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New Technologies and Branding
Innovation and Technology Set
Coordinated by
Chantal Ammi

Volume 4

New Technologies
and Branding

Philippe Sachetti
Thibaud Zuppinger
First published 2018 in Great Britain and the United States by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as
permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced,
stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers,
or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licenses issued by the
CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the
undermentioned address:

ISTE Ltd John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

27-37 St George’s Road 111 River Street
London SW19 4EU Hoboken, NJ 07030
UK USA
www.iste.co.uk www.wiley.com

© ISTE Ltd 2018

The rights of Philippe Sachetti and Thibaud Zuppinger to be identified as the authors of this work have
been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017962519

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-78630-197-0
 Contents

Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Chapter 1. What is a Brand? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.1. The brand: a concept built from relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2. The brand is anthropomimetic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3. The brand as merchant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3.1. Exaggeration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3.2. Celebrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.3.3. A matrix for modeling celebrity? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.3.4. Fallibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.3.5. Exaggeration, fame and fallibility: the trio from hell . . . . . . . . . 11
1.4. The Brand exposed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.5. All Brands are controversial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.6. Leader? Tough luck! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.7. The Brand is not set up for conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.8. The Brand is not always agile (and that is an understatement) . . . . . . . 19
1.9. The irrational reactions of the Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Chapter 2. Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2.1. Etymology of conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2.2. What is a conflict? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
2.3. When is there a conflict? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2.4. Conflict is complex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2.5. Experts of a small piece of the whole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
2.6. Conflict can be an asset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2.7. The words of attackers are traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
vi New Technologies and Branding

2.8. The words you use are also traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

2.9. (Here) conflict is not... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.9.1. Conflict is not latent hostility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.9.2. Conflict is not an accident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.9.3. Conflict is not a judicial procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.9.4. Conflict is not a game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.9.5. Conflict is not a crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.10. The characteristics of conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.11. What do you think of when someone says conflict? . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
2.12. When someone says conflict, what should you think about? . . . . . . . 38
2.13. What Sun Tzu has to say . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2.14. What Simmel thinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Chapter 3. The Players in Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

3.1. The five agents of conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
3.2. The “attacked” is the Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
3.3. The attacker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
3.3.1. Deciphering it in 12 points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
3.3.2. Who are they? Are they isolated individuals, connected
individuals or aggregate groups? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
3.3.3. What is their level of cohesion, unity? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3.3.4. What are the official reasons presented? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3.3.5. What is their expected benefit? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3.3.6. What is their strategy: destroying confidence, preventing activity?. . . 47
3.3.7. What are their beliefs, and how deep do they go? . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3.3.8. How intense is their commitment? Are they ready to
“go all the way” with it? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3.3.9. What is their history with the Brand? Among the critics,
are there any who have been employees, customers or competitors
of the Brand? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
3.3.10. What is their level of interconnection or differentiation
with the Brand? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
3.3.11. What are their supports, their backers, their alliances? . . . . . . . . 50
3.3.12. What are their strengths and their means
(financial, intellectual, media, etc.)? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
3.4. The expected benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
3.4.1. Weakening (winning is a failure) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
3.4.2. Obtaining the recognition of harm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
3.4.3. Obtaining reparations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
3.4.4. Revenge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
 Contents vii

3.4.5. Correcting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
3.4.6. Prevention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
3.4.7. Destruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
3.4.8. What the attacker wants to damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
3.5. Allies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
3.6. The audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
3.6.1. Immature humor, more than ever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
3.6.2. Do not touch the nice ones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
3.7. The arbitrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Chapter 4. Hostility, from Yesterday to Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

4.1. The places, times and forms of conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
4.2. The competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
4.3. The public square. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
4.4. The court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
4.5. The borders of conflict: between separation and the contact zone . . . . . 67
4.6. The temporality of conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
4.7. What do the conflicts that engage the brand look like? . . . . . . . . . . . 68
4.8. Guerrilla warfare and terrorism, excellent value for money . . . . . . . . 69
4.8.1. The fly’s strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
4.9. Scandal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
4.10. Alert launchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
4.11. The social dynamics of conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
4.12. Skepticism and modernity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
4.13. Conspiracy theorizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
4.14. The scapegoat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
4.15. The mystery of herd behaviors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
4.16. Rumors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
4.17. The crowd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
4.18. Lynching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
4.19. Trust, the first victim of conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Chapter 5. The Techniques of Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

5.1. Old methods “botoxed” for the digital age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
5.1.1. The trap hoax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
5.1.2. Denigration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
5.1.3. Petitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
5.1.4. Boycott and buycott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
5.2. New digital techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
5.2.1. Astroturfing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
5.2.2. Persona management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
viii New Technologies and Branding

5.2.3. Google bombing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

5.2.4. Trolling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
5.2.5. Denial of service attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
5.3. Databases as a tool for scandal-mongering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Chapter 6. Preparing for Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

