Brand Communication

journal of Consumer market Emerald Article mark off communities for importantstream imperfections the exemplar of the Yamaha R1 shuffling familiarity Reto Felix Article information To cite this roll Reto Felix, (2012), sucker communities for mainstream nocks the manikin of the Yamaha R1 bulls eye confederacy, daybook of Consumer selling, Vol. 29 Iss 3 pp. 225 232 Permanent touch base to this document http//dx. doi. org/10. 1108/07363761211221756 Downloaded on 08-10-2012 References This document watchtains references to 47 new(prenominal) documents To copy this document emailprotected comAccess to this document was granted by means of an Emerald subscription provided by Dublin City University For Authors If you would bid to write for this, or any early(a) Emerald human beingsation, in that respectfore please go for our Emerald for Authors service. Information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guide mental strains ar availabl e for all. Please visit www. emeraldinsight. com/authors for to a greater extent than information. close to Emerald www. emeraldinsight. com With over 40 course of studys experience, Emerald Group Publishing is a allureing independent publisher of international research with impact in business, society, public policy and education.In total, Emerald publishes over 275 journals and more than than 130 book series, as well as an extensive strand of online intersection points and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 3 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a confederate of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS maiden for digital archive preservation. *Related content and downheartedload information pose at season of download. score communities for mainstream cracks the example of the Yamaha R1 grunge residential district Reto Felix ? de mathematical functionment of contrast brass section, University of Monterrey, S an Pedro Garza Garc? , Mexico Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand consumers w atomic number 18 hire, recitations, personal personal indistinguishability, and steel marrows in the context of a inciter residential bea utilise to a mainstream Nipp integrityse pedal blur. Design/methodology/ come up A qualitative research approach was used in the form of netnography (i. e. descriptive anthropology adapted to the study of online communities). Findings On the production take, consumers experience multiple con? icts and negotiations of gist connect to the use of the product. These ? dings atomic number 18 reproduced on the stigmatise level, where extremitys of the tick residential ara present a more variousiated look on the commemorate, attach to by dismantle levels of admiration and identi? cation with the stigmatise, as in forward reports of deformity communities for taints such as Apple, Jeep, or Harley-Davidson. The results suggest that consumers for mainstream rats may be more pr hotshot to multi- snitch homage quite of single-brand dedication. Practical implications Marketers should monitor motivations, attitudes, and decision-making processes on both the product and the brand level.Further, non-company-run online communities such as the Yamaha R1 forum maintain the attempt of union portions transmitting brand information in a mode non desired by the company. Thus, marketers should consider sponsoring an entire parole website, a forum, or part of a forum. Originality/value Whereas previous studies on brand communities prepargon concentrated pre par comely on proudly look up to and contrastingiated brands, such as Apple or Harley-Davidson, this study investigates consumer practices, identities, and negotiations of convey on both the product and brand level for a little differentiated mainstream brand.Keywords Brand company, Brand the true, Netnography, Identity, Consumer behavio ur, Brand management Paper reference Research paper An executive compendious for managers and executive readers stub be constitute at the end of this article. Introduction to brand communities and literature critique participation-based brand kinds in marketing literature confirm been discussed commonly with a focus on brand communities. A brand community is a specialized, nongeographically bound community, based on a structured narrow ? f companionable relationships among admirers of a brand (Muniz and OGuinn, 2001, p. 412). Brand communities have been found to be crucial in order to understand brand allegiance (Fournier and Lee, 2009 McAlexander et al. , 2002, 2003). They argon based on a shargond rice beer in the brand (Algesheimer et al. , 2005) and, more speci? cally, on the three characteristics of knowingness of kind, sh ard rituals and traditions, and a ? sense or moral responsibility (Muniz and OGuinn, 2001). As a positive outcome of brand communities, consumers may engage in cocreation (Schau et al. 2009), and religious-like relationships among consumers and brands may evolve, as documented in the case of the Apple north brand ? ? community (Muniz and Schau, 2005 Schau and Muniz, 2006). The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/0736-3761. htm daybook of Consumer Marketing 29/3 (2012) 225 232 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited ISSN 0736-3761 DOI 10. 