consumers’ identity projects, and (3) offer insights into how an emotional-
branding strategy can be reconfigured to fit better with changing cultural times
and shifting consumer outlooks.
(Thompson et al. 2006, p. 51)The anti-brand No Logo movement and the pressure for corporate social responsi-
bility (which is also an issue of non-activist consumers) are also relevant concerns
of brand managers. The pressure for corporate social responsibility should not be
ignored by any brand.
The citizen-artist brand manager
As explained in the section on theoretical building blocks, the seemingly contra-
dictory clash between the brand icons and the anti-branding movement might
indicate a shift towards a new branding paradigm. The citizen-artist brand is
supposed to accommodate the new requirements of an increasingly critical
consumer culture by supplying the relevant cultural material (already skilfully
done by the iconic brands) andacting as a responsible citizen, shouldering its
corporate social responsibilities. The management of this future brand scenario
requires an even more versatile work agenda than the management of a brand
icon; not only is the brand supposed to deliver potent cultural material but at the
same time lead the way towards new dimensions in corporate citizenship.
232 Seven brand approaches
Box 10.7 Just another legal case or an early warning sign?
In 1999 San Francisco-based cartoonist Kieron Dwyer made comic books,
t-shirts and stickers with his ‘Consumer Whore’ version of the Starbucks
logo and sold them in the anti-Starbucks milieu. The year after, Starbucks
sued him for copyright and trademark infringement. Dwyer claimed that his
work was meant as a parody and as such should be protected by the US
constitutional amendment of free speech. In 2000 the court decided that
Dwyer was allowed to continue displaying his logo but only in extremely
limited circumstances.
Sourceswww.illegal-art.org, http://www.wikipedia.orgBox 10.8 A citizen-artist brand?
When reading the following case example of PRODUCT (RED), take into
consideration the whole scope of the cultural approach. Consider the
nature of the brand icon, the urge for corporate social responsibility and,
not least, the citizen-artist brand prospect.