6.1. Building a strong brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
6.1.1. Brand ladder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
6.1.2. Identity prism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
6.1.3. The pyramid of qualities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
6.2. The narrative scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
6.3. Stabilizing opinions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
6.4. The art of the reply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
6.4.1. Managing conflict from the start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
6.4.2. Knowing the forces in play: the absolute obligation . . . . . . . . . 129
6.4.3. Organize yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
6.4.4. You have a point of view... Say it, loud and clear . . . . . . . . . . . 131
6.4.5. Train your teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
6.4.6. Take charge on social networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Chapter 7. Acting in Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

7.1. Five possible reactions to attack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
7.1.1. The silent expectation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
7.1.2. Indifference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
7.1.3. Negotiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
7.1.4. Commitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
7.1.5. Capitulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
7.2. Can we refuse to acknowledge that we are wrong? . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
7.3. Apologizing costs less than it pays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
7.4. Apologies and low points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
7.5. The Streisand effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
7.6. Are you going there? Keep zen and in control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
7.7. Keep a conflict journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
7.8. Orchestrate engagement techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
7.8.1. Public debate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
7.8.2. One-upmanship – the fatal embrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
7.8.3. Exhaustion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
7.8.4. Make jokes, not war . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
7.9. Tell a story that is stronger and more appealing than the attacker . . . . 152
7.10. Tweak and revise your actantial model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
 Contents ix

7.11. Imagine the actantial model of the attacker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

7.12. Adopt your assertiveness, even by forcing yourself a little . . . . . . . 155
7.13. Conflict is a theater of improvisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
7.14. Prepare to be spontaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
7.15. Attention to detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
7.16. Seven tips and tricks to improvise without fear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
7.17. The semiotic square: judo instead of boxing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
7.18. Moving conflict onto new terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
7.19. The merchants of doubt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Epilogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Index of Brands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

 Prologue

The door had just slammed shut, the noise still resonating all across the
floor. In the seven years that Véronique had been the general manager of
VheTech, she had never felt such a violent burst of anger. Her serenity, her
unassailable composure and her incredible ability to take a step back from
things won her admiration, and her employees saw this as a major reason for
the company’s success.

Véronique was furious. “From a success to a fraud”, read the title of the long
article dedicated to VheTech in a widely circulated magazine. Two weeks
earlier, she had agreed to speak with a journalist who was very interested in the
sector, especially the recent, incredible innovations happening at VheTech.

But this article showed a perplexing bias. It was an outrageous scandal. The
day after it came out, the content of the article was then picked up by many other
media outlets. How did things get to this point? There is no way that woman
could be a journalist. Journalists do not do things like this. Who, then, was
behind the poisoned pen that wrote this piece? Who ordered this stream of lies?
A competitor? It was a carefully set trap. It could not have been anything else.

That afternoon, an emergency meeting was called with her closest staff.
They urgently needed to react. Her communications director suggested an
immediate response on social networks. There, the controversy was blowing up
at a rapid pace.

The tweets repeating the details of the report multiplied. They were
becoming a real tidal wave. And every time, or almost every time, they set
off a discussion. And ultimately, discussion was not a big enough word.
xii New Technologies and Branding

Rather, it was a loaded process where words like “crook” and “impostor”
were thrown around, along with other insults.
“We can’t let our reputation go up in smoke; we need to
respond.”

“Of course, but how?”

“Our most aggressive detractors are mainly on Twitter; they

even started a hashtag.”

“We’ll create a Twitter account and respond to everything.”

“We know them.”

“We don’t care. That’s not really the problem.”

Two weeks later, the results were in. But they were nothing like what was
expected.

The 30 or so tweets published by the firm were the subject of many

retweets mocking them, and the page was bombarded with derogatory and
even frankly insulting comments. The top ten puns also went around on a
few news sites. Véronique was beset by a profound sense of failure. How
could she get out of this situation?

“I’ll write to all our clients and I’ll do a press conference. It’s a
standard response, but at least we will be stepping up to the
plate with tools that we know by heart.”

The letter was sent. The writing was superb, crisply argued and with a
heartfelt conclusion that called for renewed confidence, the same confidence
that had always allowed for strong and lasting relations between VheTech
and all of its clients and partners.

Now, she just needed to focus on the press conference.

A new and more elaborate argument, preparation for questions and

answers, live training, etc. This press conference had to show impeccable
professionalism, in order to put a definitive end to this conflict that was
beginning to plague the company from within. People spoke very little, got
 Prologue xiii

upset for no reason and fled from the informal conversations that were once
part of the envied atmosphere of the company.

The company’s results began to fall at the same rate as motivation. They
made what had already been a bad situation almost unbearable. A real pain
for her co-workers. Everyone was on edge. They all wondered where and
when they would be hit by the next attack.

After a week of intense preparation, Véronique was ready for her press
conference. The journalists had responded overwhelmingly to the invitation,
all too happy to snap up a few more juicy details of what was beginning to
become an “affair”.

Véronique’s presentation went perfectly. The preparation paid off: her

speech went off without a hitch. The journalists paid scrupulous attention.
Then came the time for her to take questions. Véronique could finally
breathe easy; she had proved she was up to the task and had been able to
make her arguments calmly but firmly.

