The increasing dynamics between consumers, social groups and brands

Qualitative Market Research: An International JournalEmerald Article: The increasing dynamics between consumers, social groups and brandsHans Ruediger Kaufmann, Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro, Gianpaolo Basile, Demetris Vrontis

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To cite this document: Hans Ruediger Kaufmann, Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro, Gianpaolo Basile, Demetris Vrontis, (2012),"The increasing dynamics between consumers, social groups and brands", Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, Vol. 15 Iss: 4 pp. 404 - 419

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The increasing dynamicsbetween consumers,

social groups and brandsHans Ruediger Kaufmann

School of Business, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus andInternational Business School, University of Vilnius,

Vilnius, Lithuania

Sandra Maria Correia LoureiroEconomy, Management and Industrial Engineering Department,

University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

Gianpaolo BasileDepartment of Sociology, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy, and

Demetris VrontisSchool of Business, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a contribution to advancing knowledge on the morerecent phenomenon of social brand community.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on an extensive interdisciplinary literaturereview in areas such as sociology, management, and marketing. Three interrelated and consecutivelydeveloped conceptualizations resulting from a co-operation of the researchers over the last three yearsare presented to explain the influence of the evolution of current social trends on the relationshipbetween consumers and brands in different contexts (socio-demographic aspects and culture). Theconceptualizations have been applied to a qualitative case study on Cypriot consumers, whichconducted in-depth expert interviews and focus groups. The research project has been designed inthree stages: the first stage elicited thenature of relationships between consumer, brands and socialgroups; the second stage was concerned with differentiating consumer behaviour and segmentationpatterns in the various stages; finally, the last one conceptualized the influence of culture on thebrand-consumer relationship and benefited from a progressive knowledge of the researchers in thefield of embedded learning and human branding.

Findings – The first conceptualization (Siano and Basile) explains the various stages of the evolution ofthe relationship between the consumer and the brand. The second conceptualization proposes a newsegmentation and categorization pattern of brand consumers and their respective behaviors derived fromthe different stages of the consumer-brand relationship development (Siano and Basile; Siano, Kaufmannand Basile). The third conceptualization has been developed from the findings of an exploratory study onCypriot brand related consumer behavior (Kitsios and Kaufmann), which had expanded the previoustwo conceptualizations by integrating cultural aspects. Beyond that, the third conceptualization integratesthe influence of embedded learning and stimulant experience on the consumer-brand relationship.

Originality/value – The paper provides innovative knowledge on a new quality, even newparadigm, of consumer-brand-social group relations leading to newly arising segmentation patternsand socially responsible marketing.

Keywords Brand community, Social identity, Embedded learning, Brands, Learning, Cyprus,Consumer behaviour

Paper type Conceptual paper

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at

www.emeraldinsight.com/1352-2752.htm

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Qualitative Market Research: AnInternational JournalVol. 15 No. 4, 2012pp. 404-419q Emerald Group Publishing Limited1352-2752DOI 10.1108/13522751211257088

1. IntroductionThe brand relationship concept (Webster, 1992; Fournier, 1998; Parvatiyar and Sheth,2001; McAlexander et al., 2002) originates in person-to-person relationships as studied inpersonality research and social psychology. A relationship involves a reciprocalexchange, consists of a series of repeated actions, and perceived mutual commitmentbetween partners. So, a relationship provides possible benefits for its participants, whoare, therefore, willing to continue a relationship (Smit et al., 2007). As consumers tend tothink of brands as having a soul or human characteristics and being associated withhuman qualities, people may interact with them in ways that parallel social relationships(Aggarwal, 2004). This mutual attractiveness and commitment between a group ofconsumers and a brand led to the recent phenomenon of brand community creation.Muniz and O’Guinn (2001, p. 412) have defined a brand community as “a specialized,non-geographically bound community, based on a structured set of social relationsamong admirers of a brand”.

This research highlights, as other scholars have already done, the subjectivity ofmarketvision and, therefore, the limits of a strategic analysis based on segmentation, targetingand positioning, and the incompleteness of the traditional market system, now seen asa context of co-creation of meaning and value rather than a mere economic exchange.

The frameworks proposed provide both, practitioners and researchers with morestructured models describing the dynamics existing between brands,individuals/consumers and social groups. According to such an approach, the companyneeds to design contextual behavior plans that will allow communicating with theindividual on the basis of an adequate knowledge of both her/his profile and the contextualinfluences affecting his/her behaviour.

