World War Brands: World War II and the Rise of the Modern American Brand


Book Description

How the Modern American Brand was Born World War II had a profound impact on American brands. In addition to brands directly aligning their products with the war effort, some brands used the war as a clever way to engender positive perceptions by distributing products to American forces. Other brands actually had their roots in the war. Just as important, the post-war economy led to the rise of the American middle class. The war fueled strong economic growth that turned the country into a major global force. Post-war America became a bubbling cauldron of scores of inventive, innovative brands. When television came along, marketing those brands rose to a whole new level. Brand marketing expert Barry Silverstein traces the development of the American brand from World War I through the 1920s and 1930s. Then he explores the interrelationship of World War II and American brands, showing how the war itself was "branded," how brand advertisers leveraged the war, and how the post-war economy helped birth the modern brand. Included are scores of stories about some of the best-known brands of the '40s and '50s. Silverstein concludes the book by examining brands in the context of American post-war culture, moving from the war's end into the 1950s and 1960s. He demonstrates how the consumerism of post-war America led quite directly to the birth of breakthrough brands and modern brand marketing strategies. Many brands from this time have survived and thrived into the 21st Century. In this book you'll learn: - How Coca-Cola, Disney and other great American brands played an integral role in World War II - Why some American brands chose to do business with Nazi Germany - How television influenced the rise of the modern American brand - Plus, see 38 vintage ads that reflect the wartime economy. This unique book takes a fresh look at the impact of World War II on America from a marketing perspective. History and brand buffs alike will be enthralled by WORLD WAR BRANDS!




Beauty and Business


Book Description

Beauty seems simple; we know it when we see it. But of course our ideas about what is attractive are influenced by a broad range of social and economic factors, and in Beauty and Business leading historians set out to provide this important cultural context. How have retailers shaped popular consciousness about beauty? And how, in turn, have cultural assumptions influenced the commodification of beauty? The contributors here look to particular examples in order to address these questions, turning their attention to topics ranging from the social role of the African American hair salon, and the sexual dynamics of bathing suits and shirtcollars, to the deeper meanings of corsets and what the Avon lady tells us about changing American values. As a whole, these essays force us to reckon with the ways that beauty has been made, bought, and sold in modern America.




Arsenal of Democracy


Book Description

Examines the role of the American automobile industry in producing vehicles, weapons, and other war products during World War II. Throughout World War II, Detroit's automobile manufacturers accounted for one-fifth of the dollar value of the nation's total war production, and this amazing output from "the arsenal of democracy" directly contributed to the allied victory. In fact, automobile makers achieved such production miracles that many of their methods were adopted by other defense industries, particularly the aircraft industry. In Arsenal of Democracy: The American Automobile Industry in World War II,award-winning historian Charles K. Hyde details the industry's transition to a wartime production powerhouse and some of its notable achievements along the way. Hyde examines several innovative cooperative relationships that developed between the executive branch of the federal government, U.S. military services, automobile industry leaders, auto industry suppliers, and the United Automobile Workers (UAW) union, which set up the industry to achieve production miracles. He goes on to examine the struggles and achievements of individual automakers during the war years in producing items like aircraft engines, aircraft components, and complete aircraft; tanks and other armored vehicles; jeeps, trucks, and amphibians; guns, shells, and bullets of all types; and a wide range of other weapons and war goods ranging from search lights to submarine nets and gyroscopes. Hyde also considers the important role played by previously underused workers-namely African Americans and women-in the war effort and their experiences on the line. Arsenal of Democracy includes an analysis of wartime production nationally, on the automotive industry level, by individual automakers, and at the single plant level. For this thorough history, Hyde has consulted previously overlooked records collected by the Automobile Manufacturers Association that are now housed in the National Automotive History Collection of the Detroit Public Library. Automotive historians, World War II scholars, and American history buffs will welcome the compelling look at wartime industry in Arsenal of Democracy.




The US, the UK and Saudi Arabia in World War II


Book Description

The story of Anglo-American relations in Saudi Arabia during the Second World War has generally been viewed as one of discord and hegemonic rivalry, a perspective reinforced by a tendency to consider Britain's decline and the ascent of US power as inevitable. In this engaging and timely study, Matthew Hinds calls into question such assumptions and reveals a relationship that, though hard-nosed, functioned through interdependence and strategic parity. Drawing upon an array of archives from both sides of the Atlantic, Hinds traces the flow of key events and policies as well as the leading figures who shaped events to show why, how and to what extent the allies and Saudi Arabia became 'mixed up together', in the words of Winston Churchill. Perhaps most fundamentally, Britain and the United States were enthralled by the promise of Saudi Arabia serving as an auxiliary to Allied strategy. Obtaining King Ibn Saud's tacit support or more specifically, his 'benevolent neutrality', meant having vital access, not only to the country's prospective oil reserves, but to its prized geographic location, its centrality within Islam and, as international politics increasingly followed an anti-colonial path, to its credentials as a sovereign and independent Arab state. Given what was at stake, London and Washington saw their engagement in Saudi Arabia as seminal; a genuine blueprint for how to forge a lasting 'Special Relationship' throughout the Middle East. Hinds' bold new interpretation is a vital work that enlarges our understanding of the Anglo-American wartime alliance.




