On Taste-Making
In my last post I used Berry Gordy’s Motown to illustrate the concept of a flywheel. A brand management model that operates as an ecosystem. Applied to cultural brand strategy. Read that here.
Taste is a social activity that drives cultural capital. Notes on taste communities and brand strategy.
Bourdieu argues within hierarchal societies, there is an economy of goods that follow distinctive cultural logic. Taste in art, music, aesthetic and other cultural elements are deeply influenced by social position.
“Consumption is a stage in a process of communication, that is an act of deciphering, decoding, which pre-supposed practical or explicit mastering of a cipher or code” (full essay here).
The social function of taste has evolved with the democratization of cultural goods through globalization and tech innovations. For example, bloggers (blog post here).
Taste then, is a form of cultural capital providing a sense of social distinction. Particularly in the sense of cultural belonging. The new rituals of taste creation emerge as a mechanism for community building.
I read a paper that argued taste is a contributing factor to social identity today. In this sense it’s separate from traditional socioeconomic limitations (Liu 2007). The idea that the things people like or dislike, the cultural practices they engage in and their consumption patterns can be used to signal social belonging, values and cultural capital.
Considering taste as a means of social distinction, but also an activity. Around which culture and community develop (LinkedIn).
Brands play the role of status signals. “The things I consume are expressions of how I live and what I believe” (Andjelic 2021). Brands as conduits to desired lifestyle through immersive experiences and products (LinkedIn). Taste-making as an act of curation.