Then came the questions. The questions were pointed and challenging.
And that was fine. Feeling at ease, Véronique gave the floor to a number of
different speakers. One last question before leaving? The young man asking
did not seem at all deviant. But what he asked was not a question; it was a
trap. No, not a trap, just a question that had not been answered yet. Or rather,
an answer that was not great. What did it mean for him, this story of values
and actions? Response was needed – and right away.

Véronique felt a wave of dizziness come over her. A few seconds passed.
Véronique was looking for an answer that was both a dignified way out, and
also worded simply, with appropriate arguments. These few seconds lasted
an eternity. Véronique was flummoxed, flabbergasted. When she finally
answered, it was with awkwardness. It was not her, that was not what she
meant. That was not what she should have said. In one second, she realized
that all the work that had been done during the press conference had just
been wiped out. The reporters went out quietly. Véronique remained
motionless at the desk, rattled.

She did not have to be a fortune teller to know that her little swerve was
going to make headlines in all the newspapers. As it turned out, the go-
getting general manager of VheTech did not really know anything about
xiv New Technologies and Branding

VheTech. Or rather, she preferred not to speak about this one particular
aspect of VheTech, which she preferred to keep hidden away. She had
effectively gone from a success to a fraud.

The months that followed were particularly painful for the company. Its
image had been deeply scarred, and everything the company said or did was
scrutinized by journalists with unrelenting suspicion. The pressure on
employees was very strong, and there was a widespread sense of shame that
had crept into the teams, as if it were difficult to work for such frauds.

A wave of resignations continued to further slow down the activity. All

the sectors of the company were affected, and there was no indication that
the conflict could have any outcome other than the complete destruction of
everything Véronique had tried to build over the last few years.

None of the clients bothered to respond to Véronique’s beautiful letter.

 Introduction

Are you tasked with the heavy burden of keeping the beautiful and
delicate machinery of a brand in motion? This book could be very useful to
you, because today no brand is immune from an attack of “anti”: anti-
successful brand, anti-your profession, anti-the way you do things, anti-your
beliefs or anti-your way of changing the rules of the game. All of these
detractors existed in the past, but their voices were only heard if they had the
means to gain access to the media (journalists or advertising space sellers).
Today, destroying a brand is almost free; the Internet has become a finely
tuned machine for people to speak ill of their neighbors to the world at large,
and without any cost.

Allow us to provide you with three tips before you begin to dig into this
book:
– build yourself a strong brand right off the bat, and if possible, during a
time of peace;
– learn about conflict, and practice confronting it before it hits;
– do not become paranoid.

Our experience working alongside brands suffering from conflict has

taught us to detect and be wary of representations, even those we have just
used. Indeed, the disease these brands suffer from is representation.
However, it is difficult to do without representations. Conflict is highly
complex. A metaphor is a very convenient shortcut. But like all shortcuts
and approximations, it only portrays part of the reality. However, resolving
xvi New Technologies and Branding

only part of the conflict is not really resolving it at all, and instead allows it
to be amplified in the places where nobody is looking.

Though metaphors and mental representations of conflict can be

misleading, they are necessary. So what can we do? Simply learn how to
spot them so as not to be a victim, and correctly associate them at a later
time.

The essential skill for being able to deal with conflict is the ability to
multiply the points of view on and interpretations of the conflict. This skill is
crucial in order to avoid falling under the spell of experts (whether genuine
or self-proclaimed).

Experts swarm, but all of them (and this goes for all specialists) give only
one aspect of reality, the one that has to do with their expertise. An expert on
digital monitoring will tell you that online reputation is the key indicator. An
expert in bad buzz will emphasize the need to set up real-time alerts. A crisis
expert will suggest you prepare more and more for managing the crisis. A
theatrical improvisation expert will explain how to take the stage and
improvise a solution with your employees.

All of them are right, but only within their own fields.

These specialists complement one another, and optimal management of

the conflict comes through an ability to detect all dimensions and
interconnect them.

Conflict is complex, branching out through time and space. In order to

control conflict, we must know ourselves, know all the stakeholders and
know the nature of the conflicts and the way in which they behave. The first
moment of conflict control primarily involves knowledge. But this is only
the first moment. It must be connected with reflexes.

This book has been designed and written with the objective of providing
you with the necessary key factors to know and analyze situations of conflict
that may involve your brand, and act accordingly.

Throughout the book, we strive to show you the effectiveness of a

broader vision of conflict, because the most formidable weapon for
combating conflict is remaining focused on the crisis and its climax, and it is
essential to act upstream as well as downstream.
 Introduction xvii

These keys can be summed up in a few major skills that structure our
book:
– accept conflict, and seize it as an opportunity;
– master rhetoric and the public’s imagination;
– know the social springs that fuel conflict, the effects of crowds and
persecution;
– know how to react and understand the tools of conflict management.

From improvisational theater to foundational myths, from the Vietnam

War to the trade war, we offer an original – and hopefully useful – analysis
that will definitively change your perception of conflict.
 1

What is a Brand?

1.1. The brand: a concept built from relationships

A brand is a construct, invented by a company or an organization, to

establish a strong and productive relationship with the individuals who will
allow it to grow.

