Answered By: Peter Z McKay
Last Updated: Oct 29, 2014     Views: 75

Here is an example of an academic research article on brand communities and social networks:

  • "Social versus Psychological Brand Community: The Role of Psychological Sense of Brand Community." By Brad D. Carlson, Tracy A. Suter and Tom J. Brown. Journal of Business Research 61 (4), April 2008. pp 284-291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2007.06.022

    In the quest for building long-term successful brands, many marketers have become increasingly interested in how to create and foster successful communities of brand users. The appeal of such an approach to relationship marketing lies in the recognition that members of brand communities tend to exhibit favorable brand-related behaviors and intentions. Research examining the social influence and creation of such social relationships among admirers of a brand has revealed substantial insights about the social processes that underlie customers' involvement in brand communities. Curiously, the psychological underpinnings of a customer's perception of community with other users of the brand remain unexplored. We offer the perspective that the observable, core components of brand community outlined in previous research may represent markers of social brand communities, while psychological brand communities may be characterized by an unobservable, psychological sense of community that could precede, or even work in lieu of, social interaction.

    Keywords: Brand community; Social identity; Relationship marketing; Brand commitment

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