9 The community approach
with a commentary by Associate Professor of Marketing, Albert M. Muniz Jr, De
Paul University, and Professor of Marketing Thomas C. O’Guinn, Wisconsin
School of Business
Learning objectives
The purpose of this chapter is to:
Understand the assumptions of the community approach- The idea of a ‘triadic’ brand relationship is central to the community
approach - A social brand perspective is introduced to brand management
Understand the main theoretical building blocks and how they are
connected- Community theory
- Subcultures of consumption
- Brand community
Provide insights into the variety of methods used to research brand
communities- Ethnographic methods
- ‘Netnography’
Understand the managerial implications- The marketer as observer
- The marketer as facilitator