Abstract
This chapter aims to explore consumer engagement in an online brand community. Consumer engagement includes cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions. This qualitative research focuses on the Finnish online forum called Brick Builders. This community is fully fan-based without any company involvement and it includes different age groups and both genders. The data collection is mainly based on netnography with more than 1000 postings and with nearly 200 different poster pseudonymes. However, pure netnographic approach was supplemented by 11 personal interviews and several interactive emails. This research proposes four main empirical findings. First, to create and sustain tight bonds among the members of an online brand community is vital in social networking. Second, to evangelize and justify are relevant thematic sub-practices in impression management. Third, to reinforce involvement in the brand community can be facilitated by community engagement. Fourth, to increase and enhance the consumption of the parent brand is typical in brand use.
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Kurikko, H., Tuominen, P. (2020). Consumer Engagement in an Online Brand Community. In: Bilgin, M., Danis, H., Demir, E., Ucal, M. (eds) Eurasian Business Perspectives. Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, vol 12/2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35051-2_11
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