(Newsletter #21) Past, present, future: brands facing tough questions
On various dimensions, brands are constantly facing questions and being called into question: this month, our professors shed new light on central topics such as the relationship with memory, the ability to evoke emotion, the role of culture and the notion of attachment.
Consumers, new markets, institutional heritage...: across all these dimensions and many others, brands are constantly facing questions and being called into question.
Their relationship with time is essential – Where do we come from? What are today's expectations? Who will we be tomorrow? – and requires significant analysis, choice and adaptation.
In this new issue, our professors present their research and case studies to shed new light on central topics such as the relationship with memory, the ability to evoke emotion, the role of culture and the notion of attachment.
As EDHEC prepares behind the scenes to unveil its brand-new brand platform at the end of November – a key issue in aligning our brand with our strategic ambitions – we hope you enjoy exploring these reflections as much as we did.
Happy reading!
‘When constructing narratives about and around brands, historians must remain impartial “third parties” and not simply be providers of storytelling’
An interview with Ludovic Cailluet (EDHEC)
Brands shape their history to establish their legitimacy and create emotional connections, a process that is never neutral, involving and causing tensions. In this interview, Ludovic Cailluet presents his latest article published in the Journal of Business Ethics on how organisations select, frame and sometimes distort their past to influence their identity. According to him, historians must act as impartial guardians, and not just as storytellers, in order to prevent memory from becoming a marketing tool... Read this interview
In the avalanche of content, brands must consider consumers' cognitive fatigue
By Alena Kostyk (EDHEC)
In a world overwhelmed with content, it is no longer enough to simply be visible, which is difficult enough in itself: brands must overcome cognitive fatigue to generate meaningful engagement from consumers. This is what Alena Kostyk details in this article. Even the most eye-catching campaigns fail when consumers' attention is scattered. From “banner blindness” to the power of symmetry and contrast, the key lies in designing content that the brain processes effortlessly... Read this article
4 questions to P. Daly & S. Ruaud on the internationalisation of the ‘Made in France’
An interview with Peter Daly and Sabine Ruaud (EDHEC)
From pastries to chocolate to luggage, three iconic French brands reveal how cultural heritage can be the driving force behind global success… or backfire if they are reduced to clichés. In this joint interview, Peter Daly and Sabine Ruaud discuss three case studies published in a recent book and highlight the delicate balance between standardisation and local approaches. Clearly, authenticity exports better when accompanied by intelligent adaptation, and the ‘French touch’ is no exception... Read this interview
Companies & recruitment difficulties: what if your raison d'être replaced your employer brand?
By Geneviève Houriet Segard and Manuelle Malot (EDHEC)
Faced with an unprecedented talent shortage, companies are struggling to attract young graduates who now prioritise meaning over traditional careers. The solution? For Geneviève Houriet Segard and Manuelle Malot, it involves replacing the employer's generic brand image with a bold and authentic purpose. A kind of ‘boosted’ employer brand that meets their demand for social impact and personal fulfilment. As 88% of students would join a company for its purpose, the message is clear: the future of recruitment lies in answering the question “why”, not just ‘how’… Read this article
Meet Paolo Antonetti, a Professor putting emotions at the heart of a quest for sustainable marketing
"[...] Borrowing from American columnist David Brooks, he often contrasts the “résumé virtues”—the skills that bring external validation—with the “eulogy virtues”—the qualities people remember when you’re gone. “Brooks argues that in modern institutions we tend to spend too much time on the former and too little on the latter,” he explains. For Paolo Antonetti, who tries to bring that idea into his practice, teaching belongs to that second list—the one that shapes character and defines one’s overall sense of usefulness..." Read this portrait
Header - Illustration by Anne Moreau (2025)