2. Attractiveness between consumer and brandEarly discussions about the way consumers feel about brands focused mainly on theconcept of brand personality. Plummer (1985, p. 81) portrays those consumers havinga high level of identification with their favorite brand saying: “I see myself in that brandand that brand in myself”. Hence, if the consumer-brand interactions go beyondattractiveness and embed social identification, a community committed to the brand canbe generated.

Consumer behavior researchers broadly allude to the interaction between theconsumer’s inner-self and the product, or even the brand. In this way, consumers tend toseek symbolic and hedonic benefits, understood as a connotation of self-esteem andimage towards other consumers, beyond merely functional and utilitarianbenefits (Schlenker, 1986; Brewer and Gardner, 1996; Carroll and Ahuvia, 2006;Loureiro et al., 2012). This is reflected in the brand being positioned through integratedmarketing communication and other elements of the marketing mix, which concertedlyconvey brand identity and personality. Latter are perceived by consumers in wayswhich are coherent with their self-images or inner-self, and their functional, symbolicand emotional/experiential needs. Then, the firms can follow up the consumers’perceptions of the brand and rectify any potentially existing gaps as to consumers’perceptions, or reinforce its inputs along those aspects which are more relevantto consumers (De Chernatony and Dall’Olmo Riley, 1998).

It becomes apparent that the consumer evolves, due to the relationship building roleof the brand, from being a passive subject in marketing, resulting from stimulation

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of mere commercial transactions, to being an active and, even more, interactive subjectin the context of relations with the firm. In the context of this evolving relationshipbuilding process between firm and consumer, the brand no longer represents a simple“name, term, sign, symbol or design or a combination of them” (Kotler and Keller, 2006,p. 256), but rather a partner of the relationship with the consumer, to the extent of playingan essential role in the dyadic condition of the relationship (Keller, 1993; Fournier, 1998).The humanization of the brand, invoking values, cognitive characteristics, and socialemotions lead the consumer to recognize these features in her/his inner-self andto perceive her/himself as a partner (Granovetter, 1985; Rao et al., 2000).

In this context, it might be interesting to contrast the concepts of brand image andbrand relationships. A brand can be seen as a combination of perceptions regardinginformation, values, and emotions held in a consumer’s mind (Keller, 1993), epitomizedby an image in the consumer memory. The concept of brand relationships, however,is different from the concept of brand image, since the former is the expression ofreciprocal changes and social adaptation, both for the firm and the consumer(Sirgy, 1982; Holt, 1995). So, we can argue that the concept of relational reciprocity is thecondition sine qua non to reveal the dyadic nature of the consumer-brand relationship.

Thus, the dyadic consumer-brand relationship expresses the conditions in which theconsumer, in the phase of observation and valuation, perceives the brand as a transmitterand a transducer of information, values and emotions. In this phase, the consumer, in theconstant search for personal identity, assumes the status of an evaluator and browserof the brands that compose the market, in order to identify the brand or brands capable ofexpressing a language in line with the benefits sought by the individual. The meetingpoint between the searching individual and the brand is characterized by a phaseof compatibility; in effect a common language which signals reaching a condition ofconsonance of identity by means of which they create reciprocal value.

Conclusively, the value creation takes place when consumers and businessesco-create mutual value that allows them to act and survive within their referencecontexts, due to a consonance of their social practices, i.e. a capacity to develop andexpress a common language (Golinelli, 2010).

3. Identification among consumer, social group, and brandMutual relations aimed at achieving certain goals reveal the dyadic nature of theconsumer-business relationship based on the reciprocal exchange of messages focusingon culture, values, behaviour and represented by a common semantic space that isrepresented by the brand (Fossali, 2008).

The attractiveness process can drive the consumer to a mechanism of identificationwith the group, tribe, or community, which is built on the basis of a shared passionand/or emotion (Maffesoli, 2004; Carroll and Ahuvia, 2006).

In this phase, the brand widens its function, evolving from being a partner to theindividual/consumer in the identity/self-concept phase into being the marketplacearound which and by means of which groups are created and evolve, concluding in socialidentification for the individual (Bhattacharya and Sen, 2003). Now, the identificationmechanism of an individual consumer and a group expresses the degree of perception ofself, both, as an individual and as a member of the group, in relationship with othergroup members and with the firm/brand. This next evolutionary perceptual step isdeveloped on the basis of sharing the relevance, functional or symbolic specific features

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of the product/brand with other members, based on the process of idolizing individualsconsidered to be opinion leaders (Dutton and Celia, 1994).

