Branding is now pervasive in society. Communicating a positive image and building a good reputation to create a strong brand, have become key objectives not only for global private corporations selling products, but also for countries, cities, regions and even neighbourhoods (place branding); public, cultural and religious institutions (corporate branding); and individual celebrities (self-branding). The module examines branding in its multiple instantiations, as a set of socio-cultural communicative practices and processes, which rely on very fundamental socio-cultural dynamics. In the module, we will consider the complex process of brand management from the definition of a brand and branding strategy to the elaboration of brand narratives, taking into account the increasingly digitalised media landscape and the participatory, two-way communication context where organisations and individuals operate. Thorough the module we seek to understand how identity, public opinion, reputation, and branding are negotiated at the intersection between top-down corporate communication and more grassroots or networked forms of expression. The module combines insights from business studies, social psychology, anthropology and cultural studies, introducing students to branding from a critical strategic communication perspective, focusing on power struggles, contradictions and dialogic relations. Besides offering students a good overview of key concepts and tools for strategically managing brand communication, the module includes a critical reflection on key issues and debates relating to the societal and ethical implications of branding practices, especially in relation to the prominence of promotional cultures in today’s democratic societies.