Guerrilla Marketing: Counterinsurgency and Capitalism in Colombia

Guerrilla Marketing explores how the Colombian government used marketing strategies to transform Marxist guerrilla fighters in the FARC into consumer citizens. It combines archival research and fieldwork with insights into the modern surveillance state, peace and conflict studies, and humanitarian interventions, showing how conflict and consumerism intersect in a world where governance is structured by brand ideology.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 10 December 2018
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Guerrilla Marketing is a book that delves into the intricate relationship between marketing and militarism in the twenty-first century. Authored by Alexander L. Fattal, the book offers a comprehensive analysis of the Colombian government's efforts to transform Marxist guerrilla fighters in the FARC into consumer citizens. Through a detailed case study, Fattal explores how the market has become a central ground for counterinsurgency warfare and how postconflict futures are imagined in Colombia.

The book takes a global perspective on information warfare, combining archival research, extensive fieldwork, and interviews with various stakeholders, including the Colombian Ministry of Defense, former rebel communities, political exiles in Sweden, and peace negotiators in Havana. Fattal skillfully weaves insights into the modern surveillance state, peace and conflict studies, and humanitarian interventions with critical engagements with marketing, consumer culture, and late capitalism.

The result is a powerful analysis of the intersection of conflict and consumerism in a world where governance is increasingly shaped by brand ideology and wars are marketed as humanitarian interventions. Guerrilla Marketing is filled with rich and unforgettable ethnographic stories that provide a vivid portrayal of the complexities and challenges of this mediated global conflict.

The book raises important questions about the role of marketing in shaping public perceptions, the ethics of military intervention, and the consequences of consumerism in conflict zones. It challenges readers to think critically about the ways in which these forces interact and shape our world.

In conclusion, Guerrilla Marketing is a thought-provoking and important book that sheds light on the complex relationship between marketing, militarism, and global conflict. It offers a powerful analysis of the ways in which these forces intersect and shape our world, and provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities that arise in this interconnected era.

Weight: 516g
Dimension: 159 x 235 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226590509