Business of Aspiration: How Social, Cultural, and Environmental Capital Changes Brands

"Not long ago, wearing real fur was a signal of wealth and status. Now, it's a signal of ignorance. Thanks to luxury rental and resale services, these day anyone can walk around in a Gucci belt. But not everyone knows that Rimowa dropped a new suitcase or who made their food and clothes. Wokeness is a modern class distinction. What consumers value, and how they spend their time and money, changes the role and meaning of brands. It is not only business savvy, but also socially urgent that brands start trading in the modern aspirational economy. Overproduction and air travel are killing our planet, and social media addiction and busyness are killing us. Accumulating commodities and counting air miles and social media likes are aspiration symbols that reward the bad behavior of companies and individuals. For the longest time, brands have operated according to the Veblen logic that status is linked to wealth and desirability to price. Now they have the opportunity to flip the script of aspiration and link worth and values to their success. Aimed at marketers, entrepreneurs, and everyone else curious about changing business, in this book you will find analysis, examples, and tools of how to use the modern aspiration economy to shift your brand narrative and competitive strategy, create and distribute brand symbols, and ensure that your products and services create both monetary and moral value. Written by a world-renown brand strategy executive and Sociology Ph.D., this book seamlessly combines sociology and business to deliver practical advice for brands across industries"--