Brand Management: Research, theory and practice

respond to society’s new cultural needs’ (Holt 2004, p. 219). The activist managers
should not only be able to understand the legacy of the brand as a myth creator but
also be able to be a cultural trend setter by notexploiting what is hot and happening
right now but rather be the one defininghot and happening.
The cultural brand management process consists of two stages: gathering and
analysing cultural knowledge and composing the cultural brand strategy. The
gathering of relevant cultural knowledge is required; cultural contradictions must
be identified and uncovered. The identification of emerging cultural contradic-
tions requires a thorough understanding of the cultural context, and the empathetic
understanding of the identity projects of consumers is different from the gathering

The cultural approach 229

Document the

brand’s cultural and

political authority

Identify emerging

cultural contradictions

Immerse brand

team in populist

world(s)

Develop empathetic

understanding of

followers’ identity

projects

Cultural knowledge

Composing cultural

brand strategy

Select cultural

contraction

Compose a cultural brief

• Myth treatment


• Populist authenticity


• Charismatic aesthetic

Insider

brief

Follower

brief

Figure 10.9The cultural brand management process; from Holt, How Brands Become
Icons(2004), p. 210; reprinted by permission of Harvard Business School Press, copyright
© 2004 by the Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation; all rights reserved