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Cited by 3,998Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and IdentificationDigital Marketing and Social MediaMarketing and Advertising Strategies

Brand Community

Muniz, Albert M., O'Guinn, Thomas C.·2001·Journal of Consumer Research
DOI 10.1086/319618
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Abstract

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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Crossref · 10.1086/319618

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1 of 1 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Consumers can build relationships with brands via similar processes that they use to build relationships with other people.

    “In the domain of consumer-brand relationships, consumers can build relationships with brands via similar processes that they use to build relationships with other people (Fournier 1998; Muniz Jr and O'guinn 2001), and these brand relationships can affect their subjective experiences and behaviors (Brakus, Schmitt, and Zarantonello 2009; Esch et al. 2006).”

    From AI Companions Reduce Loneliness (2024) · cites this paper as Muniz Jr and O'guinn 2001

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Authors
Muniz, A. M., & O'Guinn, T. C.
Venue
Journal of Consumer Research
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2001-03
Volume
27
Issue
4
Pages
412-432
ISSN
  • 0093-5301 (ISSN-L)
  • 1537-5277
DOI
10.1086/319618
OpenAlex
W4211068185
Cited by
3,998
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 125 · 2025: 174 · 2024: 188 · 2023: 205 · 2022: 197 · 2021: 266 · 2020: 219 · 2019: 267 · 2018: 258 · 2017: 254 · 2016: 215 · 2015: 254 · 2014: 222 · 2013: 204 · 2012: 173
FWCI
101.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Consumer Research (publishedVersion)
  • Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Marketing and Social Media
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Marketing and Advertising Strategies
Keywords
brand community, consumer communities, Macintosh, Saab, shared consciousness, rituals and traditions, moral responsibility, mass media, branding, sociology of community, consumer behavior

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