How does a virtual brand community emerge? Some implications for marketing research

This article focuses on the analysis of the emergence process of online brand communities. It proposes a definition of the concept of brand community that solves some of the problems encountered with main earlier definitions.

How does a Virtual Brand Community Emerge?

Some Implications for Marketing Research

Abdelmajid AmineIAE Rouen, CREGO, University of Rouen, France.

Lionel SitzUniversity of Paris 12 – ESA, France.

INTRODUCTION

Nowadays, marketing literature largely admits that the complexity of consumption behaviors cannot be completely captured through the multi-attributes individual approach (Holt, 1997) because behaviors are embedded within a social organization (Costa, 1995) as well as within a cultural environment (McCracken, 1988).

Marketing researchers have long emphasized the influence of the cultural system on consumption (Henry, 1976; McCracken, 1988; Ward, 1974). More recently, cultural approaches stressed the systemic nature of...

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