Brands: Loved and hated placebos - brand eins online

Kilian likes to introduce his students to so-called brand gurus, including a woman you wouldn't expect from the series: Naomi Klein. The Canadian journalist landed an international bestseller in 2000 with "No Logo!". It was a general attack on large corporations and brands which, according to their thesis, colonize people's world of thoughts and feelings, making them dependent and docile (see also brand eins 05/2001: "The tyranny of brands").

As a result, Klein didn't shrink the brand world - there are more logos than ever - but it did change it significantly, says Kilian. "People were suddenly talking about brands and their reputation, Naomi Klein grabbed the corporations with their image." That today almost all companies are talking about the question of meaning (purpose), presenting themselves as sustainable and socially responsible and some even followed their words with action , which is not least the merit of the publicist and activist.

A survey of 800 brand managers in five countries by the agency platform Sortlist last November revealed that 80 percent of those surveyed “believe in the importance of social movements and the influence they can have on society today”.