Submitted by Benjamin Rosenthal (benjamin.rosenthal@fgv.br) on 2014-04-07T12:41:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tese para depósito.pdf: 2068891 bytes, checksum: ba0ae7bd915046b5ba93e4f351e94da4 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vera Lúcia Mourão (vera.mourao@fgv.br) on 2014-04-07T16:08:50Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 tese para depósito.pdf: 2068891 bytes, checksum: ba0ae7bd915046b5ba93e4f351e94da4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-04-07T16:09:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese para depósito.pdf: 2068891 bytes, checksum: ba0ae7bd915046b5ba93e4f351e94da4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-14 / In this thesis I investigate the extent to which companies can build a more communal environment out of their fan pages while also evaluating the corresponding brand value that may come from having such a communal environment. My research is comprised in three articles: in the first article, I describe how the brand image is created or augmented in the fan page environment, therefore providing demonstrable evidence of value creation. In the second article, I describe how individuals use fan page semiotic elements to communicate their identities. Finally, in the third article, I describe the possible communal characteristics of a fan page and the conditions that enable it to evolve to the virtual brand community concept. As a result, I will contribute to the marketing literature on the use of Facebook for communicating brand identity, on the co-creation of the brand image in social media context, and on the conceptual definition of fan pages as a communal environment.