Page 148 - HBR's 10 Must Reads on Strategic Marketing
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FOURNIER AND LEE



            Brand communities thrive on   To cultivate an enduring commu-
            conflict and contrast—not love.   nity, ensure that members can
                                         adopt new roles or switch roles as
            Communities are inherently politi-   their lives change.
            cal: “In-groups” need “out-groups”
            against which to define them-   Example: Saddleback Church in
            selves. To strengthen group unity,   Orange County, California, con-
            create a sense of contrast, con-   stantly  monitors  members’
            flict, and boundaries.          needs  and  creates  new  sub-
                                           groups (such as personal finan-
              Example: Dove’s Campaign for
              Real Beauty brought “real    cial  planning)  to  keep  people
              women” (less-than-pretty,    engaged.
              older, large, skinny) together   Online social networks are only
              worldwide to fight industry-   a tool—not your community
              imposed beauty ideals. The   strategy.
              women formed in camaraderie
              around this mission.       Many online interactions are shal-
                                         low and transient, diluting the
            Communities are strongest when   community overall. So use online
            all members—not just opinion   tools selectively to support your
            leaders—have roles.          brand community’s needs.

            In strong communities, everyone   Example: L’Oréal uses online
            plays a value-adding role. Roles   tools (such as blogs) only
            include the Mentor (shares expert-   with certain brands, such as
            ise with other members), Greeter   mainstream Garnier, whose
            (welcomes new members), and    brand-community members
            Storyteller (disseminates the com-   value social interaction and
            munity’s history throughout the   view themselves as fighting for
            group).                        a better world.



            community-based  brand  builds  loyalty  not  by  driving  sales
            transactions but by helping people meet their needs. Contrary to
            marketers’ assumptions, however, the needs that brand communi-
            ties can satisfy are not just about gaining status or trying on a new
            identity through brand affiliation. People participate in communi-
            ties  for  a  wide  variety  of  reasons—to  find  emotional  support
            and encouragement, to explore ways to contribute to the greater
            good, and to cultivate interests and skills, to name  a few. For


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