Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Revenge of the brand monsters
T2 - how Goldman Sachs doppelganger turned monstrous
AU - Freund, James
AU - Jacobi, Erik
N1 - Special Issue on Anthropomorphic Marketing
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - This paper employs cultural branding theory, brand psychoanalysis, and literary genealogy in a post-disciplinary manner to investigate the creation of an anthropomorphic, monstrous doppelgänger brand image by critics of Goldman Sachs. The case study explores how critics have succeeded in morphing the image of the bank into a ‘brand monster’ for a section of the general public. Brand monsters focus negative emotions against organisations by exposing, anthropomorphising, and dramatising their alleged, monstrous, hidden motives, methods, and effects. The theoretical and managerial implications of contested corporate and critical image management strategies are discussed. The paper contributes to the literature on doppelgänger brand images by showing the importance of anthropomorphism when attacking a brand that does not employ emotional or cultural brand strategies.
AB - This paper employs cultural branding theory, brand psychoanalysis, and literary genealogy in a post-disciplinary manner to investigate the creation of an anthropomorphic, monstrous doppelgänger brand image by critics of Goldman Sachs. The case study explores how critics have succeeded in morphing the image of the bank into a ‘brand monster’ for a section of the general public. Brand monsters focus negative emotions against organisations by exposing, anthropomorphising, and dramatising their alleged, monstrous, hidden motives, methods, and effects. The theoretical and managerial implications of contested corporate and critical image management strategies are discussed. The paper contributes to the literature on doppelgänger brand images by showing the importance of anthropomorphism when attacking a brand that does not employ emotional or cultural brand strategies.
KW - doppelgänger brand image
KW - brand psychoanalysis
KW - brand monster
KW - anthropomorphism
KW - vampire squid
KW - global financial crisis
U2 - 10.1080/0267257X.2013.764347
DO - 10.1080/0267257X.2013.764347
M3 - Journal article
VL - 29
SP - 175
EP - 194
JO - Journal of Marketing Management
JF - Journal of Marketing Management
SN - 0267-257X
IS - 1-2
ER -