Community approach

Question 1

What is community approach?

Answer 1

Consumers form communities around brands. In brand communities, a brand is the focal point of social interaction among passionate consumers. These consumers use the community to share their brand experiences and brand stories.

Question 2

How do brand communities affect brand value?

Answer 2

Meaning is found through social engagement.

Question 3

Assumptions

Answer 3

1) Brand-consumer exchange: “Brand triad”, a triangular communication where a brand community only exists when there is interaction between at least two consumers.
2) Sociocultural perspective: Focus on the consumer as a cultural player in a social setting using the consumption experience as the source of important personal social experiences.

Question 4

Theoretical building blocks

Answer 4

1) Supporting theme: Community theory
2) Supporting theme: Subcultures of consumption
3) Core theme: Brand community

Question 5

Conceptualization of community (3 markers)

Answer 5

Geographically bound or dispersed –> Brand community = Shared consciousness of kind + shared rituals and traditions + Sense of moral responsibility

Question 6

Supporting theme: Community theory

Answer 6

A geographically bound entity that can be formal or informal.

Question 7

Core theme: Brand community

Answer 7

A specialized, non-geographically bound community, based on a set of social relationships among users of a brand.

Question 8

Supporting theory: Subcultures of consumption

Answer 8

A distinctive subgroup of society that self-selects on the basis of a shared commitment to a particular product class, brand, or consumption activity. Include:
1) A hierarchical social culture
2) Ethos manifested in shared beliefs and values
3) Unique jargons and rituals
4) Unique modes of symbolic expressions

Question 9

Brandfests

Answer 9

A proactive marketer establishes consumer interaction that can facilitate the involvement of a brand community. If the marketer understands and respects the dynamics of a brand community it is possible to
proactively create a platform that facilitates a brand community to evolve.

Question 10

Community brands

Answer 10

Like brand communities, but no marketer exists. Eg. YouTube, Reddit, Wikipedia, MySpace

Question 11

Brand public

Answer 11

Result from an aggregation of a large number of isolated expressions that have a common focus. They are the online, fluid brand ‘gestalts’ that every marketer has to take into consideration on a daily basis.

Question 12

Types of brand communities

Answer 12

1) Pools: Strong associations with a shared activity or value, but loose member connections (Apple)
2) Webs: Strong one-to-one relationships with others with similar needs (Social media site)
3) Hubs: Strong connections to a central figure and weaker associations to one another (Musician)

Question 13

Types of value creation

Answer 13

1) Social networking
2) Community engagement
3) Brand use
4) Impression management

Question 14

Social networking

Answer 14

When members instruct new members about behaviour expectations within the boundaries of the community.

Question 15

Community engagement

Answer 15

Creating narratives of the brand’s journey, translating milestones into symbolic language, noting seminal events in brand ownership, recognizing the existence of different subgroups within the community.

Question 16

Brand use

Answer 16

Creative modification of the brand, caring for the brand and recommending optimal use, commoditizing.

Question 17

Impression management

Answer 17

Sharing good brand-related news and rationalizing or joking about one’s devotion to the brand and the community.

Question 18

Crowdsourcing

Answer 18

When social interactions trigger new interpretations and discoveries that consumers could not have thought alone.

Question 19

Variations of brand communities

Answer 19

1) Brandfests
2) Brand communities
3) Community brands

Question 20

Methods & data

Answer 20

1) Ethnographic research: Observational research or participant observation like interviews (and depth interviews).
2) Netnography: Ethnographic research to internet-related fieldwork.

Question 21

Managerial implication: Can all brands attract communities?

Answer 21

Not all brands can attract communities. Normally they have a long and interesting history, high-involvement products, brands threatened by competition, expensive brands, or maintenance costs

Question 22

Managerial implication: Pros/cons of triadic communication

Answer 22

Pro: Powerful sense of community provides greater value
Con: Community can actively reject marketing efforts or product change

Therefore, marketer should tread cautiously. Community members prefer to feel autonomous and in charge of the brand.

Question 23

Managerial implication: Brand manager is met by…

Answer 23

1) Social collective
2) Transparency
3) Criticism
4) Parody

Question 24

Managerial implication: Facilitating a community

Answer 24

Adopt a “behind the scenes” approach, but engage members with each other and the brand. Can use:
1) Seeding: Giving product samples to opinion leaders
2) WOM campaigns

Question 25

Managerial implication: Willingess to talk about a certain brand depends on:

Answer 25

1) Social drives: Quality, price, value
2) Emotional drives: Feelings
3) Functional drives: Type of good, knowledge, perceived risk

Question 26

Managerial implication: Finding the right balance between traditional and social media

Answer 26

Traditional is far more effective when it comes to brand building and customer acquision