| Abstrakt: |
With the exponential growth of consumers using social networking sites such as Facebook, firms are driven to figure out how to exploit this new marketing medium in such a way as to add value to their brand or to further corporate goals. There is much excitement about the potential to reach millions of consumers in a nimble medium at dramatically lower costs and effort. Whether firms are realizing real return or speculating on its potential requires a greater understanding of the implicit model guiding the sponsorship of Virtual Brand Communities (VBC). Using a grounded theory approach, this research examines the implicit model that is driving the investment in VBCs from the perspective of a global, multinational firm noted for its innovativeness in social media and from senior marketing executives engaged in social media consulting for agencies. The derived conceptual model demonstrates the positivity bias about the value of VCBs while related literature elucidates some of the particular challenges in achieving this. Our research suggests VBCs inside various Facebook communities may derive value by fostering positive consumer interactions that entice existing members to recruit new members to the brand community on the firm's behalf. This research is intended to understand the explicit or implicit model that underlies senior marketing executives' beliefs about creating value through such communities. Without a conceptual model, firms are apt to make little headway in exploiting VBCs to generate brand value. The conceptual model is developed through interviews with executives from a global, multinational brand acknowledged for its leadership in VBCs and from senior marketing consultants who advise Fortune 1000 companies on their social media presence. These are integrated with existing literature from other forms of online and traditional media to offer an actionable framework for practitioners and academics alike. The result is a value-based framework to explore the relationship between social media activities, consumer experiences and the subsequent sharing that occurs with others previously outside the VBC. The model begins with the notion that social media activities are the cornerstone of the community. For context, social media activities may be a game, a video, a Flash interaction, an opportunity to contribute an opinion, a contest, audio, a specialized application, or any other content that would be interesting to a consumer. To attract consumers to a VBC, these activities must represent an "offer" that consumers somehow find desirable. Consumers may interact with the content being pushed at them in one of three way: (1) one-way consumption -- for example, viewing video clips, listening to audio bytes or reading text, (2) two-way participation -- for example, playing a game or participating in a naming content with other members, (3) contribution -- for example, posting an opinion, rating content. As a consumer interacts with an offer, an experience is generated within the consumer. Such experiences may next form a basis for brand preferences or affinity. For example, if a consumer views an interesting video clip on the VBC, this creates an experience within the consumer that is somehow hereafter tied to the brand. Consistent with traditional media effects, the goal of marketing efforts, then, from the firm's point of view is to move consumer up a brand affinity hierarchy from instigating a social media offer. Common goals include increasing awareness, comprehension or interest. Next, sharing with others is a bi-product of increasing engagement by the consumer. Overt sharing that occurs outside of a VBC can take the form of relating a preference for the brand, endorsing the brand or even inviting others to endorse the brand with an action. Thus, our research suggests when sharing takes the form of a recommendation to another person to visit the VBC, then a new brand relationship is possible. From the firm's perspective, new brand relationships are a positive and strategic marketing outcome highly desired by the firm. Finally, given these relationships are acquired at low or no cost, VBCs are an extremely attractive business initiative to the firm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
