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The Empty Body: Exploring the Destabilised Brand of a Racialised Space

Ulver, Sofia LU and Osanami Törngren, Sayaka (2023) In Journal of Marketing Management 39(15-16). p.1477-1501
Abstract
In this paper we understand cities today as commodified spaces
which must struggle at the intersection of cultural, ideological and
historical tensions. In order to explore and problematise
a contested city brand’s marketing effort, we engage in multiple
rounds of in-situ introspective reflections about a racialised city’s
place branding material. Based on the two authors’ separate analyses
of the same marketing material deriving from two separate
theoretical starting points, we engage in agonistic conversation
about how visible and invisible racialised tensions are represented.
We highlight how absences and (in)visibilities can be predominantly
understood as either colour-blindness or ideological... (More)
In this paper we understand cities today as commodified spaces
which must struggle at the intersection of cultural, ideological and
historical tensions. In order to explore and problematise
a contested city brand’s marketing effort, we engage in multiple
rounds of in-situ introspective reflections about a racialised city’s
place branding material. Based on the two authors’ separate analyses
of the same marketing material deriving from two separate
theoretical starting points, we engage in agonistic conversation
about how visible and invisible racialised tensions are represented.
We highlight how absences and (in)visibilities can be predominantly
understood as either colour-blindness or ideological fantasy.
We find, despite our contrasting theoretical orientations, that a city
brand is inevitably fractured and ruptured into ‘a’ non-identity or –
to paraphrase Deleuze and Guattari – an empty body. We argue how
achieving inclusive branding becomes an oxymoron as narratives
surrounding a city are themselves more or less diverse, contested
and polarised. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
place branding, commodified space, neoliberalism, race, colour-blindness, ideological fantasy
in
Journal of Marketing Management
volume
39
issue
15-16
pages
25 pages
publisher
Westburn Publishers
external identifiers
  • scopus:85169078034
ISSN
0267-257X
DOI
10.1080/0267257X.2023.2249475
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
491b572e-1bfa-40e5-91ba-bfb7af9ffb2a
date added to LUP
2023-09-14 16:03:38
date last changed
2024-01-09 15:46:22
@article{491b572e-1bfa-40e5-91ba-bfb7af9ffb2a,
  abstract     = {{In this paper we understand cities today as commodified spaces<br/>which must struggle at the intersection of cultural, ideological and<br/>historical tensions. In order to explore and problematise<br/>a contested city brand’s marketing effort, we engage in multiple<br/>rounds of in-situ introspective reflections about a racialised city’s<br/>place branding material. Based on the two authors’ separate analyses<br/>of the same marketing material deriving from two separate<br/>theoretical starting points, we engage in agonistic conversation<br/>about how visible and invisible racialised tensions are represented.<br/>We highlight how absences and (in)visibilities can be predominantly<br/>understood as either colour-blindness or ideological fantasy.<br/>We find, despite our contrasting theoretical orientations, that a city<br/>brand is inevitably fractured and ruptured into ‘a’ non-identity or –<br/>to paraphrase Deleuze and Guattari – an empty body. We argue how<br/>achieving inclusive branding becomes an oxymoron as narratives<br/>surrounding a city are themselves more or less diverse, contested<br/>and polarised.}},
  author       = {{Ulver, Sofia and Osanami Törngren, Sayaka}},
  issn         = {{0267-257X}},
  keywords     = {{place branding; commodified space; neoliberalism; race; colour-blindness; ideological fantasy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{15-16}},
  pages        = {{1477--1501}},
  publisher    = {{Westburn Publishers}},
  series       = {{Journal of Marketing Management}},
  title        = {{The Empty Body: Exploring the Destabilised Brand of a Racialised Space}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2023.2249475}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/0267257X.2023.2249475}},
  volume       = {{39}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}