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Brand community membership and the construction of meaning

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  • Morandin, Gabriele
  • Bagozzi, Richard P.
  • Bergami, Massimo

Abstract

We investigate one way that consumers find meaning in their lives through the joint experience of a brand with friends in a brand community. Using the laddering technique, we disclose the sense-making related to the participation of 174 members of Ducati motorcycle communities. The emergent cognitive map reveals that the members’ sense-making is related to a strong personal involvement with the focal brand and its social relatedness and symbolic meanings. These variables and their interconnections allow customers to define their relationships through the community. We also explore how elicited explanations for joining a community are efficacious in decision-making processes, through their influence on variables included in the theory of planned behavior. The findings provide a clearer explanation of consumer membership in brand communities than extant approaches and how customers define their identities through the centrality of the brand in their lives.

Suggested Citation

  • Morandin, Gabriele & Bagozzi, Richard P. & Bergami, Massimo, 2013. "Brand community membership and the construction of meaning," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 173-183.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:scaman:v:29:y:2013:i:2:p:173-183
    DOI: 10.1016/j.scaman.2013.03.003
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    Cited by:

    1. Flávia D’albergaria Freitas & Victor Manoel Cunha de Almeida, 2017. "Theoretical Model of Engagement in the Context of Brand Communities," Brazilian Business Review, Fucape Business School, vol. 14(1), pages 86-107, January.
    2. Frandsen, Sanne, 2017. "The silver bullet of branding: Fantasies and practices of organizational identity work in organizational identity change process," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 222-234.
    3. Sharma, Isha & Jain, Kokil & Behl, Abhishek, 2020. "Effect of service transgressions on distant third-party customers: The role of moral identity and moral judgment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 696-712.
    4. Monica Scarano & Oliviane Brodin, 2020. "Understanding the modification of a customer network based on the circulation of products and brands between members of a personal network [Comprendre la modification d'un réseau de consommateurs à," Post-Print hal-03349533, HAL.
    5. Margurite Hook & Stacey Baxter & Alicia Kulczynski, 2018. "Antecedents and consequences of participation in brand communities: a literature review," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 25(4), pages 277-292, July.
    6. Kumar, Jitender & Nayak, Jogendra Kumar, 2018. "Brand community relationships transitioning into brand relationships: Mediating and moderating mechanisms," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 64-73.
    7. Bernritter, Stefan F. & Verlegh, Peeter W.J. & Smit, Edith G., 2016. "Why Nonprofits Are Easier to Endorse on Social Media: The Roles of Warmth and Brand Symbolism," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 27-42.

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