This condition, therefore, satisfies the double need of the individuals to develop theirself-concept and their identification with the social group of belonging(Mael and Ashforth, 1992). Here, the concept of brand love arises, which is defined as“the degree of passionate emotional attachment a satisfied consumer has for a particulartrade name” (Carroll and Ahuvia, 2006, p. 81). Brand love includes passion for the brand,attachment to the brand, positive evaluation of the brand, positive emotions in responseto the brand, and declarations of love for the brand (Ahuvia, 2005). These emotional tiesamong the group members can lead to a strong brand community. Examples areprovided by the numerous communities which arouse around specific models of cars ormotorbikes, such as Mini, Harley Davidson and others (Robertson, 2007).

The phenomenon of identification derived from social identity theory represents theevolution of consumer-brand relationship from a dyadic one to a triadic one(individual/consumer-brand-individual/consumer/member of a social group).

In this context, the social group or brand community can be interpreted as a socialaggregation of members, the expression of a specific cultural capital and theirrelationships based on the brand considered a warehouse of meaning (Maffesoli, 2004).

Each consumer needs to feel psychologically linked to the destiny of the group, finddistinctive brand values, and specific group practices to achieve identification. This statehappens when a consumer idolizes an opinion leader (a famous person who evokes thedistinctiveness of the brand, or an individual to be attracted to a social group) oris attracted by a brand (one thinks of the frequent cases of retro-marketing, in whichproducts re-evoke a deeply rooted background, as is the case with the Fiat 500, the MiniCooper, the VW Beetle, Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers, and others (Brown et al., 2003).In all these cases the individual expresses the characteristics of an emulator or mingler.Concluding from this discussion, the first preposition has been developed:

P1. The more similar and distinct an individual perceives the values of a brand,its community and its opinion leader to be to her/his own and those of her/hissocial group, the more attractive that brand and community is to them.

4. Resonance through commitmentThe dynamics described before, other than the state of attractiveness and the senseof belonging (identification) to the group, cause the individual consumer to feel a state ofobligation or commitment, a rooted interest and a sharing of objectives, as much with thegroup as with the business, and, in this way, to seek to contribute to the success of thegroup: this condition of relationship can be defined as resonance.

The condition of resonance represents the evolution of the relationship among anindividual consumer, members of a social group, and the brand. The individualconsumer is a member of a system in which commitment is a dominant factor, and in theambit of the group a strong awareness of belonging and a respective sense of moralresponsibility in their dealings with the group and with single members develops, somuch so that they put into place suitable behaviour towards reaching the objectives ofthe group and/or the business (Figure 1). In a brand community a consciousness of kind,shared rituals and traditions and moral responsibility exist among their members.Rituals and traditions function to maintain the culture of the community.

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The condition of resonance depends on continuity and proactive attitudes due tothe frequency of the relationships and the quality of exchange of emotive as well ascognitive information. Furthermore, when reaching this condition a progressivedevelopment is put into action, which allows the gradual blurring of boundaries betweenfirm and consumer, as shown in Figure 1. Consequently, achieving this state ofresonance is the expression of reaching ever greater levels of sharing and trustingon trends and perspectives (McAlexander et al., 2002; Ahearne et al., 2005).

Implying a new marketing paradigm, such display of behaviour by consumersrepresents a net change in the role of firm/brand which, from the initial pole of therelationship with the consumer, evolves into support for the links/relationship betweenconsumers. The consumer/member, being aware that the firm/brand can help in thebuilding of a social identity, shares the goals of the firm and even participates in decisionmaking concerning products and communication.

The case of Ducati, for instance, saw the firm proposing a new model of a motorcyclewith a single disc brake. However, the members of the community opposed the planand had the entire braking system changed to dual disc brakes.

This participation, which often materializes as extreme loyalty on the part ofthe consumer towards the entire business organization, finds effective representation inthe willingness to accept new products or a brand extension, and furthermore, to introducenew members into the community and to support and sustain the firm in moments ofcrisis. In this way, the consumer tends to serve as a brand missionary or ambassadorattracting and captivating new members.

