The Brian Lehrer Show

No Logo v. Pro Logo

Thursday, September 26, 2002

Does economic liberalization promise great wealth or greater misery for the world's poor? Does the advent of megabrands like Starbucks and the Gap give consumers more or less choice? Where do citizens stand in the shifting balance between government and business? Naomi Klein, brand-skeptic, and Sameena Ahmad, label-lover, disagree on nearly all the questions. Later on, they're joined by a global investment manager and an African pro-democracy, pro-environment activist.

A Healthy Dose of Branding

We rebroadcast an extended excerpt from the Pro Logo vs No Logo forum. Naomi Klein, syndicated columnist for the Guardian and Globe and Mail and author of No Logo: Taking Aim At The Brand Bullies (Picador, 1999) and Sameena Ahmad, business correspondent for The Economist and author of the "Pro Logo: Why Brands Are Good for You" article in the Economist, lay out their arguments concerning branding and the role of multinational corporations. They are joined by Nigerian activist Owens Wiwa, executive director of the African Environmental and Human Development Agency who relates his personal experience in the frontlines of globalization: the struggle of the Ogoni people against the Shell corporation. Peter Marber, president and chief strategist for the Trust Company of the Atlantic, an investment firm and author of From Third World to World Class: The Future of Emerging Markets in the Global Economy describes the global democratization of consumption. (see more info)