This study explores automobile online brand communities in the different cultural contexts between South Korea and the United States. The core assumption is that members of automobile online brand communities in different cultures have different motivation orientations to visit their online communities and have different community experiences. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions were utilized as embedded cultural circumstances in examining relationships between different motivation orientations and community experiences. Two steps of qualitative and quantitative research methods were adopted to determine the relationships among community members’ motivation orientations, community experiences, and satisfaction. The study found that Korean automobile online brand community (KAOBC) members have stronger social, business, and communication motivations than American automobile online brand community (AAOBC) members. These community members’ motivations also influenced their community experiences. Both social network motivations and communication motivations are crucial predictors for four community experiences: Community loyalty, trust, membership identity, and word of mouth (WOM). Community members who have a stronger social networking and/or communication motivation are more likely to have a higher level of community loyalty, trust, membership identity, and WOM. Finally, community experiences were the most important indicators of the satisfaction of online community members among nationality, demographic factors, and motivation orientations.

Research on community management conducted in the past has used primarily examples and case studies within large corporations. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) also need to be included in community management, exploring the ways in which they deal with community management and if the large company theories on the subject can be applied to them. In an attempt to respond to this gap in community management we respond to the question of how do small and medium-sized companies utilize communities to communicate successfully to their consumers? During our work, we noted that SMEs were facing two phases when dealing with community management. A strategic step, where the company has to define its goals, its targets, the means it will invest and the tools it will use to deal with community management. The second phase being an operational step includes the creation of communities and the management of them. In the strategic step, we pointed out questions which companies have to address before starting community management including the benefits that the company expects from the community, the amount it will invest in it and the tools the company will use. In the operational step, five main principles were highlighted as commonly used by SMEs to communicate through communities: (1) promotion of an Ideal, (2) uniting around shared interests, (3) the use of the myth as a gathering factor, (4) the importance of the community involvement in the company, and (5) the physical interaction between community members and the brand. Additionally, we found that SMEs have two main advantages when it comes to collaborating with customers/fans that large businesses did not have: proximity and flexibility. However, we found that it was difficult for small companies to find competent people working in the community management field. This lack of knowledge within SMEs appeared to be the primary reason why most brand communities failed. Therefore, in this thesis we aimed to point out good habits in terms of community management in order for SMEs to possess a basic knowledge, thus enabling them to benefit from their advantages of proximity and flexibility, which are a result of by their size and is essential for community management.

This study aims to describe and analyse consumer behaviour in social media toward fashion brands. Specifically, it is analysed consumers’ motivations to follow fashion brands on social media, activities developed on social platforms concerning to fashion brands and level of engagement regarding fashion brands on social media.

The purpose of this research was to see at which extent the game League of Legends, during the world championship, could be seen as a brand community. I have used a quantitative content analysis where the variables that were measured consisted of the elements from the theory of brand community. The elements were (1) consciousness of kind, (2) rituals and traditions, (3) moral responsibility. I used the following research issues: <ul type="disc">What physical evidence is there to support that the League of Legends scene is evolving? What qualitative, visual changes have been made over the years (in League of Legends world championship finals)? At what frequency does the elements of Brand Community, as an amount of mentions by the commentators, occur in League of Legends (E-sport, world championship finals)? My findings suggest that the League of Legends E-sport scene is a brand community that is evolving; according to the set criteria’s for a brand community; and that the world championship can be seen as a brand fest, a gathering of a brand community.

The primary objective of the research was to examine the motivations behind members’ participation in Tesla’s online community on Facebook and explore how member interaction influences engagement and loyalty towards Tesla. The emergence of new technologies has intensified the complexity of understanding user behaviors. This study contributes to an enhanced understanding of how individuals utilize media to fulfill various needs, impacting behaviors and attitudes. Previous research indicates that online community participants seek belonging, information, social interaction, entertainment, and self-realization. Active involvement, information sharing, and stronger relationships within brand communities enhance consumer-brand relations and serve as exit barriers. Therefore, three research questions were formulated to shed light on members’ motivations for participation, their level of involvement, relationships within the community, and their impact on customer loyalty. Positioned within popular culture studies and with a framework consisting of Brand Community Theory and Uses and Gratifications Theory, a qualitative content analysis was conducted on 10 semi-structured interviews. Findings suggest varying motivations for participation, with primary emphasis on gathering product information. Active engagement through knowledge-sharing fosters a sense of unity and heightens involvement. The social interaction among Tesla enthusiasts not only enhances engagement but also cultivates customer loyalty by fostering meaningful relationships. Members' roles as "working consumers", and Tesla’s responsiveness to suggestions, positively influence customer loyalty, reinforcing the community's value. However, member passivity due to negativity or unfulfilled entertainment needs can result in diminished engagement and subsequently affect customer loyalty negatively.