From the moment in which the consumer becomes an active member/insider ofthe brand community, the latter, by effect of the two step flow theory, becomes anefficacious sounding board of the firm/brand. In other words, it becomes a spontaneouscommunication tool activating word of mouth, both on and offline, encouraging new

Figure 1.Conditions of resonance

Consumer/Individual

identification

Insider/Opinionleader of

Brand “Community”

commitment

Resonance

Consonanceof identity

Consonance ofsocial identification

Brand

attractiveness

Consumer/memberof social group

Brand

Source: Siano and Basile (2009)

Brand

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“fans” or, even, defending the reputation of the brand from judgement on the partof members of communities of brand competitors. Thus, brand community membersprovide important feedback to the firm about the brand’s authenticity.

In this situation, the consumer sees her/his position evolving from a simple memberor mingler, having joined a social group, to a molecular opinion leader to insider(Katz and Lazarsfeld, 1955; Kingdon, 1970; Confetto, 2005). The social evolution of theconsumer/individual, from browser to opinion leader, is summarized and shownin Figure 2.

New internet based technologies also contribute to the proliferation of the communitybrand. Interestingly, a tool, initially blamed for causing the alienation/isolation of theindividual, is proving to be a space or “territory” on which to create the community(Algesheimer et al., 2005). In such virtual communities the consumers are not theco-creators of brand meanings, but the creators themselves, using message boards,blogs, articles, reviews and other mechanisms. The internet works as a catalyst forbuilding and nurturing the community.

The social aspect of the consumers in their relationship with the brand, the spontaneousgrowth of social groups and the role of the consumer within these groups are increasinglybecoming the centre of attention for researchers and practitioners, who seek to adjust theplanning of marketing and communication towards a less traditional, “murk” or “nonconventional” approach (Muniz and O’ Guinn, 2001; Bagozzi and Dholakia, 2006). Theprevious discussion can be summarized by the following two prepositions:

P2. The more a consumer is attached to the brand, community, and opinionleader, the more she/he desires to participate in the community.

P3. The more a consumer desires to participate, the more she/he is activelyprotecting the brand’s authenticity and the more the brand becomes a part ofconsumers’ social identity.

5. Culture’s influence on social consumer evolutionCulture has been defined as the interactive aggregate of common characteristics thatinfluence a group’s response to its environment (Hofstede, 1980), or as the collectiveprogramming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category

Figure 2.Social consumer evolution

Consumernot a member

Browser

ConsumerJoint member

Mingler

Consumeractive member

AttractivenessConsonance

of Identify/self-concept

Brand Community

MemberInsider

Opinionleader

ResonanceCommitment

IdentificationConsonance of social

identificationBrand

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of people from another (Hofstede, 1997). Lustig and Koester (1999) state thatindividualism/collectivism is the main category to differentiate culture, whichemphasizes conflicting views on the nature of humans and society and the underpinningrelationships. Samovar and Porter (2001) point to the applicability of branding in both,individualistic and collectivistic cultures. Whereas, in an individualistic culture, people aresymbolized by numerous features believing that they are unique in society and, hence,emphasizing personal preference and competition rather than a co-operative social setting,the needs, views, objectives and, even emotions of the people in a collectivistic culture areconditioned by the group. Thereby, in individualistic cultures, branding might account forindividual preferences by segment specific life style positioning, whereas in collectivisticcultures the consumption of well-known brands might be regarded as constituting agroup norm. Nicholls et al. (1997) show that a collectivist subculture (Hispanic consumersin the USA) tends to be more susceptible to social influence than an individualisticsubculture (Anglo-Saxon consumers in the USA).

An exploratory case study was carried out in Cyprus, investigating the underlyingreasons governing consumer behavior of Cypriot consumers as to branding (Kitsios andKaufmann, 2009). The research aim was to investigate the influence of certain macrorelated factors that may explain the symbolic aspect of the buying habits of Cypriots. Theresearch method of a case study was applied using two consumer focus groups consistingof 7-10 people aged between 25 and 40, respectively, and eight in-depth interviews withmarketing managers as research techniques. Content analysis was regarded the mostsuitable method for analyzing qualitative research data (Neuendorf, 2002). The results ofthe study reveal that Cypriots are indeed status seeking consumers performing symbolicconsumption to achieve a social higher status with housing (men), automobiles (cars andother means) (men), technology (mobiles, home appliances, TVs, computers and other)(men and women), clothing, footwear and accessories (women) being the most statusproviding brands. Confirmed by business people and consumers alike, the study foundthat lifestyle, which people would like to have, is a very important determinant of thebuying behavior of Cypriots rather than an underlying common passion for the brandand its embodied values, as Maffesoli (2004) or Cova (2003) had stated. This study alsostresses that age plays an important role as to the extent of adaptive status orientation.Reflecting on and applying Figure 2, Cypriot consumers, according to this qualitativeresearch, can be perceived as emulators/minglers. Importantly, the research on Cypriotconsumers found, that the stage of resonance is not achieved due to an apparent lackof psychological link with the desired social group which would be based on commonvalues, obligation or commitment, a rooted interest and a sharing of objectives.Exemplarily, one consumer commented:

