Abstract

Terence Hawkes’s New Accents series was enormously influential as part of a movement which brought the educational potential of critical theory and cultural studies into the vernacular. An unlikely offshoot of the new reflexivity around discourse and ideology, one which Hawkes himself might not have anticipated, was the emergence of an innovative and profitable marketing and market research methodology known as cultural insight or applied semiotics for brands. The watchwords of this new instrumental approach to commercial communication were ‘accessibility’ and ‘actionability’. This chapter shows how one of Hawkes’s most fervent disciples in the world of ‘Bardbiz’ took his master’s voice and incomparable sense of rhythm out into the world of advertising, marketing and consumer insight consultancy for the likes of Disney, British Telecom, Procter & Gamble, American Express, Unilever, Guinness – only to return, from the belly of the beast, with enhanced tools for cultural critique and activism.

Full Text

Published Version

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.