We are aware that this definition given here is hardly the first definition
of a Brand, but it is useful in that it highlights the essential purpose of
Brands, which is to create and maintain a social contract based on a
relationship with individuals.

Another virtue of this definition is that it leads us to a discussion on

whether it is necessary to create Brands as complicated as they currently are.

Not so long ago, we were content with the fact that companies design,
manufacture and sell good products, in the right places, at the right prices
and that organizations (parties, unions, federations, associations) should
correctly structure their ideas and implement the actions for which they were
created.

Today, we demand that Brands behave as a kind of superhuman entity,

equipped with a lavish personality, cultivating a look and a style that
distinguishes them; speaking with a unique voice; setting themselves apart
with coherent, constant and, if possible, admirable behaviors; pursuing a
great mission; nourishing a vision of the world; ambitions and convictions
grounded in clear and superb values; emphasizing their good qualities with
owning up to their faults and maintaining friends and enemies.

New Technologies and Branding, First Edition.

Philippe Sachetti and Thibaud Zuppinger.
© ISTE Ltd 2018. Published by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2 New Technologies and Branding

This change that has taken place over the last 30 years is staggering, to
say the least. Brands have become focal points of society, and their survival
depends on the judgment of the people who consume their products,
regardless of the form this consumption takes.

There are a number of reasons why this staggering form of tyranny is

inflicted on them:
– the level of competition that only continues to grow, and, at the same
time, the power held by the consumer that brands compulsively seek to place
at the center of everything (where was this power before?) are the simplest
reasons, and perhaps the most simplistic;
– the pandemic of defiance and distrust that has spread to all aspects of
social life is another, more complex reason, and a more worrying one as
well. We will make sure to return to this point in our analysis;
– the abandonment of the major authorities is an argument which,
although it is frequently challenged as being conservative and perhaps a bit
reactionary, is nonetheless difficult to question.

The philosopher Chantal Delsol describes this phenomenon well: we, the
active members of this society, have been trying for 50 years, and
particularly during the social upheavals of the late 1960s (such as the
revolution of 1968 in France), to progressively stifle our main authority
figures: parents, teachers, bosses, the army, churches, political parties, trade
unions, etc. In getting rid of them, we have also lost the moral commitments
that come along with them, that have allowed us to make sense of life. But
giving meaning to life requires finding something that we value more than
our own selves as individuals.

One example from politics can help us to understand: at one time,

communism was spreading aggressively. People could be for it or against it,
but they were practically required to at least have an opinion, take sides or
even fight. As the philosophers observed, this fighting spirit disappeared
when communism disappeared.

Individuals, when they are no longer experiencing suppression, find

themselves like boxers without an opponent in the middle of the ring. And a
boxer alone is ridiculous: no longer able to put on a show, he is worthless
and his audience flees in dismay (or “disenchantment”, to use the current
lexicon). His presence in the ring no longer makes sense to him.
 What is a Brand? 3

This experience of suppression has left an opening that consumption is

uniquely suited to fill. But the fact remains that consumption is an activity
that is personal, individual (or nearly) and it is an act of “I”, not “we”. And
thus many of our contemporaries are turning toward consumption to give
meaning to their lives. This is much like considering that “the one thing that
I value more than myself is me”. This is impossible, terrifying, mortifying;
this moral dead end would lead to the conclusion that consumers are
expecting Brands to fill the void left by the major authorities that have now
been toppled.

GAP: we can't even dress the way we want!

On October 4, 2010, the brand Gap presented its new logo, which sparked significant
pushback on its Facebook page. Consumers rejected this change. The most vehement of
them resorted to outright ridicule of Gap’s new idea. Some even saw it as an attempt at
diversion, to conceal the accusations made against their highly objectionable methods for
producing clothes. Seven days later, Gap announced the return of its original logo, thus
avoiding a conflict that could have caused significant damage. This example illustrates the
extent to which consumers are able to build a strong relationship with a Brand, to the point
where they make it part of their “personal life”.

Volkswagen: not too many apparent wounds

The brand is one of the leaders in society. It has its own set of values that the community
of consumers adheres to. On the basis of this, in a scandal such as the events of
Volkswagen’s “Dieselgate”, we see that the conflict that has emerged goes beyond the mere
disappointment felt from being deceived. The Brand had patiently built its image as the
embodiment of reliability, to the point where it could lay claim to being at the very forefront
of this area. When the news broke of the company’s falsification, it did not simply tarnish
the image of the company, but it affected its many claims to reliability, honesty and the trust
that customers could have in its oversight measures. Commercially, Volkswagen is doing
well, but this will remain in the consciousness of consumers – not the falsification itself, but
the company’s ability to deceive. This resentment may give way to resignation, which is
even worse.

1.2. The brand is anthropomimetic

Glorified in this way, Brands find themselves with responsibilities that go

far beyond the organizational functions used to create them.

In describing these phenomena, we constantly attribute human

characteristics to these Brands. The Brand is a contact point for consumers.
4 New Technologies and Branding

Human beings can only enter into a relationship and maintain this
relationship with a living being – a being like themselves. The brand is
anthropomimetic.

