Buying into Development?

Brand Aid Forms of Cause-Related Marketing

Stefano Ponte, Lisa Ann Richey

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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    Abstract

    Consumers, partnering with corporations and celebrities, are forming new alliances in international development through what we call ‘Brand Aid’ initiatives. At a time of shifting relationships between public and private aid, commodities are sold as the means of achieving development for recipients and good feelings for consumers simultaneously. In this article we first formalise our conceptual model of Brand Aid at the triple interface of causes, branded products and celebrities. Then we conduct a systematic empirical analysis of contemporary Brand Aid initiatives, including three in-depth case studies of ‘Win One Give One’, toms shoes and Product (red). We argue that these not only use imaginaries of development to sell products to Northern consumers but also engage in the work of a ‘story factory’ – producing truths about international development and consumer engagement that make development appear simplified, manageable and marketable. We conclude that, in Brand Aid, the problems themselves and the people who experience them are branded and marketed to Western consumers (through celebritised multimedia story-telling) just as effectively as the products that will ‘save’ them.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalThird World Quarterly
    Volume35
    Issue number1
    Pages (from-to)65-87
    ISSN0143-6597
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 13 Feb 2014

    Bibliographical note

    Special Issue: New Actors and Alliances in Development

    Cite this

    Ponte, Stefano ; Richey, Lisa Ann. / Buying into Development? Brand Aid Forms of Cause-Related Marketing. In: Third World Quarterly. 2014 ; Vol. 35, No. 1. pp. 65-87.
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    abstract = "Consumers, partnering with corporations and celebrities, are forming new alliances in international development through what we call ‘Brand Aid’ initiatives. At a time of shifting relationships between public and private aid, commodities are sold as the means of achieving development for recipients and good feelings for consumers simultaneously. In this article we first formalise our conceptual model of Brand Aid at the triple interface of causes, branded products and celebrities. Then we conduct a systematic empirical analysis of contemporary Brand Aid initiatives, including three in-depth case studies of ‘Win One Give One’, toms shoes and Product (red). We argue that these not only use imaginaries of development to sell products to Northern consumers but also engage in the work of a ‘story factory’ – producing truths about international development and consumer engagement that make development appear simplified, manageable and marketable. We conclude that, in Brand Aid, the problems themselves and the people who experience them are branded and marketed to Western consumers (through celebritised multimedia story-telling) just as effectively as the products that will ‘save’ them.",
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    Ponte, S & Richey, LA 2014, 'Buying into Development? Brand Aid Forms of Cause-Related Marketing', Third World Quarterly, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 65-87. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2014.868985

    Buying into Development? Brand Aid Forms of Cause-Related Marketing. / Ponte, Stefano; Richey, Lisa Ann.

    In: Third World Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 1, 13.02.2014, p. 65-87.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

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    AU - Richey, Lisa Ann

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    PY - 2014/2/13

    Y1 - 2014/2/13

    N2 - Consumers, partnering with corporations and celebrities, are forming new alliances in international development through what we call ‘Brand Aid’ initiatives. At a time of shifting relationships between public and private aid, commodities are sold as the means of achieving development for recipients and good feelings for consumers simultaneously. In this article we first formalise our conceptual model of Brand Aid at the triple interface of causes, branded products and celebrities. Then we conduct a systematic empirical analysis of contemporary Brand Aid initiatives, including three in-depth case studies of ‘Win One Give One’, toms shoes and Product (red). We argue that these not only use imaginaries of development to sell products to Northern consumers but also engage in the work of a ‘story factory’ – producing truths about international development and consumer engagement that make development appear simplified, manageable and marketable. We conclude that, in Brand Aid, the problems themselves and the people who experience them are branded and marketed to Western consumers (through celebritised multimedia story-telling) just as effectively as the products that will ‘save’ them.

    AB - Consumers, partnering with corporations and celebrities, are forming new alliances in international development through what we call ‘Brand Aid’ initiatives. At a time of shifting relationships between public and private aid, commodities are sold as the means of achieving development for recipients and good feelings for consumers simultaneously. In this article we first formalise our conceptual model of Brand Aid at the triple interface of causes, branded products and celebrities. Then we conduct a systematic empirical analysis of contemporary Brand Aid initiatives, including three in-depth case studies of ‘Win One Give One’, toms shoes and Product (red). We argue that these not only use imaginaries of development to sell products to Northern consumers but also engage in the work of a ‘story factory’ – producing truths about international development and consumer engagement that make development appear simplified, manageable and marketable. We conclude that, in Brand Aid, the problems themselves and the people who experience them are branded and marketed to Western consumers (through celebritised multimedia story-telling) just as effectively as the products that will ‘save’ them.

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    Ponte S, Richey LA. Buying into Development? Brand Aid Forms of Cause-Related Marketing. Third World Quarterly. 2014 Feb 13;35(1):65-87. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2014.868985

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