In the hands of the corporate sector, marketing has turned us into spoilt, consumption-obsessed children who are simultaneously wrecking our bodies, psyches and planet. Given the fiduciary duties of the corporation, notions like consumer sovereignty, customer service and relationship building are just corrosive myths that seduce us into quiescence, whilst furnishing big business with unprecedented power. Corporate Social Responsibility, the ultimate oxymoron, and its country cousin, Cause Related Marketing, are just means of currying favour amongst our political leaders and further extending corporate power.

So it is time to fight back. As individuals we have enormous internal strength; collectively we have, and can again, change the world (indeed marketing itself is a function of humankind s capacity to cooperate to overcome difficulties and way predates its co-option by corporations). From the purpose and resilience Steinbeck s sharecroppers ( we re the people we go on ), through Eisenhower s alert and knowledgeable citizenry to Arundhati Roy s timely reminder about the wisdom of indigenous people are not relics of the past, but the guides to our future, there are lots of reasons for optimism. If these talents and strengths can be combined with serious moves to contain the corporate sector, it is possible to rethink our economic and social priorities. The book ends with a call to do just this.

This compelling and accessible book will be of interest across the social sciences and humanities and indeed to anyone who has concerns about the current state of consumer society. It will also be particularly useful reading for those marketing students who'd prefer a critical perspective to the standard ritualization of their discipline.

Diving deep into the world of corporate marketing, this incisive and eye-opening work shows how, in the hands of the corporation, business has become manipulative, divisive and disastrously at odds with the needs of the natural world. It calls on us to rethink and rebel. The corporate marketing blitz is driven by a simple economic truth: profits depend on demand always exceeding supply. A multi-billion-dollar global industry has therefore been created with the sole aim of turning us into devout consumers. Gerard Hastings invites us to explore alternatives to a system that is threatening our survival. He explores what it is to be human, how marketing can be used to do good rather than harm and the potential of alternative models that empower us to be citizens, not just consumers. Professionals and students in the business, marketing, public health, environmental and political sectors - as well as concerned citizens who know that business as usual is not an option - will value this accessible guide to what is going wrong with our current business models and how these failings can be addressed.

Diving deep into the world of corporate marketing, this incisive and eye-opening work shows how, in the hands of the corporation, business has become manipulative, divisive and disastrously at odds with the needs of the natural world. It calls on us to rethink and rebel. The corporate marketing blitz is driven by a simple economic truth: profits depend on demand always exceeding supply. A multi-billion-dollar global industry has therefore been created with the sole aim of turning us into devout consumers. Gerard Hastings invites us to explore alternatives to a system that is threatening our survival. He explores what it is to be human, how marketing can be used to do good rather than harm and the potential of alternative models that empower us to be citizens, not just consumers. Professionals and students in the business, marketing, public health, environmental and political sectors - as well as concerned citizens who know that business as usual is not an option - will value this accessible guide to what is going wrong with our current business models and how these failings can be addressed.

The consequences of childhood obesity are serious and far reaching, with both physical and psychological components that add to its complexity. Childhood Obesity: Contemporary Issues provides an up-to-date account of the increase of obesity in children, its causes, and its prevention. The expert editorial panel has chosen contributors with considerable practical and research experience. They explore why childhood obesity is so difficult to prevent and treat. Focusing less on clinical issues and more on environmental factors, the book brings together social, psychological, biological, and socio-biological approaches to the experience and problem of obesity. Delineating the scope and impact of childhood obesity, the book provides a unique view of the obese child. It examines the link between food intake and physical activity, which are the immediate determinants of energy balance, and discusses how to measure and assess them. The World Health Organization describes obesity as one of today's most blatantly visible - yet most neglected - public health problems. This book highlights obesity in children and discusses the need to develop multifactorial and multi-agency strategic plans to contain this epidemic.