Over a brand’s existence, it takes on human characteristics that will be

worked on, chosen and specified in the processes of brand construction, to
the point of establishing strong, admirable personalities that encourage
consumers to discover, recommend, follow and defend them.

This anthropomimetisism does not imply anthropomorphism, which

would instead be the incarnation of the brand in the form of a mascot or a
human being (in some cases, the founder). The link between an individual
and a brand is therefore very similar to an interpersonal relationship. As a
result, this relationship is not balanced. As we have seen, the individual
demands a great deal of Brands, and our purpose here is to study the
conflicting consequences of the actual or perceived shortcomings of brands
with regard to the demands imposed upon them. Why allow individuals to
exercise this tyranny? Why accept it, let alone work to maintain it? Because
the link between the individual and the Brand is a connection that is
essentially commercial in nature. The brand sells, while the individual
chooses to buy or not to buy. The transaction can apply to anything that can
be subject to a commercial exchange: a product, a service, a commitment, a
membership, a boycott, even a vote.

The brand is a merchant, and thus it takes on the characteristics of one.

We discuss here three of these characteristics due to their indispensable
nature for the purpose of optimizing trade and for their major contributions
to the processes of conflict: exaggeration, fame and fallibility.

1.3. The brand as merchant

1.3.1. Exaggeration

Merchants are required to exaggerate. In order to increase product

advantage, they therefore need to do a better job of selling them, for an
increasingly longer period of time. This exaggeration forms part of an
extended gradient that ranges from paying close attention to the presentation
of its commercial offering, to outright lies. The choice of the level of
exaggeration done by merchants is regulated by their own morality, by the
 What is a Brand? 5

awareness of the acceptability of its potential buyer and by the risk that this
exaggeration would backslide into abuse.

Exaggeration reaches its limit when it is rejected by customers, and every

merchant knows how to walk the line between the effectiveness of
exaggeration and the risk of doing so excessively. This balancing act allows
for a delicate regulation of commercial activities.

This phenomenon had already been analyzed as early as the 18th

Century. During that time, the kind of economic liberalism that was
beginning to take hold promoted the idea that the market regulates itself
better than if state-imposed regulations are imposed on it. It was an
innovative idea to consider that a natural equilibrium point would be more
effective than the artificial balance set by laws. In The Wealth of Nations,
Scottish philosopher Adam Smith (1723–1790) wrote:

“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or

the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to
their own interest. We address ourselves not to their humanity
but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own
necessities, but of their advantages”.

Furthermore, exaggeration is a natural part of a process of seduction – a

complex social phenomenon that takes many forms, whose purpose is to
arouse the desire of others and the preference that will allow for commerce
to take place, understood both in the sense of transactions and of
relationships.

The phenomenon of seduction continues to mobilize researchers, some of

whom claim that it is indeed a sexual concept. Men tend to favor action,
initiative and demonstration, and women tend to prefer appearance, attitude
and behavior.

We will not take the risk of judging this overly brief description of
sexualization here, but we must note that Brands often take advantage of
both of these tones. This seductive exaggeration is expressed in the
appearance of the things being sold (the design of the products and their
environment) as well as in the actions of the seller and in its
communications, including advertising, marketing campaigns, civic actions,
etc.
6 New Technologies and Branding

The difficulty of this practice of attraction and seduction is that it never

really achieves total success, and that the temptation of emphasis, for the
purpose of efficiency, can damage it.

1.3.2. Celebrity

Celebrity is a special level of recognition given by an audience for acts

that are out of the ordinary: remarkable achievements, originality,
uniqueness or preponderance of social position and performance.

Celebrity is framed by fame, which is of a lower degree, and glory that is

heaped upon an exceptional success. These different social positions differ in
their consistency and durability. Fame is not very sensitive to variations over
the short term, just as glory that, due to the lingering nature of memory, is
easily embellished. Neither of these two disappears abruptly, but they can
fade.

On the other hand, fame has a fragile, precarious status, difficult to

maintain over time. Fame is a public exhibition. The general public,
considered as a whole, is not particularly generous. Far from it, in fact: it is
quick to be admiring, but equally quick to be jealous or envious; it is
passionate, and thus versatile; it is curious, in both the healthy and unhealthy
uses of the term; it is forgetful, leading it to pounce shamelessly and at the
slightest provocation from one emotion to another, as its whims dictate.

The merchant – and therefore the Brand – can in some cases be showered
in glory. More frequently, brands want to be able to count on a certain fame
that opens the doors of celebrity to them, but that also exposes them. Fame is
also a legitimate quest for the brand that sees it as a condition for its success.
Naturally, it invests and invests to climb higher on this ladder of success.

It is easy, and yet rational, to consider that climbing the ladder remains a
dangerous action and that the fall is all the more severe once greater heights
are reached. Celebrity is easily broken down into notoriety and image, and
understanding the progressions of fame means following the evolution of
both notoriety and image, which have long been studied by communication
professionals in the form of a matrix.
 What is a Brand? 7

1.3.3. A matrix for modeling celebrity?

The image/notoriety matrix is therefore nothing new. It is remarkably

easy to understand, and is thus taught very early in some courses that focus
on companies. Its drama was quickly forgotten in favor of more
sophisticated modeling which was thus more rewarding for users.

