Introduction
Today's world seems to be driven by consumerism. However, as consumer brands shift from the present intent of offering an experience to offering an identity, consumers find themselves connected with others as fellow members of a branded community. Do some drivers choose to pay a premium for a BMW automobile purely for its unique performance capabilities, or perhaps for the message it conveys to themselves and the others around them? Likely the later, although possibly supported by the former through cognitive dissonance.
The implications of evaluating brands as communities, rather than static corporate impressions, are significant and represent a paradigm shift for both consumers and companies. All too often, brands are seen as a monolithic construct from the company to the consumer, rather than an open conversation between both the company and the consumer, and more importantly – from consumer to consumer. In fact, in some cases it could potentially......
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Approximate Word Count: 1678
Approximate Pages: 7 (260 words per double-spaced page) |