A brand is not merely a representation of a product: it is an emotional and symbolic perception we develop that influences our thoughts, feeling, and behaviour. Strategic Brand Management is the only textbook to go beyond the standard branding models to fully explore this perception and consider brands as truly sociocultural phenomena. The book's innovative framework separates a brand's concept into its functional and emotional parts to give students a complete understanding of how brands operate and the strategies they employ to compete for consumer loyalty. Written by international experts in the field, the book draws on contemporary sociology, anthropology, and social theory, but the authors' wide experience of consulting and teaching ensure that these complex and exciting ideas are firmly grounded in managerial implications and applications. Diverse and dynamic examples-from the pull of the latest Samsung phone to the British associations with tea, from Diesel's social brand positioning to Nintendo's use of brand nostalgia-are accompanied by adverts and images from the global campaigns to bring the concepts and theories to life. End-of-chapter case studies provide longer illustrations of the application of branding and challenge students to question company practices and apply the theoretical ideas they have learned through the chapter. The definitions and ideas used in the study of branding are distilled into 'Key Concepts', listed at the start of chapters and revisited within chapters, which summarise the essential points. A clear structure, diagrams of branding models, discussion questions, and a compact format ensure the book is accessible as well as applied. As a result, Strategic Brand Management is the complete and essential textbook for students aiming to develop their academic and professional skills and learn more about this challenging and profitable industry. This textbook is accompanied by the following online resources: For students: Web exercises Web links Video links For lecturers: PowerPoint slides Resource box