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Commercial Democracy and a New Social Contract: Brands and Corporate Reputation as ‘Commercial Promises’

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Public Relations Capitalism

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Abstract

Cronin argues that we are witnessing the emergence of a ‘commercial democracy’ in which public relations and promotional culture play a far more central mediating role. Drawing on empirical material about PR produced by corporations, Cronin argues that as the conventional social contract between government and people erodes in forms of ‘democratic deficit,’ new forms of contracts (or promises) are being established between the commercial world of corporations and brands and the public. In mediating between a corporation and the public, PR promises a mirror form of democracy with significant consequences. Cronin offers a novel account of the significance of brands and of corporations’ reputation in the context of major shifts towards ‘commercial democracy.’

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In the industry, ‘corporate PR’ refers to the function of managing a corporation’s brand and image, whether internally oriented to its employees or externally oriented to stakeholders and the public. My account focuses both on this form of PR and what is often referred to as ‘consumer PR’ which tends to be defined as a hybrid of marketing and PR which is aimed at enhancing product image and engaging consumers.

  2. 2.

    ‘Fracking’ refers to hydraulic fracturing of rock in order to extract shale gas. It is a highly controversial practice as there are concerns about water contamination and other environmental issues.

  3. 3.

    http://ogilvyprlondon.com/. Accessed 13/10/17.

  4. 4.

    https://www.punchcomms.com/services/. Accessed 13/10/17.

  5. 5.

    http://brandnation.co.uk/social/. Accessed 13/10/17.

  6. 6.

    http://www.gorkana.com/pr-products/social-media/. Accessed 13/10/17.

  7. 7.

    http://social-communications.co.uk/consult. Accessed 13/10/17.

  8. 8.

    http://social-communications.co.uk/. Accessed 13/10/17.

  9. 9.

    https://www.freuds.com/what-we-do. Accessed 13/10/17.

  10. 10.

    Elsewhere I have argued that part of advertising’s power derives from the fact that it has become a ‘commercial vernacular’ and speaks the language of the popular (Cronin 2010).

  11. 11.

    https://www.beattiegroup.com/specialisms/crisis/. Accessed 13/10/17.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK

    Anne M. Cronin

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  1. Anne M. Cronin
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Cronin, A.M. (2018). Commercial Democracy and a New Social Contract: Brands and Corporate Reputation as ‘Commercial Promises’. In: Public Relations Capitalism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72637-3_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72637-3_3

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