I had to start behaving as they did and buying the same expensive things as they did, so thatI could join the group and be part of the team.

This was confirmed by three other interviewees who said that what attracts people toa group is the social position of the group members rather than the members. In thiscontext, a further interviewee confirms:

I think that we all have the need to socially advance. Some people in Cyprus however overdoit. I know many people who have no credentials or education but act and buy things likemillionaires in order to be accepted in a higher status group.

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Based on these statements, the sustainability of this newly created social identity mightbe questioned as it is does not seem to rely on a common value system or moral growth.

In Cyprus, the consumer behavior seems to reflect a high degree of collectivism, whichis in line with the emphasis on the personalization aspect and the strong normative characterof comparative and/or identification groups. Exemplarily, one business man said:

People whose goal is to move socially upward believe that by exhibiting the behavior theybelieve their target group has, the transition to that group will be easier and smoother sincethey will be accepted faster.

In addition, ten out of the 14 focus groups members pointed to the strong normativepreferred group influence as a dominant factor that influences symbolic consumption.

Consumers seem to feel conditioned in their brand consumer behavior in order not to beconsidered to be different. The statements imply that Cyprus might be considered toemphasize personalization as a reflection of a being orientated culture rather thande-personalization as a characteristic of a doing orientated culture (Usunier and Lee, 2005).

In addition, Hofstede and Hofstede (2005) mention other cultural dimensions:masculinity/femininity, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, long-term/short-termorientation.

Power distance is related to the extent to which a culture fosters social inequality.Cultures that are high in power distance tend to emphasize prestige and family incomein shaping vertical relationships between social-economic classes (Hofstede, 1984).Consumers in high-power-distance cultures are more attached to the social brand images(brand name is important) (Bristow and Asquith, 1999; Roth, 1995). However, whenpower distance is high, consumers also tend to “distrust” authority (Hofstede, 1980).

Another cultural dimension, uncertainty avoidance, refers to the extent to whichconsumers feel threatened by ambiguous or less certain situations and create beliefsand institutions that tries to avoid them adopting strict codes of behavior and a beliefin absolute truths (Hofstede, 1984). Consequently, consumers in cultures that are highin uncertainty avoidance tend to favor credible and consistent brands (Dawar andParker, 1994). Erdem et al. (2006) also find that collectivism and uncertainty avoidanceamplified the brand credibility effects, in other words, the notion that collectivistconsumers perceive credible brands as of better quality and prefer them because theyreinforce their belongingness to the group.

With regards to the culture dimension of masculinity/femininity, the masculine cultureuses the biological existence of the two genders to define the social roles. Men is expectedto be “assertive, ambitious, and competitive, to strive for material success, and to respectwhatever is big, strong, and fast” (Hofstede, 1984, p. 390). Women, however, are expectedto serve and care for the non-material quality of life, for children, and for the weak. Fromthis discussion emerges that the continuous search for consonance, as part of socialintegration processes, and the mutual adjustment/change of practices and behaviour bysocial players requires an isomorphism process. This means that an actor/social systemlooking to survive in conditions of uncertainty is forced to seek opportunities for (cultural)interaction with the relevant reference context (individual/target/segment), through anadaptation process involving both the relational partner and other units operating in thesame environment (Di Maggio and Powell, 1983; Powell and Di Maggio, 1991; Thornton,2002). So the fourth preposition emerges:

P4. Consumer roles in branding have to be differentiated by cultural categories.