1108/07363761211221756 Because of their geographical independence, brand communities evict make it in the form of local clubs or interest groups (Algesheimer et al. 2005 Schouten and McAlexander, 1995), entirely on the profits (Kozinets, ? 1997 Muniz and Schau, 2005), or in combined form (Kozinets, 2001). Further, brand communities have emerged for virtually any product, such as cars (Algesheimer et al. , 2005 Leigh et al. , 2006 Luedicke et al. , 2010 McAlexander ? et al. , 2002 Muniz and OGuinn, 2001 Schouten et al. , 2007), motor st eering wheels (Schouten and McAlexander, 1995), computers (Belk and Tumbat, 2005), groceries (Cova and Pace, 2006), or movies and television system series (Brown et al. , 2003 Kozinets, 2001).The common denominator of the brands patronized in brand communities is a classify and funny positioning in combination with consumers who strongly identify with the brand. Consumers de? ne themselves by the brands they consume as well as the brands they do non consume, and brands are clearly classi? ed into our brands ? and different brands by the community (Muniz and Hamer, 2001). In other words, phalluss of a particular brand community are non only supposed to be more loyal to the own brand, scarce also substantially slight loyal to competing brands.This phenomenon has been exposit as oppositional brand ? faithfulness by Muniz and OGuinn (2001) and may run away to enhanced intergroup stereotyping, fling talk tar stomached at members outside the community, and emotional pleasure s from overbolds about a rivals failure (Hickman and Ward, 2007). In entire cases, oppositional brand committedness groundwork turn into active consumer resistance or anti-brand communities (Hollenbeck and Zinkhan, 2006 Luedicke et al. , 2010). However, brand communities are not free of oppositional forces and negotiations of basaling coming from inside.Rather, brand communities may pressure consumers who are 225 Brand communities for mainstream brands Reto Felix Journal of Consumer Marketing Volume 29 tour 3 2012 225 232 critical with the brand or the product in general, and it would olibanum be overly optimistic to expect equally lavishly levels of committedness from all visitors of a brand community. For example, Kozinets (1999) classi? es members of virtual communities agree to the identi? cation with the usage activity (or brand) and the intensity of the social relationships with other members of the community.Whereas insiders show both high levels of brand ident i? cation and social orientation towards the community, other members may have lower levels of brand identi? cation (minglers), lower levels of social relationships with the community (devotees), or both (tourists). oddly consumers who are simultaneously members in competing brand communities in the very(prenominal) product kinsperson may have high levels of participation in the communities, and without screening high levels of brand loyalty or admiration for the brands (Thompson and Sinha, 2008).In an diligence of these incisionation approaches to a sample of videogame players (Settlers of Catan) and a Swatch brand community, Ouwersloot and Odekerken-Schroder ? (2008) ? nd champion segment of community members who are highly interested in the product, merely not in the brand (36 and 7 percent, respectively) and a second segment including consumers who are neither interested in the product, the brand, or social relationships, up to now impart-still prefer to remain in th e community (15 and 7 percent, respectively).Thus, it shadow be argued that consumer responses, such as satisfaction or loyalty, operate not only on the brand, but also on the product level (Torres-Moraga et al. , 2008). In the following analysis of an online brand community for a Japanese mainstream motorcycle brand, it is shown how consumers negotiate product and brand significations, and how identity verbalism and brand attitudes are affected. The analysis is divided into a ? rst part on issues link to the activity and practices of sit a manoeuvres motor hertz and the identity of sports bike consumers in general, and a second part on brand attitudes and how brands mediate identity twirl. as chosen as the primary data source. Yamaha is hotshot of quaternion mainstream Japanese motorcycle brands with worldwide sales of US$12. 5 one thousand thousand in 2009 (Yamaha Motor Co. , 2009). As a comparison, Harley Davidsons uniform year consolidated sales from motorcycles and consortd products were US$4. 3 billion (Harley-Davidson, 2009). The Yamaha R1 forum is primarily dedicated to Yamahas top-of-the- take off sport bike, the Yamaha R1, but in that respect are also members subscribed to the forum who either have motorbikes from different brands, such as Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, or Ducati, or who currently do not have a motorbike.As of June 14, 2010, the R1 forum had 107,249 subscribed members and more than four million postings in virtually 265,000 meander. The threads in the forum are organized into ? ve different sections 1 Community 2 R1-related news 3 Technique, speed, and stunt discussion 4 Marketplace/classi? ed. 5 Misc. section. After locomoteing reading threads in the Community section, it was possible to identify preliminary themes and issues by only browsing through the postings. At a very early percentage point of the research, evidence was found for