Consumer Research
Journal of Consumer Research Inc.
Brand Community Author(s): Albert M. Muniz, Jr. and Thomas C. O’Guinn Source: Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 27, No. 4 (March 2001), pp. 412-432 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/319618 . Accessed: 29/09/2011 15:11
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The University of Chicago Press and Journal of Consumer Research Inc. are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Consumer Research.
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Brand Community
ALBERT M. MUNIZ, JR. THOMAS C. O’GUINN*
This article introduces the idea of brand community. A brand community is a specialized, non-geographically bound community, based on a structured set of social relations among admirers of a brand. Grounded in both classic and contemporary sociology and consumer behavior, this article uses ethnographic and computer mediated environment data to explore the characteristics, processes, and particularities of three brand communities (those centered on Ford Bronco, Macintosh, and Saab). These brand communities exhibit three traditional markers of community: shared consciousness, rituals and traditions, and a sense of moral responsibility. The commercial and mass-mediated ethos in which these communities are situated affects their character and structure and gives rise to their particularities. Implications for branding, sociological theories of community, and consumer behavior are offered.
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ommunity is a
Brand Community Author(s): Albert M. Muniz, Jr. and Thomas C. O’Guinn Source: Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 27, No. 4 (March 2001), pp. 412-432 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/319618 . Accessed: 29/09/2011 15:11
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.
The University of Chicago Press and Journal of Consumer Research Inc. are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Consumer Research.
http://www.jstor.org
Brand Community
ALBERT M. MUNIZ, JR. THOMAS C. O’GUINN*
This article introduces the idea of brand community. A brand community is a specialized, non-geographically bound community, based on a structured set of social relations among admirers of a brand. Grounded in both classic and contemporary sociology and consumer behavior, this article uses ethnographic and computer mediated environment data to explore the characteristics, processes, and particularities of three brand communities (those centered on Ford Bronco, Macintosh, and Saab). These brand communities exhibit three traditional markers of community: shared consciousness, rituals and traditions, and a sense of moral responsibility. The commercial and mass-mediated ethos in which these communities are situated affects their character and structure and gives rise to their particularities. Implications for branding, sociological theories of community, and consumer behavior are offered.
C
ommunity is a