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6. Embedded learning and stimulant experienceAlgesheimer et al. (2005) reveal that the impact of brand relationship quality oncommunity identification suggests that it is more effective for a firm to solicit and enrollits existing, long-tenured customers who already have an affirmative relationship withthe brand. So, brand community membership is more useful as a customer retentiondevice than as a customer acquisition tool. This study also suggests that brandcommunity’s social influence is accentuated more for knowledgeable consumers than fornovice consumers. Consumers who are knowledgeable about the brand experiencehigher levels of identification, engagement, and pressure than novice consumers.

Summarizing, the conditions of the relationship between the individual and the brand(attractiveness, identification, commitment and resonance), the different stages of therelationship evolution and, therefore, different target segments (browser, mingler andinsider/opinion leader), and the influence of cultural dimensions, focusing oncollectivism/individualism and socio-demographic factors, resulted in the finalconceptual framework shown in Figure 3. The authors postulate that promoting theimage of the opinion leader (a person known in a social community by her/his professionor social position), whose perceived identity is congruent with those of the consumers’and the brand, can significantly reinforce the consumer identification with the brand.This can reinforce the credibility of the brand and contributes to a higher level of brandawareness and brand image. Moreover, increasing the brand knowledge reinforces theneed to belong to a brand community and to be loyal. Consumers who are fans of theopinion leader are more likely to adhere to a brand community, especially in a collectivistculture (Figure 3). For this reason, the authors introduce the embedded learning concept,meaning that social brand knowledge, the relationship between firm, consumers and

Figure 3.Conceptual frameworksocial consumer evolution,embedded learning andstimulant experience

ConsumerJoint member

Mingler

Consumeractive member

AttractivenessConsonance

of Identify/self-concept

Brand Community

Brand crediblity

Relationship with the brand

MemberInsider

Opinionleader

ResonanceCommitment

IdentificationConsonance of social

identification

Brand

Socio-demographic

Factors:

Age

Gender

Income

Education

Social brand knowledge

Image Awareness

Embedded Learningand StimulantExperience

Consumernot a member

Browser

Collectivist cultures

Differentiated by cultural categorizations/island populations

Individualistic cultures

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brand as well as the improvement of the brand credibility can generate a processof “addictive” learning that drives a continuing need to know more on the brand and thecommunity of belonging. A stimulant experience within the members of a networkingcommunity (e.g. firm, employees, consumers, opinion leader, other members) activatehigh levels of arousal, which then leads to pleasure, which in turn leads to a delightfulfeeling that needs to be fed back. As Merz et al. (2009) point out, we are living in the eraof the brand epitomizing a dynamic and social process. In this sense, “the brand valueco-creation process is a continuous, social, and highly dynamic and interactive processbetween the firm, the brand, and all stakeholders” (Merz et al., 2009, p. 331).

The repeatedly mentioned opinion leader could be a celebrity, a human brand that canuse her/his name as a brand or any well-known person who is the subject of marketingcommunications efforts. “Human brands that make consumers feel appreciated,empowered, and understood succeed in creating feelings of autonomy”. Similarly,feelings of relatedness are likely to be produced when a human brand promotesacceptance, openness, and belonging (Thomson, 2006, p. 116). Thomson (2006, p. 105)also highlights that the strength of the attractiveness between a human brand andconsumers, without suppressing feelings of competence, lies in the consumer’s feelingsof autonomy and relatedness, and so “attachment strength may be a parsimonious proxyfor consumer-brand relationship strength”.

Based on the discussion above, the following final prepositions are presented:

P5. A participative member is more willing to have a stimulant experience andembraces embedded learning.

P6. Resonance commitment moderates consumer participation and stimulantexperience, as well as, stimulant experience and embedded learning.

P7. The stimulant experience and embedded learning lead to an improvement ofbrand image, brand credibility/reputation and word-of-mouth.

Figure 4 interrelates the prepositions as an alternative conceptualization to Figure 3.The framework presented points to a new approach in understanding the dynamics

inside a brand community because it explains the creation and the evolution of the

Figure 4.Interrelated prepositions

Identity B.similarity

Identity B.Distintictiveness

Identitycommunityand opinion

leader

IdentityAttachment

Browser

Desireparticipation

Consumerparticipation

Mingler

Stimulantexperience

Embeddedlearning

Word-of-mouthBrand

credibility

Brand image

Identity socialgroup

Resonancecommitment

Commitment

P1 P2 P3

Culture

P4

P5

P6

P7

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relations existing between social actors and the influences that such relationsproduce and undergo.

This holistic view of the context calls marketing to be increasingly regarded as asocial construction process in which both businesses and consumers participate.