This is a pity, because its power of evocation and power to project the
future are eminently useful to anyone who has ever sat at the helm of a
Brand. This matrix involves a vertical spectrum of notoriety ranging from “I
don’t know it at all” to “I know it very well” perpendicularly crossing a
horizontal spectrum of the image that ranges from “I hate it” to “I love it”.

Figure 1.1. Notoriety/image matrix

Thus, this matrix is a great asset for evaluating and modifying the
position of an individual within the minds of its audience, the place of a
brand or a product within the hearts of its consumers or its observers, or an
idea in the minds of people who interact with it.

The four quadrants, managed in this way, lead to situations that contrast
one another, to say the least. The lower left quadrant is certainly the worst.

“I don’t know it, but I still hate it”.

Ever hear of the Swedish cannery Höga Kusten (“High Coast”)? Ever
hear about one of their most famous specialties, surströmming? Even
8 New Technologies and Branding

without knowing anything further, the mere mention of “canning” and

“Swedish” brings to mind a rather positive mental image.

But once you find out that surströmming is a dish made from rotting
herring, inedible even by most Swedes, which releases a stench so vile that
the cans can only be opened outdoors and quickly (because there is a real
risk these cans might explode), swarming with countless colonies of
frightening bacteria, you are a lot more likely to place surströmming and its
unusual manufacturer in the lower left quadrant.

The next quadrant, directly above this one, is hardly more enviable. In
many cases it is even more disastrous.

“I know it, and I hate it”.

The ones that are here cannot go back down, of course, and they will
have a hard time sliding over to the right, because this movement, as
advantageous as it is, would imply the destruction/restructuring of the
existing image in a similar way to a conversion.

Together, these two quadrants are often considered to be “the valley of

despair”. We can understand why. Let us move to a happier area, on the
lower right.

“I don’t know it, but I already like it”. It’s a dream come true!

Brands – and more specifically, product brands – occupy this quadrant,

where products that are still unknown (whose release date has been
announced) thus benefit from an idealized image of the brand under which
they will be created.

Examples could include – with no bias intended, but merely for

illustrative purposes – the next Spielberg movie or the new version of the
iPhone from Apple. This is a paradise for brands, and not yet overcrowded.

Now let us move upward, to the far corner of the top-right quadrant,
where all brands dream of being.
 What is a Brand? 9

“I know it well and I love it”.

This is, without a doubt, an excellent place to be. The peak, the summit,
the promised land – to be reached by sustained efforts aimed at optimum
performance.

As you may already be able to tell from this description, the summit is
not often a place that can be maintained over the long term. Consensus holds
that after reaching the summit, the only thing that can follow is a fall.
Indeed, being able to stay in this little corner is unlikely; just remaining in
the quadrant in itself is no small feat. We mentioned previously that the
notoriety/image matrix is a management tool.

At a given time t, a Brand may be placed more or less objectively on the

matrix, and its movement to a better area at a given point is decided by its
manager(s). The matrix is a tool for visualizing brand kinetics.

Recently, we have become accustomed to establishing as many

Notoriety-Image Matrices (NIMs) for a single brand as the brand has
particular types of audience: customers, non-customers, suppliers,
employees, partners, shareholders, future hires, detractors, etc. The tool,
when put to use to identify actions that will optimize/improve the placement
of the Brand on the diagram, is a veritable gold mine.

During a conflict, objectively situating a Brand on the NIMs of its

various audience members is a difficult task. It requires approximations, but
also makes it possible to design actions that will facilitate turning the tables.

1.3.4. Fallibility

This word is practical, since it touches on both the idea of an innocent

mistake and actively committing an error. Streams of ink have been poured
out on this topic, in writings on the obvious fragility of man and his great
capacity for failure, which keeps him so far away from his gods.

So then, why make this an important feature of the merchant if this

natural peculiarity is inherent to every human being?
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 XV
LA SOURICIÈRE

— Ton maître est-il là ?

