by: John Winsor
After writing a lot about community in both Spark and here on theblog, I've been wondering what's the latest state of brands and how the interact with communities by asking a couple of questions on Twitter.
1. "What brands have created the best communities around them?" Within a few hours I got about 50 answers. Here's the top 10:
1. Harley Davidson 2. Obama 3. Lego 4. Nike 5. Threadless 6. P&G 7. Dell 8. Starbucks 9. Whole Foods 10. Trader Joe's
2. "What makes a great community?" And, again the Top 10?
1. self-generating (do stuff)2. belonging (feel part of group)3. identity (stand for something)4. experiences (bring people together)5. a great cause6. working to a shared goal7. feedback & recognition8. ease of participation9. respect10. love of and interest in a common goal
I'd love to get your thoughts, as well. Either leave a comment here or tweet me @jtwinsor.
Thanks.
Original Post: http://www.johnwinsor.com/my_weblog/2009/04/brands-that-build-communities.html
This blog reflects the personal opinions of individual contributors and does not represent the views of Futurelab, Futurelab's clients, or the contributors' respective employers or clients.
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KB says:
22 Apr 2009, 17:05
I don't see music/bands in your post.
Bands create MASSIVE communities - I would venture to say far more than with commercial brands like the ones you suggest, and certainly more brand loyalty and larger communities.
Big bands can absolutely be considered brands in their own right - think Metallica, Iron Maiden etc and make more money through merchandise than though their music. They fulfil at least half of your "what makes a great community?" criteria as well.
KB
barefootmeg says:
22 Apr 2009, 21:04
given that it was free scoop day yesterday, i'm surprised ben & jerry's isn't at the top of that list. while we were standing in line my kids and i counted all the ways that their free scoop day generated "love of product." even my 9 years old could see that giving away free ice cream was a huge boon for the company.
Denise Lee Yohn says:
22 Apr 2009, 21:09
i used to think "community" only mattered for some brands -- those whose equities lay in connecting people.
your "what makes a great community" list opens my eyes to the different values of community -- the list speaks to our fundamental human desires -- what brand wouldn't want to fulfill those?! thanks!
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