This paper sets out to argue that the influence American culture exerts on (young adult) European consumers is showing signs of decline, as a result of a decline in the relevance of the values of the 'America Brand', as currently expressed. It provides an explanation for this phenomenon, with examples from a number of areas. The paper also points to some of the implications for marketing, leading to hypotheses about how brand owners can best define and communicate their brand's values to Europeans against this backdrop.
This paper describes a philosophical conflict that is underway and present at all levels of our culture today. The conflict is between a traditional framework for understanding truth and reality, and a second, increasingly important paradigm that valorises relative, subjective experience. In the light of this epic conflict, the authors look at consumer relationships with advertising and brands. This paper examines: popular culture and politics; The Truman Show, No Logo, The Matrix; the divergent approaches of contemporary consumer and brand theory; numerous examples from advertising, including Guinness and Budweiser campaigns; consumer language and behaviour; sociolinguistics and group dynamics. Tools to investigate and understand the struggle in the minds of todayâs consumers are proposed. The paper further speculates on the eventual resolution of this dialectic.