What do you think about Brand Communities?

An insight of consumers' perception towards brand communities and the idea of mutual benefits

Bachelor Thesis , 2007 , 55 Pages , Grade: 1,1

Communications - Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Social Media

“The brand community is a concept that sheds a new light on the relationships
between consumers and a specific brand: they are no longer considered as
dyadic relationships between a brand and an isolated consumer (Fournier,
1998) but rather as relationships overlapping associations and interactions
among consumers within a specific group.” (Gruen et al, 2000)
Brand communities gained in importance in recent years for companies with a
high situated brand and as it is still an issue to define the special relationship and the concept itself, this dissertation will help to understand the meaning of a brand community and discuss the perceptions of consumers towards brand communities in context with mutual benefits. An understanding of the special relationship between company and community members is being outlined. The brand community presents a special interest both for marketing
researchers and brand managers because it gives new theoretical perspectives
on key concepts and considerable implications for marketing strategies.
(Abdelmajid & Sitz, 2004) Brand communities became a crucial factor regarding
to the marketing planning process and in terms of value of a brand. They have
become one of the most encouraging developments in relationship marketing in
recent years. (von Loewenfeld, 2004) Therefore it is important to outline and
examine the brand community concept and put it in context with the theory of
relationship marketing, brand management, buyer behaviour and customer
loyalty programmes. These four elements are the factors which play the crucial
role on which basis the brand community concept is being established. To make
this work the perceptions of the existing as well as the potential customers
needs to be explored. The author has investigated the perceptions, concerns
and opinions of 200 consumers between 18 and 30 throughout different social
groups and geographical locations. This gives an overview about the
awareness and actual use of brand communities among the target audiences.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Literature Review
  • Relationship Marketing
    • The 30 relationships
    • Many-to-many marketing
    • Importance of relationship marketing
  • The Brand
    • Branding
      • Relationship Marketing and Branding
      • Branding in context with Mallow's Model of Hierarchy of Needs
    • Brand loyalty
    • Brand value
  • Consumer buyer behaviour
  • The Brand Community
    • Company and Community - A specified Relationship
    • How the brand community concept works
    • The Marketing Aspect
  • Research Question
• Methodology
• Findings
  • Primary research - Quantitative
    • Survey results
      • Members and non-members
      • Members
      • Non-members
  • Primary research - Qualitative
    • An insight on consumers' perception

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This work aims to investigate consumer perceptions of brand communities and the concept of mutual benefits based on two-way communication between community members and the company. It explores consumer tendencies towards brands in general and their opinions about the brand community concept. Key themes in the work include: * Relationship marketing and its application to branding and brand communities. * The concept of brand communities and their perceived value for both consumers and companies. * Consumers' perceptions of brand communities and their perceived benefits. * The role of two-way communication and mutual benefits in brand community development and success. * The potential implications of brand communities for marketing strategy and consumer engagement.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introductory chapter sets the context for the dissertation, outlining the research question and the importance of understanding consumer perceptions of brand communities. The literature review then provides a comprehensive overview of key concepts related to the topic, including relationship marketing, branding, consumer buyer behavior, and the brand community concept itself. The methodology chapter details the research methods employed, including a survey of students and pedestrians, a discussion group with brand community members and non-members, and a personal interview with a marketing executive. The findings chapter presents the results of the quantitative and qualitative research, exploring consumer perceptions of brand communities, their perceived benefits, and their willingness to participate in these communities.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This dissertation examines the core concepts of brand communities, relationship marketing, and consumer perceptions. It explores the role of mutual benefits, two-way communication, and the marketing aspect of brand communities in fostering consumer engagement and loyalty. The research focuses on understanding the perceived value of brand communities for both consumers and companies and how this value can be maximized. Key terms include: brand communities, relationship marketing, consumer perception, mutual benefits, two-way communication, marketing, and consumer engagement.

• Course: Bachelor of Advertising and Marketing
• Grade: 1,1
• Author: Bastian Storch (Author)
• Publication Year: 2007
• Pages: 55
• Catalog Number: V115895
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640176618
• ISBN (Book): 9783640176717
• Language: English
• Tags: What, Brand, Communities, Bachelor, Advertising, Marketing