Background: The rise of digital platforms has significantly transformed the dynamics of sports brand communities. Manchester United, being one of the most globally recognized football clubs, maintains a strong online presence through its official and unofficial brand community channels. Understanding how these channels operate and influence fan engagement is crucial for marketers to develop effective marketing strategies on brand community platforms. Purpose: This study aims to explore the nuances and differences in interactions between ManchesterUnited’s official and unofficial brand communities, specifically, it seeks to understand how these channels leverage narrative control, fan engagement, and the overall experience of community members. Additionally, this paper aims to develop online brand community literature, by providing a perspective on unofficial brand communities. Method: This research employs a qualitative analysis on nethnographic data collection of posts, comments, and interactions of both Manchester United’s official and unofficial brand communities. The analysis focuses on 4 key relationships adopted and developed from McAlexander et al., (2002): Fan-to-Product, Fan-to-Brand, Fan-to-Company, and Fan-to-Fan. This study examines how these four relationships are shaped by the content produced as well as engagement strategies in the official and unofficial brand communities. Conclusion: Findings reveal that the official channels of Manchester United focus on maintaining a prestigious and polished brand image, emphasizing heritage, quality, and positive fan experiences. In contrast, unofficial channels offer a more authentic and genuine space for community expression, allowing for real-time reactions and discussions. Fans may be drawn to an unofficial channel due to its transparency and more authentic interactivity. This study highlights the importance of balancing a controlled narrative with genuine fan interactions, which suggests that these elements could enhance brand community engagement.

Bakgrund och problemformulering - Vi har valt att studera och analysera i vilket avseende det sker user innovation på ett forum skapat av företaget Salesforce. Forumet är ett brand community för användare som utvecklar Salesforce tjänster. Frågeställningarna behandlar om det sker olika typer av user innovation och vad det är som driver användarna till att innovera på det forum vi har valt att studera. Vår studie syftar till att bidra med en bredare kunskap och förståelse kring ämnet då det finns begränsad forskning kring user innovation inom online brand communities idag. Teori - Begreppet brand communities förklaras utifrån Muniz och O’Guinns (2001) synsätt som innebär att ett online brand community är en samlingsplats på internet dedikerat till ett specifikt varumärke. På vårt valda brand community innoverar användarna och vi utgår från Gault (2012) för att redogöra för begreppet innovation som i sin tur möjliggör en fördjupad förståelse för user innovation. Vi utgår från en definition av user innovation som innebär att användare innoverar för sin egen skull (von Hippel &amp; Euchner 2013). Metodologi - Vi eftersträvar en djupare förståelse för user innovation på vårt specifika forum och då lämpar sig en kvalitativ explorativ ansats bäst. Inspiration har hämtats från Kozinets (2006, 2011) kvalitativa metod netnografi som innebär en deltagande-observerande forskning på nätet. Resultat - I detta avsnitt presenterar vi de likheter och skillnader som Salesforce forum har med Muniz och O’Guinns (2001) kriterier för vad ett brand community är. Vidare presenteras vårt resultat i form av två kategorier av user innovations: modifierade innovationer och skapande innovationer. Kategorierna förklaras och illustreras med exempel som klargör deras innebörd. Analys och diskussion - I analysen diskuterar vi vad som driver användarna på vårt valda forum att innovera och analyserar likheter och skillnader med redan befintliga teorier kring user innovation. Vi resonerar oss fram till en ny term vi väljer att kalla user co-innovation samt spekulerar i huruvida innovationerna genererar någonting för Salesforce. Slutsats - Vårt teoretiska bidrag till forskningen presenteras genom vår modell som illustrerar sambandet mellan user innovation, user co-innovation och våra två kategorier. Modellen innefattar vilka användare som innoverar, vilkafaktorer som driver dem till att innovera och resultatet av user co-innovation på vårt valda brand community.Nyckelbegrepp - Innovation, user innovation, lead users, brand community, online community, netnografi. / Background and problematization -We have chosen to study to what extent user innovation occurs on a forum created by the company Salesforce. This forum is a brand community devoted to user development of Salesforce services. Our main research question is whether there occur different types of user innovations on the brand community we are studying and what it is that drives these users to innovate. Our study aims to contribute with a wider knowledge and understanding of user innovation on brand communities since the research of today on the subject is limited. Theory - In this chapter we explain the concept of brand community based on Muniz and O’Guinns (2001) definition which implies that an online brand community is an online meeting place for people dedicated to a specific brand. User innovation occurs on our chosen brand community and we base ourselves on Gaults (2012) theory to explain innovation in order to explain the term user innovation. We use one definition of user innovation which implies that users innovate for themselves (von Hippel &amp; Euchner 2013). Methodology - We seek a deeper understanding of user innovation on our specific brand community and that makes a qualitative exploratory approach best suited. Inspiration has been taken from Kozinets (2006, 2011) netnography which is a qualitative method and involves participatory observation research online. Results - In this chapter we present the similarities and differences that we have been able to identify between Salesforce forum and the criteria for a brand community set by Muniz and O’Guinn (2001). Furthermore we introduce our result which consists of two categories of user innovations: modified innovations and creativity innovations. The categories are explained and illustrated with examples that clarify their meaning. Analysis and discussion - In this chapter we discuss what drives users on our chosen brand community to innovate and analyze similarities and differences between already existing theory on user innovation. Our discussion results in a new term which we choose to name user co-innovation. We also speculate whether the user innovations generate something of value for Salesforce. Conclusion - Our theoretical contribution to the subject is presented by our model that illustrates the connection between user innovation, user co-innovation and our two categories. The model includes which users that innovate, the factors driving them to innovate and the results of user co-innovation on our chosen brand community.