The framework suggests that future studies and applications should takeinto account not only the relations existing among the players involved and thedevelopment of learning processes and social practices caused by such relations, butalso the cultural influences that the players produce towards, and receive from theirreference contexts.

7. ConclusionsThe purpose of the present research was to provide new and meaningful insights intothe consumer-brand relationship triggered by current social trends. Fundamentalchanges of consumer behavior related to the brand imply a central role the brand playsin the socialization system.

This research innovatively conceptualizes brand community evolution explainingthe different developmental stages of the relationship between consumer and a brand.It promotes the perspective that firms should increasingly create and stimulateinteraction, both informatively and emotively, with the individual consumer andmembers of the brand community, to develop behaviour based on networkingdynamics. The company is advised to exert an adaptive behaviour with regard to itsenvironmental conditions, more specifically, trying to intercept individual needs in linewith its own potential, and to effectively identity related communicate about the lattereither formally or by facilitating its perception in informal fashion (through plannedor spontaneous communication activities, such as word of mouth).

This can be facilitated through the image of the opinion leader, especially ina collectivist culture, if he or she belongs to a group or social status that consumerwants to be connected to. The dynamic process of reinforcing the credibility of the brandcan strengthen the brand community and the consumer loyalty. The changingparadigm of marketing relating to the congruence of consumer and brand identity, and,implicitly to the increasing social needs of consumers underline theimportance for firms to act socially responsible and to choose socially responsibleopinion leaders. The suggested conceptualizations on propositions might form the basisfor a future ethnographic research on brand consumer roles differentiated by culturalcategories.

Practical implications for corporate brand strategies refer primarily to positionthe family and/or individual brand highly based on image, status and, in tendency,high price. TV advertising is recommended due to its high level of intimacypenetration and status perception. Another preferable promotional mix element to besuggested refers to event marketing, as fashion shows, executive parties and,most importantly, charity events can provide stimulant experience. The use ofsocially responsible testimonials representing the desired social identity is alsorecommended.

In conclusion, the conceptual frameworks proposed here are suggested for empiricalvalidation in cross-national research settings in order to better analyze the differencesamong the culture dimensions.

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About the authorsHans Ruediger Kaufmann’s professional background is in a variety of European academic andcorporate settings (i.e. UK, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Germany, Lithuania, and Cyprus). Since October2006 he has been an Associate Professor at the University of Nicosia. He has been a launchingmember and President (2007-2009) of the international research network on consumer behaviour,CIRCLE. He is currently Vice-President of the EuroMed Research Business Institute (EMBRI). Heis member of the Editorial Board of a variety of journals and an Associate Editor of the World Reviewof Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development. He is also Visiting Professor of theInternational Business School of the University of Vilnius. Hans Ruediger Kaufmann is thecorresponding author and can be contacted at: [email protected]

Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro is Professor of Marketing at the University of Aveiro anda Researcher in the GOVCOPP and SOCIUS research centre. Her current research interestsinclude consumer-brand relationship, online environment and purchase, tourism experience, andcorporate social responsibility issues. Her papers were published in a variety of peer reviewedjournals and at well reputed international conferences. She has acted as a reviewer for severalinternational journals and conferences. She has participated in several research projects fundedby the EU and FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology).

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Gianpaolo Basile completed his doctoral studies in Communication Sciences at the Universityof Salerno (Italy). He currently teaches Marketing and Place Marketing at the Department ofSociology, University of Salerno, and Corporate Communication at the Department of Economics,University of Palermo. His research interests focus on consumer behavior, management,business systems, strategic and operative planning in marketing and communication, placemarketing. He is co-author of several books, and he is author of many scientific articles publishedin international journals. He has presented several competitive papers at international conferences,and he is on the editorial board of many international journals.

Demetris Vrontis is a Professor of Marketing and the Dean of the School of Business at theUniversity of Nicosia in Cyprus. He is Founder and Editor of the EuroMed Journal of Businessand an Editorial Advisory Board Member of well-established academic and scientific marketingand business-related journals. He is the President of the EuroMed Research Business Institute(EMRBI) and the Chairman of the EuroMed Academy of Business (EMAB). His prime researchinterests are related to international marketing, marketing planning, wine marketing andbranding areas, which he has widely published on in ten books, over 70 refereed journal articles,and chapters in books by other researchers. He has also presented his research work at reputableconferences around the world.

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