Branding grassroots community -A research note on the collective identity -- Branding grassroots community -A research note on the collective identity (original) (raw)
Related papers
2020
Corporate communications and management have had for a long time the conviction that they could project a specific brand identity by communicating a strong vision. Today this view is being challenged, especially with the rise of social media, which has brought more visibility to customer communities and has enabled better tools for customers to communicate with each other instantly, anywhere in the world. People interacting with each other in their communities give an identity to the brands, a collective identity that can be different from the one that corporate communications try to project. It is, therefore, necessary for the brands to understand how customers collectively impact brand identity. The concepts of top-down brand identity models do not work very well in today's interconnected world. With that in mind, this thesis looks at a bottom-up approach to the brand identity model. It aims to bring further attention to the impact that brand communities have on brand identity. Through a model for collective brand identity, the objective is to make it easier for brands to see their brand identity from a customers' perspective and enable them to envision their future collective identities. This thesis is conducted as qualitative research including a model, case studies and interviews looking into the brand identity as a collective construction. It initially looks into existing research on collective identity in general as well as in brands. Then, it discusses existing models for brand identity and social movements. Based on the insight from the literature, this study attempts to formulate a model for collective brand identity. It uses the case studies as illustrations and proof of concept for the model. Lastly, four in-depth interviews are conducted to explore further how the model can be applied in real-life in order to study and categorise brands based on their collective identity. This research identifies four main types of collective identity in brands based on the community characteristics and personal sense of belonging, which is, how individual identities relate to that of the brand. These brand types are Influencer, Collaborative, Collective and Outlier. In general, the more collective the brand communities are, the more substantial impact they have on the band's identity and the higher the sense of belonging to their communities, the more loyal customers they are.
The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 2011
Brand community research has gained prominence over the past decade due to the increasing complexities of modern business and the goal of remaining profitable. As a result, "more and more companies are attempting to build deep, meaningful, long-term relationships with their customers" (Bhattacharya and Sen 2003, p. 76). In an effort to foster such relationships, researchers have proposed a communal approach to consumption (Cova and Pace 2006). A classic example of this community-based consumption is the subculture formed by Harley-Davidson devotees . were drawn to the thought that a single product (i.e., the Harley-Davidson motorcycle) defined a distinctive, homogeneous, and enduring subculture. The behavior of consumers driven by similar passions to form a group has come to the forefront as an object of study with relevance for marketing researchers (Cova and Pace 2006). The study of brand communities has revealed (in the aggregate) that these specialized subcultures enable an organization to better communicate, establish, and foster rich consumer relationships. Moreover, such relationships have been found to significantly and positively affect consumer behavior (e.g., .
Community As Brand: An Exploratory Investigation
Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER), 2012
This research investigates how community affects consumer marketing and brand equity management. Community is a ubiquitous concept with many definitions in social sciences, ranging from urban neighborhoods and small towns to brand communities. Firms utilize the power of brands to support premium prices, sustain product value in difficult circumstances, and persuade consumers to purchase a brand repeatedly and loyally. Brand scholarship has also ranged widely, from tangible product or service characteristics to the intangible influence of its symbols and meanings on consumers. This study describes how the complicated sets of meanings embedded in the terms community and brand lead to a phenomenon called naturally occurring brands (NOBs). The paper combines the anthropology, sociology and marketing perspectives to describe the NOB phenomenon and explores its validity using survey research.
Grassroots Organizations: Recurrent Themes and Research Approaches
Journal of Social Issues, 1996
Margaret Mead's words remind us that a collective of people, unified for a common cause, can improve the conditions of the communities in which they live. The research in the current issue emphasizes the positive effects that grassroots organizing can have on community life, while also acknowledging the potential for heightening intergroup bias and balkanization. In an era of "group identity politics," this dilemma is particularly acute and makes the research presented in this volume all the more timely.
The Dynamics of Collective Identity: Legitimacy, Identification and Commitment in Collectives
Academy of Management Annual Conference, 2019
In this study we examine the phenomenon of identity in an organizational collective-i.e. an association of organizations. We see an organizational collective as a social actor, just like an individual or organization, and as such has the same kind of identity properties and implications. More specifically, we examine these issues in the context of wine trails-an organizational form that is a voluntary association of member organizations (wineries) that come together to pursue collective action-particularly joint marketing types of activities. The voluntary nature of these collectives, combined with the inherent competition among members of the collective, accentuates the role of identity as the cognitive and social "glue" that holds the collective together and facilitates effective action. We examine the effects of identity-related concepts, such as legitimacy and identification, on members' commitment to the collective.
We believe Design processes can help traditional communities to promote sustainable development. Working in branding with communities based group is a challenge to the designer who whishes to contribute to communities' poverty issues and self esteem and demands a participatory methodology. Communities branding solutions should come from their universe instead of emerging from the designers' ideas, which is usual. The Associação Ver as Ervas is a recently created association, located at the Vero-Peso market in the city of Belém, Pará. Working together with the herbalists association we proposed a participatory Design methodology to create a design environment where content and symbolism came from the community. The solutions proposed must value the traditional knowledge of the herbalists, while increasing their income in a sustainable way.
“Fine Feathers Make Fine Birds” – Community Brands and Branded Communities
ACR North American Advances, 2011
This article introduces the concept of branded communities. A qualitative study of Apache, an Open Source software community, revealed that creative communities not only create brands but have become brands themselves. We conclude that we should incorporate branded communities and their members in an extended theory of brands and branding. ACKnoWlEdGEmEnTS We would like to thank Sally Khudairi and the Apache community for their support, for their willingness to serve as interview partners, and the kind reception at the ApacheCon 2009. InTRoduCTIon Consumers create brands. With the diffusion of network technologies, consumer innovation and creation is taking on new forms that are radically transforming the nature of consumption and production, branding and meaning creation. This paper elaborates on the notion of many well-recognized scholars that the predominant branding concept needs to catch up with reality and that our current understanding of brands is ripe for review (Holt 2002;...
Journal of Resilient Economies (ISSN: 2653-1917)
In the context of a global pandemic, social inequalities such as health disparities, systemic racism and economic shutdowns are amongst the challenges of a harsh reality. Given these myriad societal issues, consumers are becoming increasingly distrustful of governments and public service support systems. Consequently, there is a call for the corporate world to take a stand on significant societal issues. Yet, brand activism can be precarious ground. In seeking to address the question of brand activism, this paper presents three cases that demonstrate the range from progressive to regressive brand activism. The Patagonia case shows progressive brand activism with a foundational brand purpose of environmentalism. The National Rifle Association (NRA) case also shows a strong brand purpose of gun rights but demonstrates regressive brand activism. The National Football League (NFL) case demonstrates both progressive and regressive brand activism with a weakened brand purpose of a nationa...