The document discusses brand communities and how to build one. It defines brand communities as having shared values, traditions, and members who feel responsible towards the brand. While social media can be used, it is a tool and not a community itself. To build a brand community, a company must make it a business strategy, not just marketing. The community must serve its people to create strong connections between members. A company should participate in the community but let it run its own course rather than trying to control it.

1. The foundations of a BRANDCOMMUNITY

2. The one difference between the brands that are listed on the first slide and brands like Wal-Mart is that the brands that are listed on the first slide all have their own brand community

3. Brand communities usually include very loyal customers and fans of the brand’s products, such as these Harley-Davidson devotees

4. Wal-Mart doesn’t really have a brand community. Which would explain why people rare walk around with this tattoo.

5. Brand Community is a community formed on the basis of attachment to a product or marque… DEFINATION

6. Brand communities have three main characteristics

7. 1. Brand Communitiesshare values and consciousness.- Starbucks customers value interacting in relaxed social settings.- Starbucks customers are also largely concerned about environmental protection.

8. 2. Brand Communitiespreserve rituals and traditions- Mini owners wave and flash their headlights at each other when they drive pass each other.

9. 3. Brand Communitiesfeel morally responsible towards the brand.- Briggs and Riley owners will never allow anyone to say that Samsonite make a better suitcase.

10. Business managers often have the misconception that starting a social network group is the same as starting a brand community

11. IMPORTANT!FACEBOOK IS NOT A COMMUNITYIT IS A TOOL

12. Social networking sites like Facebook are like virtual versions of a community center. Community centers are just regular buildings unless community service programs are offered on the premise. Facebook works the same way.

13. So how do we build a brand community?

14. There are three rules that need to be followed.

15. 1. Make it a BUSINESS strategy and NOT a marketing strategy For a brand community to work, you must build your company around the brand community. Every decision that is made in the business must take into consideration the need of the brand community. Harley-Davidson made sure that their social events are ran by their employees and that their senior exacs were able to interact directly with the customers. This had insured that every employee knew what their customers were concerned about, which transferred into the everyday decisions that were made.

16. JEEP’s brand community of off-roader include not only JEEP owners, but also many non-owners. This was because JEEP was able to establish a connection between the members and their love of off-road driving and the borderless lifestyle. This connection to a activity also acted as a catalyst which created a strong bond between the community members themselves. Consumer’s attachment to product is weak and the bond to the brand is often broken as needs and wants change. To maintain a stable community, businesses must build a strong bond between the community members themselves. 2. Community must serve the PEOPLEto create strong connections

17. 3. PARTICIPATE in the community, but let it run its OWN course Let your brand community grow at its own pleasure. Do not try to rein in and try to shape it into something that you think fits. Be a participant in the community, not the leader. And through this, you can gather many ideas that are generated by the community, which may direct you to the direction of your brand development

18. Insert brand here