Brand Management (audio story)

Brand Management was the fifty-seventh Bernice Summerfield audio story released by Big Finish Productions. It was the first story of the Road Trip series.

Publisher's summary
"You're listening to Live Audio Stream G371, the only official source of government approved easy listening entertainment, as sponsored by the Dominicci Corporation. It's the thirteenth day of the thirteenth month, and that means just one thing, people — it's time to PARTAYYY...!"

Bernice Summerfield needs a job. Professor Harry Burtenshaw thinks she's just the ticket. But with the people of Lyndyaz celebrating their most important festival, and the ruling Dominicci Corporation maintaining control with draconian glee, has Bernice turned up in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Plot
Calling herself Professor Bernice Kane, Benny arrives on Lyndyaz for a job at University One and is fitted with a citizen compliance chip which will record any misdemeanours she should commit whilst there, which it does when she stands for an illegal trader. She meets Professor Harry Burtenshaw, dean of the faculty of Archaeology, and his assistant, Ruth. Ruth explains to Benny that the people of Lyndyaz celebrate a different icon every month and that this month is when they celebrate Benny, whom they know as the Beneficiary.

The building is attacked by the commercial rights enforcers and Burtenshaw transmats Benny and himself to safety, but Ruth is left behind and found by Gabriella and Federico Dominicci. Burtenshaw reveals that Benny's stasis pod was found on Mars by colonialists, who began a minor religion around her which was forgotten until the Dominicci repackaged and exported it. He received a record of her DNA from the pod, which alerted him to her arrival on Lyndyaz, and will help her; she decides to hijack the Beneficiary celebrations and "knock out" a revolutionary speech against the Dominicci.

The Dominicci take Ruth to the Palace of Openness and tell her that Benny is dead. She attends the celebrations with Gabriella and is spotted by Benny, who has infiltrated the event as a Beneficiary tribute act with Burtenshaw. Whilst Benny goes to save Ruth, Burtenshaw takes over the live broadcast and says that the Beneficiary is a lie used by the Dominicci before transmitting media proving it. The crowd turn against the Dominicci and Benny claims that she has been recording the whole conversation, leading Gabriella to let them go and kill Federico.

Benny, Ruth and Burtenshaw leave the stadium by air car and a revolution begins, with Gabriella becoming Chancellor of Lyndyaz and blaming Federico's death on Burtenshaw. Benny offers to take him with her offworld, but he remains behind to make history as part of the rebellion. Ruth, however, insists on joining her to find Peter on Legion.

Cast

 * Bernice Summerfield - Lisa Bowerman
 * Ruth - Ayesha Antoine
 * CRS Officer - Liam Cooper
 * Professor Harry Burtenshaw - Roger Hammond
 * The DJ - Paul Jones
 * Gabriella Dominicci - Anjli Mohindra
 * Federico Dominicci - Robbie Webster

Crew

 * Cover Art - Alex Mallinson
 * Executive Producers - Nicholas Briggs and Jason Haigh-Ellery
 * Music and Sound Design - Steve Foxon
 * Producer & Director - Gary Russell
 * Writer - Christopher Cooper
 * Line Producer - David Richardson

Worldbuilding

 * Benny is given a citizen compliance chip.
 * Burtenshaw mentions a dig at Tarnask.
 * Benny claims that her father was an archaeologist.
 * Ruth uses Leonidas's name as a surname. She bought an identity card from a fish man for whom she worked as a lookout.
 * Ruth mentions Father Christmas and Hannah Montana.
 * The Dominiccis' official history states that they ran a novelty greetings card company in Naples. Benny suspects that it was a cover.
 * Benny mentions ABBA.
 * Burtenshaw found a warning about Legion on an object during his first dig on Mars.

Continuity

 * Benny mentions Ruth placing her in a stasis chamber and getting Braxiatel's message. (AUDIO: Judgement Day)