Building Brand Equity and Consumer Trust Through Radical Transparency Practices


Book Description

The creation of business value and competitive advantage is crucial to any company in the modern corporate sector. By developing positive relationships with consumers, businesses can better maintain their customers’ loyalty. Building Brand Equity and Consumer Trust Through Radical Transparency Practices is an innovative reference source for emerging scholarly perspectives on the role of branding in organizational contexts and techniques to sustain a profitable and honest relationship with consumers. Highlighting a range of pertinent topics such as risk management, product innovation, and brand awareness, this book is ideally designed for managers, researchers, professionals, students, and practitioners interested in the development of value creation in contemporary business.




Global Advertising Practice in a Borderless World


Book Description

Cultural and regional differences in creating and managing advertising require unique responses to a dynamic, rapidly globalising business environment. To be global in advertising is no longer to be homogenised or standardised, it is to be at the leading edge of social and cultural trends that are changing the world as we know it. Global Advertising Practice in a Borderless World covers a wide range of adaptive advertising practices, from major and emerging markets, in mainstream and digital advertising. It focuses on understanding how the globalisation of advertising works in practice, explored in three sections: globalising advertising in a media and communications context; advertising in a global world; and global advertising in a digital world. Covering past, present and potential futures, through an impressive ensemble of global advertising practitioners and academics, the book combines academic rigour with practical insights to provide a comprehensive analysis of the changing dynamics between advertising and globalisation. It will be of great interest to researchers, educators and advanced students in advertising, global branding, international marketing, international business media, communication and cultural studies.




Technical Innovation in American History [3 volumes]


Book Description

From the invention of eyeglasses to the Internet, this three-volume set examines the pivotal effects of inventions on society, providing a fascinating history of technology and innovations in the United States from the earliest European colonization to the present. Technical Innovation in American History surveys the history of technology, documenting the chronological and thematic connections between specific inventions, technological systems, individuals, and events that have contributed to the history of science and technology in the United States. Covering eras from colonial times to the present day in three chronological volumes, the entries include innovations in fields such as architecture, civil engineering, transportation, energy, mining and oil industries, chemical industries, electronics, computer and information technology, communications (television, radio, and print), agriculture and food technology, and military technology. The A–Z entries address key individuals, events, organizations, and legislation related to themes such as industry, consumer and medical technology, military technology, computer technology, and space science, among others, enabling readers to understand how specific inventions, technological systems, individuals, and events influenced the history, cultural development, and even self-identity of the United States and its people. The information also spotlights how American culture, the U.S. government, and American society have specifically influenced technological development.




Globalization and the American Century


Book Description

Revolutionary improvements in technology combined with the leadership elite's enthusiasm for de-regulation of markets and free trade to fuel American-style globalization. The nation rose to economic power after the Spanish-American War, and won both world wars and the Cold war, after which America's power and cultural influence soared as business and financial interests pursued the long-term quest for global markets. But, the tragic events of September 2001 and the growing volatility of global finance, raised questions about whether the era of American-led globalization was sustainable, or vulnerable to catastrophic collapse.




Influencing Shopper Decisions


Book Description

Should I advertise on TV? Is print dead? Should I work with an influencer? Should I promote my product through Facebook and Instagram ads? What about TikTok? How do brands get shoppers to say "yes" in an increasingly complex, fragmented and fast-changing world? Constant change, rapid innovation, category disruptors, rising shopper expectations and new access to goods and services have made consumers and shoppers incredibly adept at wading through oceans of research and information. Before making a purchase decision, your brand's target consumer is a shopper. With more choices than ever before, shoppers are becoming increasingly promiscuous, opening themselves up to new brands, products and shopping channels. In Influencing Shopper Decisions, the authors are market researchers who reveal how brands can help shoppers say "yes" by better understanding consumer decision-making. By tracking the evolution of the shopper mindset from the First Moment of Truth to Google's infamous ZMOT, the authors outline a new paradigm for shopping behavior that focuses on shopper needs, priorities and context. Whether you're a CPG brand marketer, digital media company or small business owner, Influencing Shopper Decisions provides an unparalleled understanding of the shopper mindset and the keys to unlocking it. After explaining the forces that drive consumer decision-making, the authors outline key insights and strategies that marketers can use to maintain relevancy and grow engagement with consumers.




Ideas and Movements That Shaped America [3 volumes]


Book Description

America was founded on bold ideas and beliefs. This book examines the ideas and movements that shaped our nation, presenting thorough, accessible entries with sources that improve readers' understanding of the American experience. Presenting accessibly written information for general audiences as well as students and researchers, this three-volume work examines the evolution of American society and thought from the nation's beginnings to the 21st century. It covers the seminal ideas and social movements that define who we are as Americans—from the ideas that underpin the Bill of Rights to slavery, the Civil Rights movement, and the idea of gay rights—even if U.S. citizens often strongly disagree on these topics. Organized topically rather than chronologically, this encyclopedia combines primary sources and secondary works or historical analyses with text describing the ideas and movements in question. In addition, each entry includes a list of suggestions for further reading that directs readers to supplementary sources of information. The set's unique perspective serves to depict how American society has evolved from the nation's beginnings to the present, revealing how Americans as a people have acted and responded to key ideas and movements.