After Image

John Grant has been part of the new marketing revolution since the mid-1990s when he co-founded the radical advertising agency St Luke's. His pioneering book, drawn from the latest findings in business theory, cognitive neuroscience and social research, proposes a whole new system for marketing. Instead of building false images, he argues, business should now direct its efforts at building shared meaning and learning. Many brands using the old image approach - Levi's, Coca-Cola, Nike, Gap ... as well as numerous dot-coms - have run into trouble. The hottest categories now are those which have succeeded in building new knowledge cultures: like wine, personal IT, DIY, alternative medicine, male grooming, organic produce, MP3 music files and the gym. Brands can lead this process as Apple, Starbucks, IKEA and others have shown. The trend has been hastened by a backlash against the values of the consumer society. In this context, brand-image advertising is the new junk mail. This is because business, society and media have already changed and marketing is struggling to keep up. The new marketing system, based on interactive and non-traditional media, is richly illustrated here with case studies of well-known brands and practical applications of the theories to real-world marketing problems. The book is also stuffed with insights, trends and cultural anecdotes. Far from being a boring textbook, it is a fascinating and imaginative voyage into the future of marketing.