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The liminality of branding : Interweaving discourses ‘making up’ a cultural intermediary occupation

Loacker, Bernadette LU and Sullivan, Katie LU (2016) In Marketing Theory 16(3). p.361-382
Abstract
This article explores how the occupation of branding and the work it encompasses are discursively constituted and ‘made up’. It starts with the premise that branding is a cultural intermediary occupation about whose norms and practices we cannot assume certainty, stability or homogeneity.
The study illustrates how branding is comprised of multiple social and occupational discourses, namely, ‘creativity’, ‘discovery’, ‘business’ and ‘morality’. Rather than stand alone, these discourses dynamically interweave and intersect. Consequently, branding emerges as an occupation with distinct liminal conditions, being simultaneously about art, science, business and social relational work. Instead of moving towards stability, our findings suggest... (More)
This article explores how the occupation of branding and the work it encompasses are discursively constituted and ‘made up’. It starts with the premise that branding is a cultural intermediary occupation about whose norms and practices we cannot assume certainty, stability or homogeneity.
The study illustrates how branding is comprised of multiple social and occupational discourses, namely, ‘creativity’, ‘discovery’, ‘business’ and ‘morality’. Rather than stand alone, these discourses dynamically interweave and intersect. Consequently, branding emerges as an occupation with distinct liminal conditions, being simultaneously about art, science, business and social relational work. Instead of moving towards stability, our findings suggest that branding is an intermediary occupation that sustains rather than discontinues liminality and that enduring liminality lends itself to the non-distinctiveness of the occupation. For branders, occupying a liminal occupational position implies various challenges but similarly scopes for flexibility and autonomy. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
branding, cultural intermediary occupation, interweaving discourses, liminal conditions, work
in
Marketing Theory
volume
16
issue
3
pages
22 pages
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:84983672159
  • wos:000382965400005
ISSN
1741-301X
DOI
10.1177/1470593116636661
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
730a09a7-c979-48a0-aefb-e352ad6632e0
date added to LUP
2016-11-14 14:40:09
date last changed
2022-04-24 19:09:10
@article{730a09a7-c979-48a0-aefb-e352ad6632e0,
  abstract     = {{This article explores how the occupation of branding and the work it encompasses are discursively constituted and ‘made up’. It starts with the premise that branding is a cultural intermediary occupation about whose norms and practices we cannot assume certainty, stability or homogeneity.<br/>The study illustrates how branding is comprised of multiple social and occupational discourses, namely, ‘creativity’, ‘discovery’, ‘business’ and ‘morality’. Rather than stand alone, these discourses dynamically interweave and intersect. Consequently, branding emerges as an occupation with distinct liminal conditions, being simultaneously about art, science, business and social relational work. Instead of moving towards stability, our findings suggest that branding is an intermediary occupation that sustains rather than discontinues liminality and that enduring liminality lends itself to the non-distinctiveness of the occupation. For branders, occupying a liminal occupational position implies various challenges but similarly scopes for flexibility and autonomy.}},
  author       = {{Loacker, Bernadette and Sullivan, Katie}},
  issn         = {{1741-301X}},
  keywords     = {{branding; cultural intermediary occupation; interweaving discourses; liminal conditions; work}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{361--382}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Marketing Theory}},
  title        = {{The liminality of branding : Interweaving discourses ‘making up’ a cultural intermediary occupation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1470593116636661}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/1470593116636661}},
  volume       = {{16}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}