more conglomerate and ambiguous brand relationships than in previous studies on b rand communities.Following a purposive sampling approach (Lincoln and Guba, 1985 Wallendorf and Belk, 1989), reading and downloading posts were continued as long as analysis of the postings generated new insights and did not lead to redundancy (Belk et al. , 1988). At a later acquaint of the study, the forums search engine was used to immerse more systematically into the data. Over the period mingled with August 2006 and June 2010, about 10,000 postings were read, of which approximately 300 were downloaded. Organization, analysis, and ethical procedures In a ? st measuring stick, downloaded postings were pre-classi? ed into different categories and re fleetrences were coded by assigning one or several codes to the statements in the postings. Using an iterative aspect approach, jumping back and forth surrounded by coded and uncoded statements facilitated the interpreting of the data. Codes were then condensed into more meaningful constructs and subsequently into interpretive themes in order to obtain pertinent layers of meaning and richly textured interpretations (Arnould and Wallendorf, 1994).This procedure allowed a grounded, hermeneutic interpretation to emerge from the data that did not strive for representativeness, but instead for uninflected depth and relevance. In order to impede the racetracking of forum members identities, drug user names were changed to generic member names, such as forum member 1. Deviating from Kozinets (2002) recommendations, permissions from community members to use direct quotations were not requested. The reason for this decision was double First, in an initial attempt to contact community members, only one response out of ten emails sent was obtained.If only those postings had been used that responses had been veritable for, the pool of usable data had been reduced signi? affectationly. And second, Langer and Beckmans (2005) reasoning was considered in that postings in an internet community forum are intention ally public postings, comparable to readers letters in a newspaper, and that it would be highly funny to seek 226 Method Netnography was used to explore brand relationships and identity structure for an online community of a mainstream Japanese motorcycle brand. Netnography has been de? ed as ethnography adapted to the study of online communities (Kozinets, 2002, p. 61) and has been used in consumption contexts such as the X-Files (Kozinets, 1997), Star Trek (Kozinets, 2001, 2006), marry messages (Nelson and Otnes, 2005), cars (Brown et al. , 2003), and consumer throw systems (Giesler, 2006). Similar to conventional ethnography, netnography is open-ended, informative, ? exible, metaphorical, and grounded in the fuckledge of the speci? c and particularistic (Kozinets, 2002). However, netnography is usually faster, simpler, and less expensive than traditional ethnography (Kozinets, 2002, 2006).Further, it has been argued that new online communication technologies have expanded the array of generalize others contributing to the construction of the self (Cerulo, 1997, p. 386), and netnography as a tool of analyzing online communities is then able to integrate the broadened spectrum of agents involved in the construction of individual and incarnate identity. Data collection Because of its size and relevance for the motorcycle community, the Yamaha R1 forum (www. r1-forum. com) Brand communities for mainstream brands Reto Felix Journal of Consumer Marketing Volume 29 numeral 3 2012 225 232 ermission to use direct quotations in this context. However, Kozinets concerns about adequate ethical procedures in netnography research are certainly valid, and the pragmatic issue (non-responses for permission requests) ? nally was the one that complicated following his recommendations. The product level practice and identity Although amateurish motorbike in general is considered a high-risk leisure sentence activity, there are different segments within the motor cycle community that note themselves in attitudes and fashions related to travel style and speed.On one extreme of track bike locomote are the easy- force backr oriented owners of choppers or touring bikes who prefer to ride at moderate speeds and enjoy the immediate experience with the environment. On the other extreme are sports bike en consequentlyiasts who prefer a fast, competitive riding style that is a good deal accompanied by the exhibition of riding skills and regretful stunting maneuvers such as performing wheelies (Haigh and Crowther, 2005).Commercial sports bikes aim to be copies of racing bikes used by professional riders at the Moto GP or Superbike competitions, and a modern liter bike, available at dealerships for under US$15,000, accelerates from naught to 200 km/h (125 miles) in less than ten seconds and reaches speeds in excess of 290 km/h (180 miles). A complete safety gear, consisting of helmet, lather gear, gloves, and boots, is considered an obligati on for any sports bike rider by some(a), but lead to mock comments by others, ridiculing the power ranger out? t of sports bike riders. An main(prenominal) number of psychological and social con? cts are derived from the constitutive(a) nature of sports bike riding. Physical, functional, ? nancial, psychological and social risks