Consumer Republic
using brands to get what you want, make corporations behave, and maybe even save the world
Bruce Philp
‘Bruce Philp is a master of his subject, and he offers his readers a thoroughly gratifying peek into the inner world of branding. Consumer Republic bristles with insight and with wit.’
Stephanie Nolen, author of 28
If we really want to save the world, maybe we should start at the mall.
Consumer Republic’s message begins with this single, inarguable truth: brands make corporations accountable. Expensive to create, essential to making money, and more public than anything else a corporation has or does, a brand is an enormously valuable and fragile asset to them. And we consumers have the power to make it worthless.
As someone who has worked on the inside, Bruce Philp knows exactly what this power can do. With fascinating case examples, and a startling yet pragmatic argument, he dismantles the simplistic predator–prey narrative behind the anti-brand movement, confronts us with our real role in the system, and inspires us to make every dollar we spend count. To buy less, but demand better. To make meaningful choices instead of just easy ones. And then to speak up when we’re happy and when we’re not. Pin every one of these acts to a brand, and corporations will be forced to cooperate in making our way of life sustainable.
Brands, says Philp, are the only leverage the average consumer has with which to make a company behave itself. Abandon them, and we’ll surrender our marketplace to scoundrels. Take control of them, and we can save the world.
Reviews
‘The only way to save this plundered planet is through consumerism. Yes, read that sentence again – Bruce Philp lays out an utterly convincing argument for saving the planet. Just buy the change you want. Astounding.’
Terry O’Reilly, author of the Age of Persuasion
‘In a time where the rules of marketing and branding seem to be continuously changing, it is refreshing to have someone with Bruce’s expertise to bring clarity to an often chaotic and confusing area of practice. He not only shows us where we’ve been, but leads the way to the world of tomorrow – where consumers and brands cooperate to put an end to senseless consumption.’
Rahaf Harfoush, author of Yes We Did: An Inside Look at How Social Media Built the Obama Brand
» All reviews for this title‘Philp writes in such a convincing and authoritative manner you wonder if he might just be right.’
The Age
