Branded: How the 'Certification Revolution' Is Trans- forming Global Corporations

摘要

Michael E. Conroy is a fascinating individual. He spent over twenty years as a professor of economics at the University of Texas-Austin, a dozen years as program officer for several foundations (Ford and Rockefeller Brothers), and three years as a visiting scholar at Yale, where he completed this volume. His research interests in development economics combined with his professional affiliations make him uniquely qualified for exploring the subject of branding, which is the way that corporations get their names out there, through logos, ad campaigns, and so on. It is part and parcel of building any successful business. But there is a widespread movement afoot that "brands" brands. That is, these efforts aim at branding products for social or environmental benefits in their production and/or distribution, and are frequently spearheaded by concerned stakeholders through nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) or, in some cases, through governments. This now involves many products made or distributed by multinationals, and programs are exponentially increasing through globalization.