The Al Qaeda Narrative as a Brand

Abstract

The previous chapter developed the argument that a narrative is more than a story. The concept of narrative contributes to understanding the processes through which, in a global and porous information environment, some interpretations of the world are purposely promoted by social actors — such as governments, political parties or terrorist organisations — to achieve specific objectives. The continued existence of these interpretations, however, depends on wider members of the audience appropriating them and, collectively, continuously retelling them. This chapter takes further the notion that narratives are socially constructed and that they contribute to shaping the identities of both those who have built them and those who appropriate them. More specifically, it will examine and measure the strength of the Al Qaeda identity by applying an analytical tool from the world of marketing: the concept of branding. The purpose of the analysis is to show that there is scope for translating the communication approach to terrorism that has been developed throughout the book into useful empirical research. Not only can some of it be far more adventurous than counting fatalities on the enemy’s side, but as will be illustrated, it can also contribute to alternative and more effective measurements of progress in counterterrorism.