Event summary

Biography:

Mark is an Honorary Visiting Professor at University of York, School of Business and Society and Honorary Visiting Professor at Royal Holloway, University of London. Mark is the Editor of the Journal of Marketing Management, an Associate Editor of the Journal of Historical Research in Marketing and co-edits two book series for Routledge.

Abstract:

This seminar introduces the topic of critical marketing studies. It begins by outlining the core characteristics of this type of scholarship. Attention is then turned to early ideology critiques of marketing. Subsequently, I track the development of the field, paying due regard to contemporary variants of critical marketing, especially the changing representation of the consumer. It is maintained that marketing and advertising professionals have promoted a culture of consumption that makes strong claims about its links to happiness (Markin and Narayana 1976). Yet, the end result is not always satisfaction (Monieson 1975). It can be dissatisfaction (Kilbourne 1999) and unhappiness (Torres 2020). One early, and forgotten, critical interrogator of marketing stands out for highlighting the role of the advertising industry in the creation of pathological atmospheres and distorted subject relations, namely, Gordon Blaine Hancock. Hancock was an African American critic of advertising. In this session, we sketch Hancock’s biography, the cultural milieu he navigated, the criticisms of advertising in circulation, and Hancock’s contribution to these debates. Hancock raises questions that require investigation and interrogation today.  

To join the webinar, click on the link: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/95253384293

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