Social Marketing shows how marketing techniques can be used to social ends and tackle the immense challenges humankind faces. Social inequalities have driven popular revolts, from Black Lives Matter to Brexit; the climate is in crisis; and COVID-19 has highlighted power imbalances across the globe. In these turbulent times, this 4th edition will arm you with: Fresh content on climate breakdown, inequality and diversity, public health and poverty The critical capacity to analyse the origins, workings, and future of our economic system Contemporary case studies from around the world demonstrating how change happens Reflective questions and critical thinking tasks to aid understanding This popular introductory textbook has been fully updated to enable you to challenge the bad, champion the good and enact meaningful change. If you already have marketing know-how then it will help you apply this in a health, social and ecological context. If you come from a social science, public health, or ecological background, and have little knowledge of marketing, it will introduce you to its key principles and give you the chance to apply these ideas in familiar settings.

Social Marketing shows how marketing techniques can be used to social ends and tackle the immense challenges humankind faces. Social inequalities have driven popular revolts, from Black Lives Matter to Brexit; the climate is in crisis; and COVID-19 has highlighted power imbalances across the globe. In these turbulent times, this 4th edition will arm you with: Fresh content on climate breakdown, inequality and diversity, public health and poverty The critical capacity to analyse the origins, workings, and future of our economic system Contemporary case studies from around the world demonstrating how change happens Reflective questions and critical thinking tasks to aid understanding This popular introductory textbook has been fully updated to enable you to challenge the bad, champion the good and enact meaningful change. If you already have marketing know-how then it will help you apply this in a health, social and ecological context. If you come from a social science, public health, or ecological background, and have little knowledge of marketing, it will introduce you to its key principles and give you the chance to apply these ideas in familiar settings.

In the hands of the corporate sector, marketing has turned us into spoilt, consumption-obsessed children who are simultaneously wrecking our bodies, psyches and planet. Given the fiduciary duties of the corporation, notions like consumer sovereignty, customer service and relationship building are just corrosive myths that seduce us into quiescence, whilst furnishing big business with unprecedented power. Corporate Social Responsibility, the ultimate oxymoron, and its country cousin, Cause Related Marketing, are just means of currying favour amongst our political leaders and further extending corporate power.

So it is time to fight back. As individuals we have enormous internal strength; collectively we have, and can again, change the world (indeed marketing itself is a function of humankind s capacity to cooperate to overcome difficulties and way predates its co-option by corporations). From the purpose and resilience Steinbeck s sharecroppers ( we re the people we go on ), through Eisenhower s alert and knowledgeable citizenry to Arundhati Roy s timely reminder about the wisdom of indigenous people are not relics of the past, but the guides to our future, there are lots of reasons for optimism. If these talents and strengths can be combined with serious moves to contain the corporate sector, it is possible to rethink our economic and social priorities. The book ends with a call to do just this.

This compelling and accessible book will be of interest across the social sciences and humanities and indeed to anyone who has concerns about the current state of consumer society. It will also be particularly useful reading for those marketing students who'd prefer a critical perspective to the standard ritualization of their discipline.

Brands are designed to build relationships between consumers and the products, services, or organizations they represent by providing added value to their objects. Through brand promotion, consumers form associations with brands, which can become established and lead to a long-term relationship between the product, service or organization and consumer. Similarly, public health brands are the associations that individuals hold for health behaviours or lifestyles. Public health branding - building positive associations with healthy behaviours and lifestyle choices - is the primary strategy by which commercial marketing is applied in health communication and social marketing.
This book examines theory and best practices of branding and its application in public health programs. Through a series of reviews and case studies, the book argues that branding is an emerging public health strategy that needs resources and continued development of innovative methodologies to effect lasting population-level change. In recent years, public health branding has been successfully applied across a wide range of chronic and infectious disease issues and behaviors - from tobacco control to HIV/AIDS - and globally across the developed and developing world. Branding is an important strategy for public health because it can address multiple behaviours simultaneously, and most health risks stem from multiple behaviours and complex lifestyle choices. Promoting healthy lifestyles is the key outcome for public health, thus making the development of improved branding strategies a critical objective for the field.