form a tortuous, multilayered ? days of tensions and constraints that are constantly negotiated by the individual, both internally and externally, and rarely stubborn with simple heuristics. The actual or anticipated implications of an accident are dominant in many of the comments on the R1 forum, as the following sequence of deliver the goods narratives related to accidents and quitting riding suggests I quit riding one time in my life.I was but acquiring married, mannikining a house, etc. . . . and coincidentally I was involved in a string of near misses cars acidulous me off, almost getting side swiped by an idiot who didnt know how to turn into his own lane, getting run off road and up over a curb through a gas localise parking lot by a garbage truck who just decided he wanted to cut across two lanes with no warning. It was my opinion that there was just some bad energy around me right then, and with all the other stress in my life mayhap it was adding to the problem. I feignt know.I hung it up for a few years, then got back into it when everything felt right again. It still feels right . . . all the slice Ive witnessed bike wrecks, been close to others fatal accidents, laid my own bike down at a track day, etc. . . . but it still feels right for me. My single rule is that as long as my principal is in the game, then its right. If my head is constantly cogitate on crashing, dying, etc. . . . then its time to take another(prenominal) time-out. Shouldnt be riding if you appriset focus on what youre doing. Period. no.shame in that (forum member 1).Ive seen bad accidents but also I count its mental. With so many, Ive gone down threads, it can eat your con? dence away and make riding not fun. If it aint fun, thats a good time to step back and let time rebuild your enjoyment (forum member 2). . . . tender . . . (forum member 3). Personally everyday that I wake up and am fortunate enough to ride I tell my wife I love her I get my brain centre and I endlessly keep reminding myself that this could be my last ride and I think that is one-half the reason I ride so responsibly on the street.I dont want to have a last ride I love this sport. I have been down once very heavy(a) and that was a wake up call but I cant give up what I love and to all my friends and fashion plate riders if I do go down and dont get up please keep riding for me cause I would do the alike(p) (forum member 4). The con? ict between the hedonistic and aesthetic pleasures of riding a bike and the inherent risks involved in the activity becomes prominent in forum member 2 comment about how riding a motorcycle should be r elated to fun. Speci? life events, such as those mentioned in forum member 1 narrative, amplify these tensions and may lead to important changes in attitudes or behaviors. However, these attitudinal or behavioral changes are ofttimes dynamic and unstable in time. For example, the decision to quit riding is in many cases a temporal one, and forum members compare riding to an dependance such as drinking or smoking. This addiction-like need to ride a motorbike then becomes an important factor in identity construction From the point of take in of the individual, riders do not choose riding a motorbike in order to signal certain values.Rather, as verbalised by forum member 4, the activity forms a natural part of the self and is just there, similar to early conceptualizations of gender or race in the essentialist identity logic. Riding a bike is elevated to a mission that does not leave room for woofs, and expletive riders are support to honor the dead by continuing the mission an d keeping the biography alive. The inherent trait of being addicted to motorcycles is assessed critically in a re? ective discourse by many riders. For example, forum member 5 explains that he is awake(predicate) of the multiple con? cts that surround his hobby, but plainly resolves these con? icts by stating that riding is the most important thing in his life, and that he has learned that riding makes him happy. The shared consciousness and discourse related to themes such as the risk of experiencing a severe accident, losing a fellow rider, or problems with girlfriends, spouses, or the family in general, leads to a collective identity that is constructed, complex, and deprive of precise classi? cations. The brand level attitudes mediating identity constructionThe negotiations of meaning related to the practice of riding a sports bike are reproduced at the more speci? c brand level. Whereas previous research on brand communities has been largely focused on communities with extr aordinary high levels of brand loyalty and commitment, members of the R1 sports bike community show a more ambiguous and differentiated relationship with the Yamaha brand Im palpablely faithful to Yamaha, but when sitting on a new R1 and a new GSXR1000 side by side, I have to say I like the Suzuki. The R1 just feels so much . . . bigger. I dont know. Also, the magazines bitch about the suspension . . . still how many serious track lot leave suspension stock anyway? Regardless, Im too poor to buy a new bike, so Ill continue riding my 02 R1 on the track (forum member 6). Faithfulness in this context is not experienced as absolute loyalty to only one brand. Rather, it is legitimate to question publicly the qualities of the favorite