When Totems Beget Clans: The Brand Symbol as The Defining Marker of Brand Communities

When totems beget clans: The brand symbol as the defining marker of brand communities

In the 21st century, the technology and the machinery become more advanced. Mass production of goods with better quality have empowered the consumers to purchase more goods. The consumers start to attach to a certain product, a certain brand and realize their needs and wants. They want to learn more about the products and share their experiences with others who have same feelings for the certain brand. Therefore, “brand communities” are formed. Unlike the old days, the internet provides a platform for the consumers to meet and share their feelings more easily.

Brand communities are different from other types of communities. There are many different communities of a certain brand. Each community has its own identity and purpose. The similar purpose is that they provide rich information for their members and also for the brand. The key factors which make the brand communities different from others can be analyzed in three factors: defining brand communities, defining the unique characteristics and brand community dynamics.

Defining Brand Communities

According to Muniz and O’Guinn (2001), the brand community is a specialized, non-geographically bound community based on a structured set of social relations among admirers of a brand. Moreover, the brand community can be seen as a group of people who has the strong feelings for the brand and are willing to share the honest reviews of the products to each other rather than the social relations of the community. For example, the Go-Pro User Myanmar Community group is established in early 2015 and currently has 10,371 members. Their main purpose is to share the latest news about the Go-Pro. They share ideas of making DIY Go-Pro accessories, the photos and the videos. If someone’s product has been damaged or has an internal error, the members give full advice and information how to deal with the problems. They are also willing to give full information about Go-Pro products for the beginners. Although they are from different parts of Myanmar, they are helping to each other. In this perspective, Go-Pro User Myanmar community is the authentic brand community.

Defining the unique characteristics

Every brand community has its own unique characteristics. Muniz and O’Guinn (2001) states that the acceptance of mainstream ideology is one of the characteristics of the brand communities. Moreover, it distinguishes a brand community from subcultures of consumption (Muniz & O'Guinn, 2001). For example, the enthusiasts of Toyota Crown Athlete in Myanmar united mainly by the brand. Toyota Crown Athlete is recognized as the luxury car for the middle class and lower class people in Myanmar. The enthusiasts formed the community due to the brand image and the design of the