When branding turns toxic: a theoretical framework for modern extreme-right brand networks

ABSTRACT

This article proposes a new theoretical framework to conceptualize extreme-right entrepreneurial activities as ‘toxic’ brand networks. It applies political marketing and branding, consumer culture, and customer engagement research to different extreme-right identity myths and narratives that are connected through various commercial goods, services, and subcultural products, such as martial arts, music, and clothing. The article argues that a comprehensive understanding of the threats posed by the modern extreme right is limited by the lack of attention on their political marketing and branding strategies. These strategies combine fundraising with the spread of extremist ideology to facilitate radicalization and recruitment. The conceptual framework presented here explores the various elements and reciprocal mechanisms within such a brand network. Among these, shared emotional and social experiences, as well as ideological authenticity and reciprocity, are identified as the most crucial. The article makes specific suggestions to use this framework to improve counter-messaging and to design other effective countermeasures, such as the targeting of weak links in the brand network in order to facilitate brand damage.

KEYWORDS:

• Political marketing
• extremist branding
• extreme right
• violent extremist radicalization

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Daniel Koehler

Daniel Koehler is the Founding Director of the German Institute on Radicalization and De-Radicalization Studies (GIRDS), as well as Research Fellow at the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at the ‘Center for University Excellence (CUE)’ of the American University in Washington D.C. and Editorial Board Member of the International Centre for Counterterrorism in The Hague (ICCT).