Nous étions devant la villa Crawford, l’inspecteur Bailey, Mac
Pherson et moi.
La nuit était obscure et le tonnerre grondait dans le lointain du
côté de Merry-Town. Par instants, de rapides arabesques de feu
glissaient entre les arbres et les chauves-souris surprises
plongeaient dans les taillis.
A la fenêtre du premier étage filtrait la petite lueur pâle qui
signalait la chambre paisible du millionnaire.
Slang, averti par son instinct de cheval de retour, flageolait sur
ses jambes à la vue de ces trois hommes qui le regardaient à travers
la grille.
Bailey lui tendit sa carte.
— Introduis-nous, ordonna-t-il… ordre du chief-inspector de
Melbourne…
Le chauffeur ouvrit la grille et s’effaça respectueusement.
— Slang, fis-je à mon tour, en foudroyant du regard le
malheureux garçon, allez voir si votre maître peut nous recevoir.
— Mais…
 — Allez, vous dis-je.
Il disparut et nous nous concertâmes rapidement pendant son
absence qui fut courte.
— Messieurs, balbutia-t-il quand il fut de retour, excusez-moi…
mon maître est là… mais il dort… et je n’ai pas osé le réveiller.
— Montons, fis-je.
Je pris la tête du cortège et guidai mes aides, une petite lampe
électrique à la main.
Dès que nous eûmes atteint le corridor du premier étage, la
lumière de la veilleuse, projetée à travers la glace, nous éclaira
suffisamment.
Je menai mes inspecteurs jusqu’à « l’observatoire » et là,
étendant le bras :
— Voyez, messieurs, leur dis-je, M. Crawford est dans son lit
ainsi que toutes les nuits, au témoignage de ses gens…
Bailey et Mac Pherson s’approchèrent de la glace et, retenant
leur souffle, contemplèrent un instant le masque impassible du
dormeur.
— Il ne nous a pas entendus venir, murmura Mac Pherson.
Je fis jouer la poignée de la porte et pénétrai dans la chambre.
— Entrez, dis-je à mes compagnons abasourdis de ce sans-
gêne, puis me plantant au milieu de la pièce.
— Monsieur Crawford !… monsieur Crawford !… monsieur
Crawford !… appelai-je par trois fois.
Les policiers se regardèrent.
Alors je m’approchai du lit, écartai violemment les draps et
saisissant par les cheveux l’effigie de cire faite à l’image du
millionnaire :
— L’alibi, prononçai-je.
Un « Oh ! » de surprise, d’admiration, de stupéfaction plutôt,
accueillit ce coup de théâtre effarant.
 Je poursuivis très calme :
— Messieurs, veuillez maintenant vérifier dans le secrétaire la
présence des valeurs, titres et pièces de monnaie qui ont été la
propriété de M. Chancer.
— C’est une violation de domicile… hasarda timidement Bailey.
— Laissez donc… je prends tout à ma charge… D’ailleurs ne
suis-je pas couvert par le chief-inspector de Melbourne ?
Le secrétaire une fois ouvert, les certificats d’actions et
d’obligations furent vérifiés un à un avec la liste des numéros dont
j’avais un double dans ma poche.
Ce fut ensuite au tour des souverains si bizarrement poinçonnés
par le vieil original de Green-Park de passer de main en main.
Les inspecteurs se saisirent de toutes ces pièces sous ma
responsabilité.
Ensuite, nous replaçâmes la figure de cire dans le lit, rétablîmes
un ordre apparent et sortîmes de la chambre.
Slang, qui venait de monter, nous regarda sortir et jeta un coup
d’œil sur le lit de son maître où la figure de M. Crawford ne
manifestait aucune émotion.
Lui, en revanche, paraissait ahuri et roulait des yeux hagards.
Je le pris par le bras.
— Slang, lui dis-je, vous allez conduire ces messieurs au petit
salon du rez-de-chaussée où vous les prierez de s’asseoir… puis,
vous viendrez ensuite me retrouver ici…
Le chauffeur se précipita pour exécuter mes ordres.
Les policiers descendirent : je les entendis remuer les chaises,
s’installer, verrouiller les fenêtres.
Slang reparut.
— Ceci n’est point une comédie, dis-je d’un air sévère… D’où
vient la paire de bottines à boutons récemment ressemelée que
vous portiez avant-hier ?
Le chauffeur me considéra, absolument hébété.
 — Allons, répondez… d’où vous venait cette paire de bottines ?
— C’est mon patron qui me l’a donnée… articula-t-il faiblement.
— Vous ne l’avez pas dérobée ?
— Sur l’honneur, gémit le malheureux.
— Bien… Quand votre maître vous a-t-il fait ce cadeau ?
— Je ne sais plus… je ne me rappelle plus… il y a peu de temps
en tout cas…
— Rassemblez vos souvenirs, Slang… Vous avez reçu ici
dernièrement un domestique sans place que vous avez fait passer
pour un de vos parents ?…
— Je ne connaissais pas cet homme… j’ai voulu lui rendre
service… Je ne croyais pas mal faire…
— C’est bon… Y avait-il longtemps à cette date que vous aviez
reçu la paire de bottines ?
— C’est ce jour même, monsieur Dickson… oui… je me souviens
à présent… M. Crawford m’a donné ces chaussures qui le gênaient,
m’a-t-il dit, depuis qu’il les avait fait ressemeler… oui… il me les a
données le matin, à son lever…
— Parfait… Maintenant, écoutez-moi bien Slang… vous êtes un
voleur !…
— Moi ?… je vous jure…
— Ne jurez pas… vous avez fait de 1922 à 1925 deux ans de
prison à Adélaïde pour indélicatesses commises au préjudice de la
Cyclon Company.
Ma victime s’effondra sur un banc du couloir.
Je poursuivis :
— Vous avez en outre tenté de vendre il y a deux jours aux
guichets de l’Australian Bank Exchange de Melbourne un titre qui ne
vous appartenait pas…
Le chauffeur tomba sur les genoux :
— Grâce, monsieur Dickson !… grâce !… balbutiait-il.
 — Vous l’aviez dérobé, ne niez pas… C’est votre tête que vous
jouez en ce moment, Slang, car cette obligation faisait partie de la
fortune de M. Chancer qui a été assassiné à Green-Park…
— Je ne suis pas un assassin ! s’écria le chauffeur en se
relevant… Je ne suis pas un assassin ! J’ai pris le titre, c’est vrai…
mais dans la chambre de mon patron…
— C’est bien, dis-je… il vous sera tenu compte de votre aveu…
Vous ne serez pas inquiété, j’en fais mon affaire, mais à une
condition : c’est que vous m’obéissiez aveuglément, Slang.
— A vos ordres, monsieur Dickson, murmura le pauvre diable.
— Voici : vous allez veiller à la porte extérieure du cottage, en
vous dissimulant, bien entendu, et vous viendrez nous avertir dès
que vous entendrez venir M. Crawford…
Le chauffeur jeta un regard étonné vers la chambre qu’éclairait
faiblement la veilleuse.
— Votre maître n’est pas là, dis-je.
— ??
— Non, il n’est pas là… Il ne rentrera sans doute qu’au petit
jour… Faites, ce que je vous dis Slang et je réponds de vous… sans
quoi, je vous livre incontinent à la justice.
— Ah ! monsieur Dickson, quelle reconnaissance !
Je fis un geste de congé.
— Allez, Slang !…
Le chauffeur descendit l’escalier quatre à quatre et j’allai
rejoindre Mac Pherson et Bailey dans le petit salon.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A la première heure du jour, ainsi que je l’avais prévu, le

