'Brands applies cultural studies to brand building in a rigorous but accessible way. Putting a creative, often frustrated, and always active consumer at the heart of brand consumption, the authors offer a range of valuable insights from around the globe for creating more meaningful brands.' - Michael Beverland, Professor, University of Bath, UK'Schroeder has a talent for detecting insights that challenge conventional wisdom and offer new opportunities. The thought-provoking contributions in this curated volume consider brands not as economic signals or managerial assets, but as complex cultural artifacts with ethical and political implications. If you need to be informed about building brands in contemporary culture, read this book.' - Susan Fournier, Professor, Boston University, USA 'By gathering the international who-is-who of brand culture analysts through this magnificent must-read volume, Jonathan Schroeder has created the new obligatory passage point for everyone interested in studying how brands shape (and are shaped by) consumption, markets, and culture.' - Markus Giesler, Associate Professor, York University, Canada,