Flagship Marketing: Concepts And Places (routledge Advances In Management And Business Studies)

Flagships are the physical apogee of consumerism, places where brand experiences are most defined and interactions with consumers are highly refined. This book marks the first comprehensive study of the concept of the flagship, bringing together a range of scholarly insights from the field, covering issues such as consumerism, areas of consumption and experimental marketing theory and practise. The ways in which flagship projects communicate brand values, both externally and internally, form an important part of this book, and provide new perspectives on late twentieth century commercial and cultural policy and practice. Kent and Brown offer a truly interdisciplinary approach to the concept, offering a variety of perspectives on the debates surrounding flagship function and its role as a place of consumption. Chapters focus on the development of prestigious stores, hotels and arts and cultural centres, as showcases for branded experiences and products and as demonstrations of commercial and public policy. Cases and examples include The Eden Project in the UK, automotive showrooms in Germany, hotels in Dubai and Las Vegas, and Vienna's cultural quarter. Theoretical discussion explores the tensions between costs and profitability, conspicuous consumption and the sustainability of iconic forms. The book enables readers to explore the flagship concept from different perspectives, and while a marketing approach predominates, it provides a disciplinary challenge which will open up new ways of understanding the concept. Concepts Of Flagships -- A Classification Approach To Flagship Stores -- Emotion And Identity In Flagship Luxury Design -- Virtual Flagships And Sociable Media -- The Flagship Store : The Luxury Fashion Retailing Perspective -- Flagship Shopping Centres -- 'frome Dome To Dome' : Exploring Cultural Flagships And Their Contribution To Achieving Regeneration Goals -- A Cultural Quarter Flagship : The Museumsquartier, Vienna -- The Department Store : The Metropolitan Flagship In National Networks Of Fashion Consumption -- Wynn Las Vegas : A Flagship Destination Resort -- High-end 'factory Outlets' : New Showcases Of German Carmakers -- What Is A Flagship Supermarket? An Analysis Of Supermarket Flagships In A Historical Context -- Virtual Flagships. Edited By Tony Kent And Reva Brown. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [201]-219) And Index. This text is focused on the increasing diversity of flagships and the ways in which they can create showcases in people's lives. It is of interest across many disciplines including marketing, visual culture, design and urban studies