chauffeur vint nous avertir que M. Crawford ouvrait la grille du jardin.
Je ne fis qu’un saut jusqu’à la chambre du misérable en
recommandant à mes compagnons de se tenir à proximité. J’entrai
seul et me dissimulai derrière les rideaux du lit, puis j’attendis.
Je perçus le grincement d’une porte que l’on ouvre, puis les pas
étouffés du maître montant légèrement l’escalier. C’est à peine si
l’on entendait les marches gémir.
Par la grande glace donnant sur le couloir, je vis M. Crawford qui
s’arrêtait un instant pour vérifier le tableau des rondes.
Il était en habit, avec un manteau de soirée sur les épaules.
Alors je sortis doucement de ma cachette.
Il ouvrit la porte, m’aperçut et s’arrêta, médusé. Mais je ne
bronchai pas et, de mon air le plus naturel, désignant du doigt la
figure de cire couchée sur l’oreiller :
— Pardon gentlemen, demandai-je… lequel de vous deux est M.
Gilbert Crawford ?
Le bandit devint aussi pâle que son effigie et je le vis faire un
mouvement dont je devinai le but, mais je le prévins en braquant sur
lui le canon de mon browning.
— A moi ! criai-je en même temps.
Les policiers cachés dans la galerie bondirent aussitôt dans la
chambre.
Slang les suivait, les yeux hors de la tête.
— Arrêtez cet homme, fis-je en désignant M. Crawford… c’est
l’assassin de Green-Park !…
Et je remis tranquillement mon revolver dans ma poche en disant
au pseudo-millionnaire :
— Eh bien ! monsieur, vous qui teniez tant à me voir à l’œuvre,
êtes-vous satisfait maintenant ?

A deux mois de là, mon infortuné voisin de campagne se

balançait au bout d’une corde dans la prison de Wellington-Gaol.
Quant au vieillard à lunettes bleues qui avait tenté, comme on sait,
d’écouler les obligations de la Newcastle Mining, et dont la parfaite
innocence avait été démontrée en ce qui concernait le meurtre de M.
Chancer, il fut simplement condamné à dix ans de « hard labour ».
Ce vieillard était d’ailleurs un jeune homme du nom de Tommy qui
était passé maître dans l’art de se grimer. M. Crawford avait fait sa
connaissance dans une prison de Sydney et se l’était spécialement
attaché pour la négociation des titres volés.
En souvenir de cette affaire qui me valut, comme bien on pense,
les félicitations du Lord chief of justice, j’ai conservé la figure de cire,
l’ingénieux alibi, et je l’ai placée sur la cheminée de mon salon.
Peut-être un jour, si je vais à Londres, en ferai-je don au Musée
Tussaud où elle a sa place tout indiquée à côté des têtes de Burke,
d’Harry Benson, de Charles Peace et de William Palmer…

FIN
 TABLE DES MATIÈRES

I. — Une Partie interrompue 7

II. — Le Mort parle 19
III. — La Trace du fauve 43
IV. — Comment je devins le cousin d’un individu suspect 69
V. — Mauvais départ 99
VI. — L’homme d’affaires de Fitzroy-Street 115
VII. — Chez M. Coxcomb, chief-inspector 131
VIII. — Où je retrouve ma piste 145
IX. — La fiche no 76.948 163
X. — Une complication que je n’avais pas prévue 175
XI. — L’Étoile à six branches 175
XII. — Un Coup d’audace 199
XIII. — L’Alibi 217
XIV. — Où je stupéfie successivement mon geôlier, le
directeur de la prison et le chief-inspector de
Melbourne 233
XV. — La souricière 247
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