Brands and Branding Geographies

Book excerpt: 'The volume edited by Andy Pike includes contributions by several leading figures in the study of brands, places and place branding. . . However, this is not what makes the book a welcome addition to the literature. What really makes the book interesting is actually the brave attempt to deal with an intrinsically difficult topic, one that is rarely – if ever – explored: the relationship between brands and branding with the places in and around which these operate. Several facets of this relationship are explored in the book. . . The book is introduced nicely by Andy Pike in a chapter that sets the scene and clarifies the intentions of the book. . . I am glad the first book to handle these issues is on my shelves.' – Mihalis Kavaratzis, Regional Studies 'An incomparably rich trove of work on the multifarious and contradictory "entanglements" between space, place, and brand. The volume helps us understand how and why "places of origin" play an ever greater role in the marketing of commodities, even while corporations continue to seek "placelessness" in pursuit of the bottom line. And it illuminates how and why entrepreneurial governments seeking to enhance global competitiveness increasingly turn to place branding – at the neighborhood, urban, and national scale – even while launching rounds of restructuring that undercut the authenticity and viability of local identities. A valuable and accessible contribution to the urban studies and cultural studies literature.' – Miriam Greenberg, University of California, Santa Cruz, US 'An important effort to pull together multidisciplinary research on the spatial dimensions of brands and branding in an international context.' – John A. Quelch, Harvard Business School, US Despite overstated claims of their 'global' homogeneity, ubiquity and contribution to 'flattening' spatial differences, the geographies of brands and branding actually do matter. This vibrant collection provides a comprehensive reference point for the emergent area of brand and branding geographies in a multi-disciplinary and international context. The eminent contributors, leaders in their respective fields, present critical reflections and synthesis of a range of conceptual and theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, incorporating market research, oral history, discourse and visual analyses. They reflect upon the politics and limits of brand and branding geographies and map out future research directions. The book will prove a fascinating and illuminating read for academics, researchers, students, practitioners and policy-makers focusing on the spatial dimensions of brands and branding.