Affinity is a new concept: a way of thinking. This book examines cultural consumer anthropology. It is about observing and understanding consumer behaviour and influencing that behaviour. Affinity is all about culture and the way we live, about the objects around us and how we feel about them it is the reconnection between business and the street, between the story-teller and the listener. Story-telling is fundamental to creating affinity and leadership in our society. Brands come and go and try often to re-create themselves. Good brands attach themselves and propagate values that are enduring. They can outlast the many economic cycles that are part of social transformation. How does a product tap into the enduring features of a culture so that people want to hear the story again and again, go back to the product year after year, and are even eager to re-tell that story to others?

MARTIN GOLDFARB is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Canada and a leading expert in the study of human behaviour as it relates to the marketplace and society. He has been a consultant to many major national and international companies including Ford Motor Company, DeBeers, Four Seasons Hotels, Scotiabank, and the Government of Canada.

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HOWARD ASTER taught at McMaster University, Carleton University and McGill University in the Department of Political Science and has served as a consult to numerous government departments and cultural organizations in Canada. He is the author or editor of eleven volumes and has published over 100 articles.

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