However, any marketer acting as an observer in a brand community should
tread extremely cautiously. Community consumers do not like intentional
marketing and they do not like anyone looking over their shoulder. Community
members prefer to feel autonomous and in charge of the brand, and would most
likely resent being spied on. Another potential danger is the dilution of brand
mystique, which ultimately can lead to the brand losing its appeal.
The marketer should be aware that a competitor can just as easily ‘snoop’ into
shared brand meaning and hence attempt to steal potential unreleased brand
meaning. Therefore, it is essential to be well informed and up-to-date about what
happens in both formal and informal brand communities.
A brand community is an important information source, as consumers share
user experiences and brand meaning. Any marketer should pay attention to this
valuable source of information in order to obtain true consumer intimacy. But be
aware that the information source is equally accessible to competing marketers.
Facilitating brand communities
The marketer facilitating a brand community should be just as cautious as the
observing marketer. A brand community is a powerful force and, in order for a
community to thrive, the facilitating marketer is advised to adopt a ‘behind the
scenes’ approach.
An internet-based user group, a face-to-face club or a well orchestrated
brandfest can proactively facilitate valuable consumer interaction. Facilitating a
brand community can be a great retention tool, but caution and very discreet
marketer presence is essential. It is important to note that it is, in fact, the social
interaction around the consumption of the brand that spurs brand loyalty and
contributes to the building of brand meaning. A marketer must hence engage
members, not only with the brand, but also with each other. A photo or design
contest is not enough, no matter the number of participants. In order for a
community to exist, the marketer should for example engage the consumers as
interactive judges in the photo contest. There are countless examples of brands
setting up websites or other kinds of interaction platforms, where it is not inter-
action between consumers but interaction between the marketer and many
consumers that is mistakenly labelled a community. The interaction between
consumers is what makes the brand community unique and beneficial for brands.
This interaction between consumers must not be confused with dialogue merely
between the marketer and consumer, even though there might be a dialogue with
many consumers.
Building a brand community the size of a club/community must be
considered, depending on what the aim is with brand community. Research indi-
cates that smaller clubs engender higher levels of member identification.
Enthusiasm and involvement of community members tend to be greater in small
communities outside the active control of a corporation and this involvement
and identification is key for enhancing brand loyalty. The dilemma is, however,
that the marketer seems to have a greater opportunity for influencing members
The community approach 199