How brand communities operate: An attempt to build an integrated framework

A brand community is a specialized, non-geographically bound community, based on a structured set of social relations among admirers of a brand. By employing mainly social behavior theories (e.g., Social Identity Theory), existing studies have tried to identify how a brand community forms, develops, and functions. Findings indicate that community participation can result in brand identity and, consequently, can maintain and improve brand loyalty; therefore, it can be regarded as an effective customer loyalty maintenance device. We will attempt to build an integrated framework, based on existing research and relevant theories, to describe and depict how a brand community works. We also argue that more relevant variables such as self-esteem, self-awareness, and social identity threat, should be incorporated into research on brand communities. Finally, cultural differences must be taken into account in indigenous research.