Consuming Crisis: Commodifying Care and COVID-19

Consuming Crisis explores how consumer culture capitalized on Coronavirus (COVID-19) by examining how brands claim to care while encouraging people to 'keep calm and consume.' It critically analyzes the power and politics of marketing, outlining the societal significance of fast-fashion adverts, banana bread pandemic 'moments,' university social media strategies, and how digital technology mediates memories and work.

Format: Hardback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 17 November 2022
Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd

Consuming Crisis is a groundbreaking account of how consumer culture capitalized on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In this critical analysis, Francesca Sobande delves into the intricate dynamics between brands and their marketing strategies, examining how they claim to care while simultaneously encouraging people to engage in consumerism. Sobande's comprehensive study explores a diverse range of campaigns, content, and experiences, providing a deep understanding of the power and politics of marketing. Through this critical lens, she uncovers the societal significance of fast-fashion advertisements, the pandemic's impact on banana bread consumption, university social media strategies, and the role of digital technology in mediating memories and work. Sobande challenges the notion that brands can solely be activists and instead offers innovative insights into how they construct care, camaraderie, culture, and the notion of "normal life" during times of crisis.

Francesca Sobande is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Media Studies at Cardiff University, where she conducts research on the intersection of media, culture, and technology. Her work has been published in leading journals and conferences, and she has been invited to speak at prestigious institutions around the world. Francesca's research interests include digital media ethics, consumer culture, and the politics of representation. She is particularly interested in how media shapes our understanding of the world and how we engage with it.

Weight: 240g
Dimension: 176 x 125 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529793970