Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Brand Community shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Brand Community offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Brand Community at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Brand Community? Wrong! If the Brand Community is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Brand Community then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Brand Community? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Brand Community and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Brand Community wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Brand Community then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Brand Community site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Brand Community, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Brand Community, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

A brand community is a community formed on the basis of attachment to a Product (business) or marque. Recent developments in marketing and in research in consumer behavior result in stressing the connection between brand, individual Psychological identity and culture. Among the concepts developed to explain the behavior of consumers, the concept of a brand community focuses on the connections between consumers. A brand community can be defined as an enduring self-selected group of actors sharing a system of values, standards and representations (a culture) and recognizing bonds of membership with each other and with the whole.

The term "brand community" was first presented by Albert Muniz Jr. and Thomas C. O'Guinn in a 1995 paper for the Association for Consumer Research Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN. In a 2001 article titled " Brand Community", published in the Journal of Consumer Research (SSCI), they defined the concept as "a specialized, non-geographically bound community, based on a structured set of social relations among admirers of a brand." This 2001 paper recently has been acknowledged by Thomson Scientific & Healthcare to be one of the most cited papers in the field of economics and business.

Brands which are used as examples of brand communities include Apple Computer (Newton, Macintosh, iPod), Ford Bronco, Holga and Lomo cameras, Jeep, Lego, Miata, Mini Cooper, Palm (PDA), PocketPC, Royal Enfield motocycles, Saab, Saturn Corporation automobiles and Subaru. Brand communities are characterized in shared consciousness, rituals and traditions, and a sense of moral responsibility.

References

• Algesheimer René, Utpal M. Dholakia et Andreas Hermann (2005), The Social Influence of Brand Community: Evidence from European Car Clubs, Journal of Marketing, 69 (July), 19-34.
• Amine Abdelmajid and Lionel Sitz (2004), How Does a Brand Community Emerge? Some implications for marketing research, Marketing: Where Science Meets Practice , Esomar Conference, Warsaw.
• Brown Stephen, Robert V. Kozinets and John F. Jr. Sherry (2003), Teaching Old Brands New Tricks: Retro Branding and the Revival of Brand Meaning, Journal of Marketing, 67 (July), 19-33.
• Kalman David M. (2005), Brand Communities, Marketing, and Media,
• Mullins Ran (2003), Giving New Meaning to Branding, BusinessWeek Online, (January)
• Muniz Albert M. Jr. and Thomas C. O’Guinn (2001), Brand Community, Journal of Consumer Research, 27 (March), 412-32.
• Muniz Albert M. Jr. and Thomas C. O’Guinn (1995), Brand Community and the Sociology of Brands in Kim P. Corfman and John G. Lynch (eds), Advances in Consumer Research, 1996, Volume 23, Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research, pages 265-266.
• Muniz Albert M. Jr. and Hope Jensen Schau (2005), Religiosity in the Abandoned Apple Newton Brand Community, Journal of Consumer Research, 31 (March), 737-47.

External links

• Building Brand Communities - a slide show.
• Brand Communities: For the Love of Brands - A Brand Community White Paper.
• Nurturing a Natural Brand Community - A Harley-Davidson Case Study.
• Building Community Around a Commodity - A Duck Brand Duck Tape Case Study.

A brand community is a community formed on the basis of attachment to a Product (business) or marque. Recent developments in marketing and in research in consumer behavior result in stressing the connection between brand, individual Psychological identity and culture. Among the concepts developed to explain the behavior of consumers, the concept of a brand community focuses on the connections between consumers. A brand community can be defined as an enduring self-selected group of actors sharing a system of values, standards and representations (a culture) and recognizing bonds of membership with each other and with the whole.

The term "brand community" was first presented by Albert Muniz Jr. and Thomas C. O'Guinn in a 1995 paper for the Association for Consumer Research Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN. In a 2001 article titled " Brand Community", published in the Journal of Consumer Research (SSCI), they defined the concept as "a specialized, non-geographically bound community, based on a structured set of social relations among admirers of a brand." This 2001 paper recently has been acknowledged by Thomson Scientific & Healthcare to be one of the most cited papers in the field of economics and business.

Brands which are used as examples of brand communities include Apple Computer (Newton, Macintosh, iPod), Ford Bronco, Holga and Lomo cameras, Jeep, Lego, Miata, Mini Cooper, Palm (PDA), PocketPC, Royal Enfield motocycles, Saab, Saturn Corporation automobiles and Subaru. Brand communities are characterized in shared consciousness, rituals and traditions, and a sense of moral responsibility.

References

• Algesheimer René, Utpal M. Dholakia et Andreas Hermann (2005), The Social Influence of Brand Community: Evidence from European Car Clubs, Journal of Marketing, 69 (July), 19-34.
• Amine Abdelmajid and Lionel Sitz (2004), How Does a Brand Community Emerge? Some implications for marketing research, Marketing: Where Science Meets Practice , Esomar Conference, Warsaw.
• Brown Stephen, Robert V. Kozinets and John F. Jr. Sherry (2003), Teaching Old Brands New Tricks: Retro Branding and the Revival of Brand Meaning, Journal of Marketing, 67 (July), 19-33.
• Kalman David M. (2005), Brand Communities, Marketing, and Media,
• Mullins Ran (2003), Giving New Meaning to Branding, BusinessWeek Online, (January)
• Muniz Albert M. Jr. and Thomas C. O’Guinn (2001), Brand Community, Journal of Consumer Research, 27 (March), 412-32.
• Muniz Albert M. Jr. and Thomas C. O’Guinn (1995), Brand Community and the Sociology of Brands in Kim P. Corfman and John G. Lynch (eds), Advances in Consumer Research, 1996, Volume 23, Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research, pages 265-266.
• Muniz Albert M. Jr. and Hope Jensen Schau (2005), Religiosity in the Abandoned Apple Newton Brand Community, Journal of Consumer Research, 31 (March), 737-47.

External links

• Building Brand Communities - a slide show.
• Brand Communities: For the Love of Brands - A Brand Community White Paper.
• Nurturing a Natural Brand Community - A Harley-Davidson Case Study.
• Building Community Around a Commodity - A Duck Brand Duck Tape Case Study.