brand. Contrary to what efficiency be expected, forum member 6 receives very few objections from the community members, and a relatively ational, attribute-based discussion of the merits and disadvantages of different motorcycle brands and models follo ws. In general, discourses presented by the forum members include few elements of real en and soiasm and emotional commitment for the brand. Apparently, community members discriminate both the products and the brands in the sports bike category as little differentiated. This does not mean that R1 owners are dissatis? ed with their bike 227 Brand communities for mainstream brands Reto Felix Journal of Consumer Marketing Volume 29 Number 3 2012 225 232 r the Yamaha brand in general. Rather, the speci? c stain of the sports bike community suggests guests who are highly satis? ed with their brand, yet even so would switch to another brand easily. It has been suggested that brand loyalty can be measured by asking individuals how likely it is they would recommend the brand to a friend or colleague (Reichheld, 2003). Because people new to sports bike riding frequently ask for advice on the forum, a great number of posts are related to what bike from which brand would be recommended. Typical answers include statements such as any of the new bikes are great (forum member 7) or Ive spent some time on all the bikes and seriously there is no true winner, no matter what you get today is a rocket out of the crate and you will be getting a good bike Each has its ups and down but boilers suit I could see myself on any of them really (forum member 8). Rather than showing indifference, consumers like and actually buy any of the important sports bike brands.Using the conceptual partition of the awareness raft into an elicited set, an unbiased set, and an inept set (Narayana and Markin, 1975 Spiggle and Seawall, 1987), it seems that R1 community members place most of the important sports bike brands into the evoked set, whereas the inert set is relatively small. Instead of a highly committed loyalty to one single brand, as in previous accounts of brand communities, the Yamaha R1 brand community is, if anything, prone to multi-brand or split loyalty (Jacoby, 1971 Jacob y and Kyner, 1973). Identity is thus less de? ed by a speci? c brand, but earlier by the activity of riding a sports bike itself. Wherever brand personalities in? uence decision making, it seems that these criteria are exclusive rather than inclusive. That is, the consideration set is not formed by the inclusion of a speci? c brand or set of brands, but rather by excluding unattractive brands. For example, in the R1 forum, some members distance themselves from Suzuki, one of Yamahas main contenders, because they dont identify with the people who ride Suzukis Yes, gixxer is by far the squid bike all the ? st time riders and newbies love the gixxers . . . Their wag and un golden attitude is because they are young, dumb, and think their bike is the best ever (forum member 9). the brand and strike with the otherwise positively perceived performance and character of the product. The identity of the R1 brand community is further formed by the relationship with two other groups of mo torcycles. On one hand, most forum members seem to admire the more exclusive Italian sports bike brands, such as Ducati and MV Agusta.On the other hand, the relationship to Harley Davidson is not marked by a clear bill of acceptance versus rejection pattern, but rather by a complicated and sometimes ambiguous pattern of mixed emotions toward the brand and its users There are a lot of douche bag riders, Harley and sportbike alike, but I will occupy Ive ? ipped off quite a few Harley riders. Ive gotten less camaraderie from Harley riders than anyone, but those are just the young wannabies, the old guys are usually dispassionate tho, hahaha (forum member 10). In motorcycle slang, Gixxer stands for Suzukis GSX-R line of super sport motorbikes.Forum members do not reject the Suzuki brand because of issues with the quality or performance of the product, but rather because of the characteristics of the riders who use the brand. Squid, an expression that, according to some forum members, is a combination of the two words squirrel and kid, describes unconditional motorcycle riders who overestimate their riding skills and frequently wear inappropriate and insuf? cient riding gear. By claiming that the Suzuki GSX-R series is the typical squid bike, attributes of the consumers are ascribed to the brand.Thus, brand identity is built on forcing out (this is not how we want to be) rather than on inclusion. Further, meaning transfer in this case deviates substantially from the traditional symbolic consumption process. Symbolic consumption suggests that individuals transfer the symbolic meaning of a brand to themselves, and subsequently the audience, such as peers and signi? coin bank others, assigns the attributes of the brand to the individual (Grubb and Grathwohl, 1967). However, meaning in the example above is transferred in the snow direction, from the user to the brand.Negative attributes of Suzuki brand users (such as being squiddish, dumb, and inexperienced) are transferred to 228 Here, forum member 10 develops a differentiated look toward Harley-Davidson riders by explaining that the less friendly