Brand Management: Research, theory and practice

framework as well as a set of methodologies. As an intellectual framework, it
focuses on the concept of culture and its influence on (consumer) behaviour. The
methodological orientation emphasizes a ‘real world’ approach, which means that
researchers participate in the real world of the subjects of investigation.
Ethnography stems from the tradition of cultural anthropology.
The publication of the brand community theory in 2001 set off a wave of
research. This wave of research introduced the ethnographic perspective in brand
management focusing on the consumer as a cultural player in a social setting using
the consumption experience as the source of important personal social experiences.

Summary

This new research ‘cluster’ acknowledges the social nature of brands and the inter-
active involvement of groupsof consumers in the creation of brand value and
brand meaning.
Core to the community approach is the ‘triadic’ brand–consumer relationship
and the social brand perspective. The triadic relationship implies consumers must
interact, not only with the brand, but also with each other. The marketer is outnum-
bered in the brand–consumer exchange, making management of the brand
difficult. At the same time, the existence of a brand community represents great
advantages such as unforeseen levels of consumer loyalty and the possibility to
cultivate deep consumer-driven brand meaning.
The community approach hence represents a social brand perspective and is
associated with the scientific tradition of ethnography.

The community approach 185

Assumptions

Theory

Methods and data

Managerial implications

Figure 9.2Assumptions of the community approach