As consumers we are all, more or less unconsciously, constantly influenced by marketing and advertising. Therefore we need to scrutinize market communications and brands way more seriously. They are replacing and gaining influence as symbols of culture and tradition, and are as bearers of ideals telling us how to reach our true potential as human beings.
Jacob Östberg is a professor of Advertising & PR at Stockholm University School of Business. Upon earning his PhD at Lund University, his thesis was awarded the Academia Gastronomica Scaniensis research prize. He has since taught at the Business Schools at Lund and Stockholm University, and was a visiting scholar at the Bìlkent University in Ankara, Turkey. He then broadened his scope by taking a position at The Centre for Fashion Studies at the Faculty of the Humanities, Stockholm University. He has since earned a docentship in Fashion Studies and subsequently returned to his initial calling in Marketing.
Jacob’s studies focus on symbolic dimensions of consumption. He is interested in how individuals in consumer society create meaning and value through consumption and how brands are filled with meaning in the intersection of popular culture, marketing and consumers’ lived lives.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