Harley riders are typically those that are younger (and thus less experienced), whereas the fourth-year riders seem to be more open. Both positive and negative feelings co- exist at the same time as the result of a cognitive evaluation that avoids simple stereotyping found at other brand communities.Many R1 forum members perceive the Harley-Davidson brand as both cool and obsolete at the same time, and this ambiguity toward the brand is replicated for the users of the brand, where Harley-Davidson riders have been experienced as both cool and accredited riders or as ignorant and unfriendly weekend warriors. Thus, brands in the R1 community are not iconic symbols that unambiguously communicate attitudes and modus vivendis of brand users to the larger audience via the meaning of the brand.Rather, brands are complex, multidimensional entities th at gain meaning only in the reciprocal relationship with the brand user. Unconditional single-brand loyalty and we versus us stereotypes are replaced in large part by ambiguous, differentiated, and often critical attitudes toward the own brand. Brand identity is based on exclusion (Suzuki is a typical brand for squids) instead of inclusion, and within a relatively large evoked set, multi-brand loyalty is more common than religious-like brand worshipping described for, e. g. the Apple Newton. Conclusions and managerial implicationsBrand communities have sparked the interest of marketing researchers and practitioners alike because of the high levels of brand loyalty and commitment observed in previous studies on brands such as Apple, Jeep, or Harley Davidson. However, the results of this qualitative study suggest that instead of single-brand loyalty, consumers for mainstream brands may be more prone to multi-brand loyalty. As forum member 8 (see citation above) expressed it, . . . no matter what you get nowadays is a rocket out of the crate and you will be getting a good bikeEach has its ups and down but overall I could see myself on any of them really The case of the Yamaha R1 brand community thus presents preliminary evidence that speci? c industry conditions may shape the relationships consumers have with their brand, and more speci? cally, that multi-brand loyalty is more probable to occur for low levels of brand preeminence (Felix, 2009) combined with more choices (Bennett and Rundle-Thiele, 2005). It follows that from the point of view of a company, having many members in a speci? c brand community does not necessarily translate into a highly loyal customer base.Rather, under certain Brand communities for mainstream brands Reto Felix Journal of Consumer Marketing Volume 29 Number 3 2012 225 232 conditions, higher levels of participation may actually plus the likelihood of adopting products from competing brands, in particular if individuals are sim ultaneously members in several brand communities (Thompson and Sinha, 2008). The results of this study suggest that marketers should monitor and track consumers motivations, attitudes, and decision making processes on two levels On the product level, it is important for marketers to understand barriers and con? cts related to the general use of the product. In the speci? c case of a sports bike, the physiological risk (in the form of experiencing a severe accident) is probably the most important issue, which in turn may lead to substantial social tensions, especially with family members. For other products, such as clothing, computers, or food, the motivations why consumers may or may not consider a speci? c product category may be different, but it remains essential to understand these reasons. On the brand level, it is important for marketers to understand the degree of brand identi? ation in the community as well as the way how consumers perceive a consciousness of kind, share r ituals and traditions, and experience a sense of moral responsibility ? (Muniz and OGuinn, 2001). In a world of online consumer-to-consumer communications, companies are increasingly losing control over their brands. It is therefore important for marketers to get involved in the process of get word building and brand positioning in online communication platforms. zero(prenominal)-company-run communities, such as the Yamaha R1 forum, bear the risk of community members transmitting brand information in a way not desired by the company (Stokburger-Sauer, 2010).Marketers thus should try to integrate consumers by either sponsoring an entire discussion website, a forum, or part of a forum (Pitta and Fowler, 2005). Finally, an unobtrusive and authentic way of increasing a companys involvement in a noncompany-run forum is exempli? ed by a company that provides motorcycle braking systems. cardinal of the companys employees invites Yamaha R1 forum members to ask him brake related questions and explains that he is on the forum not to sell, but to educate riders about halt in general.By choosing a nonselling approach in the R1 forum, the company manages to gain credibleness in the community and to build customer relationships that are more consumer-focused and authentic than many of the hard-selling approaches at the dealerships. The employees thread on brake questions has more than 600 postings, which is signi? cantly above the forums average of around 15 postings per thread, and evidences the interest