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近年來有關於品牌的研究逐漸朝向品牌社群的相關研究，探討其中的社會性意義與品牌認同、忠誠意向的關係。但過往在研究品牌社群上，皆側重於探討社會性的影響因子，諸如關係品質、互動品質等等，而較少著墨於其他的影響媒介，諸如資訊品質。資訊品質是影響虛擬社群成員滿意度與忠誠意向的關 鍵因素(Andersen,and Srinivasan,2003; Parks, and Kory,1996; Zeithaml and Berry,1996)。國內學者江義平與林佳蓁(2006)的研究也指出資訊品質會對虛擬社群成員的滿意以及信任有正向的影響。Jang, Olfman, Ko, Koh and Kim (2008)則指出資訊品質對於虛擬社群成員的承諾並無顯著關係。然而，資訊品質與實體的品牌社群之間的相關性研究則有待進一步探討。 本研究針對大台北區實體有機食品商店社群成員，採用問卷調查法，以結構方程式模型作為分析方法，欲探討在資訊發展較不完整的有機食品產業中，消費者所關心的資訊品質是否會影響其對於社群的認同進而影響社群忠誠意向。本研究的實證結果顯示： 1.資訊品質會透過品牌社群認同而影響品牌社群忠誠意向，其中以資訊品質的正確性、完整性、攸關性、及時性與一致性呈現正向而顯著的關係。 2.品牌社群認同除了會透過品牌社群承諾而影響品牌社群忠誠意向之外，也會直接對品牌社群忠誠意向產生正向而顯著的影響。 3.品牌社群認同並未透過規範性壓力而影響品牌社群忠誠意向。 / In recent years, researches on the brand gradually emphasize brand community studies, which explore the influence of social meaning and the relationship between brand identification and loyalty intentions. But the researches on brand communities in the past focused more on the impact of social factors, such as relationship quality, interactive quality, etc., and less investigated the impact of information quality. Information quality is regarded as one of the key factors of the satisfaction and loyalty intentions for the members of virtual community (Andersen, and Srinivasan, 2003; Parks, and Kory, 1996; Zeithaml and Berry, 1996). Jiang Yiping (2006) also pointed out that the quality of information has a positive influence on the virtual community members’ satisfaction and trust. Yet, Jang, Olfman, Ko, Koh and Kim (2008) pointed out that the information quality has no significant influence on the virtual community members’ commitment. However, the relationship between information quality and physical brand community is to be further explored. This research focuses on the members of the physical organic food store communities in Taipei area. It tests the hypotheses by estimating a structural equation model with survey data from a sample of the members of the organic food store culbs in Taipei area. After questionnaire investigation and SEM analysis, the empirical results are divided into three parts: 1.Information quality affects brand community loyalty intention through the mediation effect of community identification. And the accuracy, completeness, relevance, timeliness and consistency of the information quality have positive and significant effects on brand identifiaction. 2.Brand community identification not only influences the brand community loyalty intention through brand community commitment, but also directly affects the brand community loyalty intention positively and significantly. 3.Brand community identification doesn’t affect the brand community loyalty intentions through the mediation of normative pressure.

Studien syftar till att undersöka engagemang i ett online brand community (OBC) för att få en djupare förståelse för medlemmars engagemang i Sverige. Empirin samlades in genom en kvalitativ metod bestående av 13 semistrukturerade intervjuer med aktiva medlemmar. För att analysera empirin utgår studien från tre engagemangsdimensioner: affektivt, kognitivt och beteendemässigt engagemang. Resultatet visade hur aktiva medlemmars engagemang i OBC framkom genom en upplevd gemenskap, egennytta och vilja att tillgodose andra. Det framkom även att aktiva medlemmar har en betydande roll för interaktionen i OBC. Studien bidrar med en förståelse för medlemmars engagemang i ett svenskt OBC. / The study aims to investigate engagement in an online brand community (OBC) to gain a deeper understanding of members' engagement in Sweden. The empirical data was collected through a qualitative method consisting of 13 semi-structured interviews with active members. To analyze the empirical data, the study is based on three dimensions of engagement: affective, cognitive and behavioral engagement. The results showed how active members' engagement in OBC emerged through a perceived sense of community, self-interest and willingness to serve others. It also emerged that active members have a significant role in the interaction in OBC. The study contributes to an understanding of members' involvement in a Swedish OBC. This study is written in Swedish.