Hey Guys !
I wanna mention a common misconception about brand communities.
"An effective brand community exists to serve its members, who participate in order to fulfill many kinds of needs, such as building relationships, cultivating new interests, and contributing to society. Strong communities work to understand people’s needs and to engage participants by offering a variety of roles. It is a misconception that a brand community exists to serve the business. " Harvard Business Review
Previously ebay was dealing with the management of its brand community more effectively. After its policy change which states that the sellers can no longer leave neutral or negative feedback for buyers, just positive or nothing at all, they harmed their image in the eyes of their customers. If the aim of a brand community is to build relationships and contribute to society etc. such policy limitations prevent people to do so...
If you realize that the customers come first, you should focus on their needs and wants + freedom.
I read the post about misconception but I could not understand one point. You said that brand communities help members to build relationships and share interests. I think this interaction helps to increase customer loyalty and they are used as marketing tools. If the companies can increase their brand awareness among customers by creating brand communities, this means that the product/service gains value. As a result the company sells more and increases its profits. If so how we can say that brand communities do not serve businesses??
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