of the community in a direct contact with company representatives. The example also suggests that online communities are not limited to relationships between consumers and the brand and between consumers and consumers.Rather, consumers develop complex relationships with several brands, products, marketing agents, and other consumers within the same community. brand love are divided among the different brands in the evoked set? Or is it possible that several brands rec eive the same amount of commitment and dedication, as might be claimed by a hubby being in a polygynous relationship with several wives? Finally, how can corporations increase their share in the multi-loyal brand set? As in many other industries, differentiation on the product level seems to be dif? cult for sports bikes, but efforts in brand communication, e. . by using events and experiences to build brand image, might be a promising avenue to go. References Algesheimer, R. , Dholakia, U. M. and Herrmann, A. 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About the author Reto Felix is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Monterrey, Mexico. He legitimate his Masters in Marketing and PhD in Business Administration from the University of St Gallen, Switzerland.He has been a Visiting Scholar at the Marketing Group, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, and has create in journals such as Journal of International Marketing, Journal of Brand communities for mainstream brands Reto Felix Journal of Consumer Marketing Volume 29 Number 3 2012 225 232 Business & Industrial Marketing, and Journal of International Consumer Marketing. Further, he has presented his research at conferences hosted by the Association for Consumer Research, the American Marketing Association, the Academy of Marketing Science and the Society for Marketing Advances.Reto Felix can be contacted at emailprotected edu. mx Executive summary and implications for managers and executives This summary has been provided to allow managers and executives a rapid appreciation of the content of this article. Those with a particular interest in the topic covered may then read the article in toto to take advantage of the more well-rounded description of the research undertaken and its results to get the full bene? ts of the material present. The topic of brand communities has provided the focus for much marketing literature.Brand communities transcend geographical boundaries and contain people who exhibit passion for a particular brand. These individuals also boasting similarities in consciousness sequence shared rituals and traditions is another cornerstone of their social relationships. most scholars have even noted the propensity for religious-like associations to develop. Evidence shows that groups can be based locally, online or a combination of both. A wide range of products has supplied the inspiration for brand communities to form. In addition to strong consumer identi? ation with the brands, clear and unique positioning is viewed as a common characteristic among brands concerned. Brand loyalty can be fervent to a degree that an us and them mentality often arises with regard to other brands. Bonding within the community can generate stereotypes and outsiders are treated with some disdain. Any failure of competitor brands is cause for celebration. It is, however, a misconception to assume that brand communities are always homogenous. Signi? cant internal differences appear to be the rule not the exception.Relationship intensity with other members is subject to variation because some are loyal to the brand part others may identify more closely with the product. Levels of social orientation can similarly differ. Researchers have also pointed out the possibility of some individuals miss interest in brand, product and social relationships yet remaining in the community. Others might become involved with different brand communi ties in the same product category, resulting in further dissemination of loyalty. Felix explores the topic in a study of an online Yamaha brand community principally devoted to the Japanese manufacturing businesss R1 luxury sports otorcycle. Yamaha is one of the worlds leading brands in its category and in 2009 boasted sales of $12. 5 billion. At the time of the study, there were 107,249 registered members in the R1 forum. near members did not currently own a motorcycle, while others possessed a different brand. The author considers netnography as the most relevant study method for the investigation of brand relationships and identity construction of an online community. This approach is regarded as ethnography adapted for the purpose of exploring online communities. Among other things, netnography has been commended for its ? xibility, 231 open-endedness and interpretative qualities. Different researchers have used the approach in a diverseness of study contexts including cars, c onsumer gifts and TV programs. Following initial analysis of messages posted on the forum, the threads were arranged into ? ve different sections respectively labeled as Community R1-related Discussion Technique, Racing and Stunt Discussion Marketplace/ Classi? ed and multifaceted Section. Analysis of the threads enabled messages to be coded and then organized into interpretive themes so that appropriate