed for Intellect Ltd

Consumer Culture

Selected Essays

Edited by Gjoko Muratovski

We live in a society that defines us by what we consume and how. Every day we make purchasing decisions that express our sense of belonging, our commitments to the environment, and our systems of belief. We often choose to buy things, not necessarily because we need them, but because we believe that these things will help us express who we are—in our own eyes and in the eyes of others. Whether we like it or not, consumerism is the prevalent ideology of our time. Led by Gjoko Muratovski who has long been influential at the intersection of design and business, Consumer Culture is the ideal starting point for an investigation into the social construction of the global economy.

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“In this essay collection, Muratovski focuses on how the marketing of products and services affects our lives and lifestyles, looking at brands as ‘icons of popular culture’ and links to our identities and political/economic systems. He points out that ‘consumer economics influences every facet of our lives.’ . . . One example noted in the book is that logos of well-known brands like Apple and McDonald’s have a power in our lives similar to the totems carried by early tribes. And the videos posted on YouTube enable us to share stories in much the same way that ancient civilizations did. What's more, linking New Zealand wines to the country’s Central Otago gold miners in the 1800s turns out to be a good way to capture the fancy of wine lovers. Recommended for upper-division and graduate marketing students, faculty, researchers, and practitioners.”

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Table of Contents

Consumer Culture: An Introduction
                Gjoko Muratovski
Chapter 1 Icons of Popular Culture: Religious Dimensions of Branding
                Gjoko Muratovski
Chapter 2 Business, National Identities and International Politics: The Role of Built Environments and Architectural Propaganda in Nation Branding
                Gjoko Muratovski
Chapter 3 Race, Advertisements and YouTube: Identity and Nationality
                Kathleen Connellan
Chapter 4 The Use of Gold Rush Nostalgia on Wine Labels: Brief History of New Zealand’s Central Otago Wine Region
                Lloyd Carpenter
Chapter 5 Mad Men and Women: Construction and Management of Advertising Executives in Popular Culture
                Anne Peirson-Smith
Chapter 6 The Big Earn: A Study of Criminal Business Enterprises in Popular Culture
                Carolyn Beasley
Chapter 7 Brand IKEA in a Global Cultural Economy: A Case Study
                Susie Khamis
Chapter 8 The ‘Good’ Corporation: The Uneasy Relationship Between Reputation and Responsibility
                Robert Crocker
Chapter 9 Acceleration in Consumerism, Technology and Sustainability
Robert Crocker
Notes on Contributors

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