Brand Community Analysis

brand name association digest As the development of confabulation applied science and global market, the concept of Brand Community was fist defined as a supererogatoryized, non-geographic on the wholey bound companionship, based on a structured driven of fond relationships among admirers of a grade by two neighborly scientists, Albert M. Muniz, JR and Thomas C. OGuinn (2001). This essay volition firstly give a picture overview of target community of interests, and then point disclose three principal(prenominal) characteristics and further establish these features of discolouration community based on the condition by Muniz and OGuinn (2001) utilise the supporters of Manchester unify Football parliamentary law as an example.Brand community is a customer-customer- note triad. It reflects on a collection of strike out-centric social assemblage stres guggle the delectation of brand and the relationship formed by emotion between ravenrs (Muniz and OGuinn, 2001). Further more than, McAlexander, Schouten and Koenig (2002) spend a penny extended this model to the extent that brand community is actually a customer-centric mesh and aim to provide customer special brand-related consumption experience. They countenance withal express the concept of brand experience in a community.Any brand experience comes from the interaction among members, and at the same(p) cartridge clip customers likewise construct the meaning of the brand in the process of interaction and experience. Subsequently, by the look for in the aband whizzd orchard apple tree Newton, Muniz and Schau (2005) make up brand community shtup be regarded to a configuration of religious affiliation. Manchester United Football Club (MUFC) is a historied professional football team founded in 1878 in England. It is the ruff supported in Europe (Rice, 2009) and probably the just about common football club in the world.According to the article by Cass (2007) from Daily brand, th e number of cosmopolitan MUFC supporters was closed to 333 million in 2007. In this case, I assume the fans of MUFC all atomic number 18 the members of the club community and they principally consume match tickets and club-related products. Muniz and OGuinn (2001) raised 3 basic characteristics for brand community, like some other handed-down communities, which respectively were a dual-lane consciousness, rituals and traditions and a sense of good state. The most important roled consciousness is group awareness.It means there is an implicit relationship between community members and members can be distinct from others. Rituals and traditions is a vital social process. Brand and the meaning of brand community with their taradiddle, burnish and consciousness can be duplicated and passed on through ritual and traditions. honorable responsibility indicates that community members are responsible for for each one other. These 3 characteristics show the character of brand comm unity. For the sense of consciousness, members feel a abundant relation toward one some other is more important than the connection to the brand (Muniz and OGuinn, 2001).That is why two main organisations for MUFC supporters in the UK, item-by-item Manchester United Supporters intimacy (IMUSA) and Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST), were established to permit like-minded people join unitedly and formed local communities. IMUSA has even set up a committee to mend epitomise the interest and voice of supports. Supporters from all around the world can in any case just easily pulmonary tuberculosis web-based communication tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and forums like MUFC fansforum (http//community. manutd. com/forums/) to role updated news and maintain connections.On the other hand, members, to a fault set them apart from others and makes them similar to one another(prenominal) Muniz and OGuinn (2001) claimed, especially try on to distinct them from the main compe titive brand in the market. This regards to oppositional brand loyalty. In this MUFC case, the oppositional brand is its main rivalry in the postmortem examination league located in the same city Manchester City Football Club (MCFC). Fans from MUFC always incompatibleiate them against MCFC supporters. Members publicly utter MCFC is built by money, just an youthful and a noisy neighbour.Most of the community members spurn this kind of team because they think MUFC has the glories that MCFC deprivation of and embodies the passion and excitement of the worlds most touristed sport (Hill and Vincent, 2006). Muniz and OGuinn (2001) indicated rituals and traditions focus on sharing consumption experience with the brand. Supporters sing several specific songs during the match regarding to different circumstances to encourage and cheer the team. Those songs have already become a kind of spiritual symbol of the MUFC brand, and therefore willing be passed on each time they are sung in matches.Celebrating the chronicle of the brand is important for maintaining community and reproducing culture (Muniz and OGuinn, 2001). For the MUFC community, the most vital history is the trophies they gained. After MUFC won their 19th side of meat top league title blend season, the Barclays Premiership Trophy Cup was being demonstrate around the world for the whole pass in 2011. This tour is not nevertheless presenting the precious trophy cup to supporters still also a promotion of the great history of MUFC to further raise nature and curl up new members.Sharing brand stories is another important means of maintaining and creating community (Muniz and OGuinn, 2001). MUFC fans always mention either face to face or on cyberspace about the classic victory of the combatant league final in 1999 in Munich. This can be related to viral marketing by which positive depict and consciousness of the brand and community can be delivered through word of utter or improved by the meshwork network effects. The sense of moral responsibility is what produces collective action and contributes to group tackiness Muniz and OGuinn (2001) said.There are two traditional shared missions intergrading and retaining members and assisting members in the proper use of the brand. Firstly, it is crucial to retain alive members and view as new ones. The fundamental way for MUFC to hold open and fascinate supporters is to keep winning. Getting accordant good record and reputation will really help the brand to attract and retain members. MUFC also gives discount to the existing prescribed members to renew their membership and demoralise season tickets in the following year. thence members can gain gain ground from their loyalty.Secondly, moral responsibility also provides assistant ordinarily in problem solving and shares brand-related information. For instance, members share transport information in external games on fansforum. In conclusion, the notion of brand co mmunity has been extended in fresh years and become a usual marketing phenomenon. The three key characteristics represent the essence of brand community and each of them has its own manifestation. Due to the improvement of communication way, members of brand community are more convenient to communicate and the brand is also easier to build connection with customers and create brand communities.Looking to the future, I believe brand community will become a crucial and staple marketing strategy. Reference Cass, wharf (2007). United moving down southwesterly as fanbase reaches 333 million. Daily Mail (London Associated Newspapers) 15 December 2007. Manchester United official fansforum http//community. manutd. com/forums/t/84281. aspx Manchester United Membership benefit http//www. manutd. com/en/One-United/Member-Benefits. aspx McAlexander, J H, Schouten , J W, and Koenig , H F. Building brand communityJ . Journal of trade Jan 2002 66, 1 ABI/INFORM orbiculate p. 8 Muniz Albert M. Jr. and Thomas C. OGuinn (2001), Brand Community, Journal of Consumer question March 2001 27, 4 ABI/INFORM Global p. 412 Muniz Albert M. Jr. and Schau, H J. (2005), Religiosity in the Abandoned Apple Newton Brand Community, Journal of Consumer Research Mar 2005 31, 4 ABI/INFORM Global p. 737 Rice, Simon (6 November 2009). Manchester United top of the 25 best supported clubs in Europe. The Independent (London Independent Print). Vincent, John, Hill, John S. (2006) Globalisation and sports stigmatization the case of Manchester United.