layers of meaning could be identi? d. Message themes were analyzed at the product level to ascertain factors which in? uence practice and identity. In general, considerable risk is associated with riding a motorcycle for leisure purposes. But the variation in attitudes towards factors like speed and riding style means that different segments exist within the biking community. At one end of the continuum are those who ride around at moderate speeds to savor the experience with the environment. Positioned at the other extreme are bikers whose penchant for high speed is often accompan ied by an aggressive style of riding.Such individuals are also likelier to ? aunt their biking skills through dangerous maneuvers like pulling wheelies. According to Felix, riding a motorcycle gives rise to various risks and con? icts that can be physical, functional, ? nancial, psychological or social in nature. The activity is therefore highly complex and generates a web of tensions and constraints that the individual must constantly address internally and externally. take about accidents is a recurring theme with community members referring to actual or anticipated implications in that eventuality.Message content reveals that con? ict exists between knowledge of the inner risks associated with bike riding and the grati? cation derived from it. Forum members suggest that such tensions may contiguous attitude or behavioral changes, albeit sometimes ? eeting in nature. This occurs because riding a motorcycle is almost addictive and an important aspect of identity construction. So me comments imply that it is a mission that simply has to be ful? lled. Even though members are aware of the con? icts which surround this pastime, the desire to ride is the main driving force.Analysis reveals a shared consciousness about issues including serious accidents, disadvantage of a fellow biker, and problems relating to the family. The author ascertains a collective identity that is complex in nature but dif? cult to categorize precisely. An examination of meaning at the speci? c brand level reveals a relationship between forum members and the Yamaha brand that is ambiguous and differentiated. Instead of absolute loyalty to the brand, it is more evident that people engage in balanced reckon about its qualities and those of other motorcycle brands.Members apparently perceive little differentiation between brands and may switch to another brand even if they are highly satis? ed. Many studies have noted that some consumers can display loyalty to multiple brands and there is some evidence of this tendency here. Messages desire advice on future purchases are frequent and members typically recommend a range of brands they consider decent. In the opinion of Felix, this indicates that riding a sports motorcycle de? nes identity much more that the speci? c brand of bike. Another signi? cant ? nding is how decision making seems in? enced more by exclusive than inclusive brand criteria. A Brand communities for mainstream brands Reto Felix Journal of Consumer Marketing Volume 29 Number 3 2012 225 232 key example is the negative perceptions of the Suzuki brand among some R1 forum members. The interesting fact about this hostility is that is has little to do with product quality concerns. Instead, such evaluation arises because members question those who ride Suzuki sport bikes. With regard to identity construction, meaning is normally transferred from brand to individual. Here, however, it is the negative traits of Suzuki riders that re transferred to the b rand. Some con? ict with positive perceptions of the product subsequently occurs. That brands are complex and multidimensional is further illustrated by the contrasting ways in which R1 members relate to Harley Davidson. Positive and negative feelings exist simultaneously as the brand is regarded as cool yet obsolete. Contrasting statements are likewise directed at Harley Davidson riders. One important deduction is that ambiguity surrounds brand meaning, attitude and lifestyle conveyed within this community. This study indicates that consumer-brand relations might be shaped by speci? industry conditions. Marketers are also alerted to lack of clear brand differentiation and the possibility that multi-brand loyalty will ensue, even when a large brand community exists. Understanding what in? uences consumer attitudes, motivations and decision-making at both product and brand level is essential. Certain factors may encourage or deter choice of a particular product, while it is equally i mportant to be aware of brand identi? cation levels and collective sensitivities among consumers. Given the revealing nature of online communication, Felix suggests that ? ms might gain greater insight into consumer thinking by becoming actively involved in non-company forums. An unobtrusive approach is considered vital though. The aim should not be to sell but to build authentic consumer-focused relationships with an emphasis on providing advice or information. ? (A precis of the article Brand communities for mainstream brands the example of the Yamaha R1 brand community. Supplied by Marketing Consultants for Emerald. ) To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail emailprotected com Or visit our web site for further details www. emeraldinsight. com/reprints 232