Commercial Democracy and a New Social Contract: Brands and Corporate Reputation as ‘Commercial Promises’

Abstract

Cronin argues that we are witnessing the emergence of a commercial democracy in which public relations and promotional culture play a far more central mediating role. Drawing on empirical material about PR produced by corporations, Cronin argues that as the conventional social contract between government and people erodes in forms of democratic deficit, new forms of contracts (or promises) are being established between the commercial world of corporations and brands and the public. In mediating between a corporation and the public, PR promises a mirror form of democracy with significant consequences. Cronin offers a novel account of the significance of brands and of corporations reputation in the context of major shifts towards commercial democracy.