Branding in the conceptions of the consumer and prosumer societies

Relevance of the study. Modern people live in a society where consumption of the brands products is one of the main values and a prevailing social process. The brands became a part of the modern culture and along with the popular culture they produce ant translate the values, lifestyles and the consumer standards. The research of the place, which is taken by the brands in the consumer and prosumer societies we can figure out how far our society has gone from the consumption strategy, which was used in the consumer society. Moreover, the analysis of the growing influence of the brands on the masses can help us predict the further development of the society. Purpose. To define and compare the main practices of the brands in the consumer and prosumer societies. Tasks. To identify the main brand marks in the consumer and prosumer societies and compare of the main markers. To analyze the way the brand practices are changed in under the influence of the prosumerism and prosumers. Methodology. The research was carried out within the theories of the consumer and prosumer societies with the use of the typological and comparative methods. Research result. Having analyzed the main characteristics of the brands in the consumer and prosumer societies the following conclusions may be drawn: 1. The branding in the prosumer society retains all the main characteristics it has in the consumer society. Such characteristics as: construction of the identity, important role of the advertising and emotions, symbolization of the goods and products, overconsumption and individual consumption keep existing in the prosumer society but they are transformed. 2. The brands feel the request for individuality and self-expression so they adapt to the prosumer practices thus keeping the leading role in the system of the production and consumption. Digital technologies actively invading into the marketing contributes to the growth of the prosumer practices into the brands marketing campaigns. 3. Can not be said that the brands only rely on the prosumer strategies nowadays as the demand for the traditional consumer strategy still exists. The brands adapt to their audience alternating prosumer and consumer practices. Conclusions. The prosumer brand practices exist in the broader context of the consumer ones. The influence of the IT and the young generation encourage brands to use or pretend to be using the prosumerism. Being inseparable from the consumerism, the brands can not exist outside the system. Perhaps, the brands will play role of the curator in the future and even bigger visibility of the consumers' independent actions will be created. Currently consumers make purchases in the on-line shops and can provide services to each other on the brands on-line platforms but in the future the things may become even more complicated and the brands role may become less visible.

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