Cause-Brand Community: Toward Consumer Citizenship

ABSTRACT

Brand communities have been proven to be successful with commercial brands. However, a review of the literature indicated that brand community has not been studied in charity organizations. To shed light on this issue, a qualitative research was conducted among stakeholders of an internationally well-known charity organization using three different techniques: in-depth interviews, netnography, and nonparticipant observation at the charity’s brandfest. The results suggest that cause-brand communities exist, sharing the same elements of commercial-brand communities, but the two have some unique characteristics, such as the existence of different stakeholders and small communities that demonstrate an extreme commitment, the promotion of consumer citizenship among them, and the lack of oppositional brand loyalty. A cause-brand community has important managerial implications as it helps build the charity’s brand equity; at the same time, a well-known brand supports the construction of the brand community.

KEYWORDS:

• Brand community
• brand equity
• cause-brand community
• consumer citizenship
• social cause

Acknowledgments

Our most sincere thanks to Herminio Rodriguez, CEO of CRIT Coahuila, for opening the doors of the Rehabilitation Center for us and allowing us to conduct our research.