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Empowerment within brand communities: Overcoming the Achilles’ Heel of scale-free networks

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  • Katz, Matthew
  • Heere, Bob

Abstract

This study explored how consumer interactions evolve within an emerging brand community. Since newly formed brand communities are marked by the presence of scale-free networks, an ethnographic study among individuals in their second year of tailgating at American football games was conducted to examine whether group leaders were able to empower their followers and alleviate the Achilles’ Heel of scale-free networks. The authors investigated whether member empowerment led to a more balanced network of consumers, whereby individual group members increased their involvement and loyalty towards the group itself and the larger brand. Social network theory was used to examine the changes in relationships among individual consumers within the brand community, specifically focusing on the construct of centrality. Marketing implications associated with the changes and developments of these evolving brand communities are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Katz, Matthew & Heere, Bob, 2015. "Empowerment within brand communities: Overcoming the Achilles’ Heel of scale-free networks," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 370-383.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:spomar:v:18:y:2015:i:3:p:370-383
    DOI: 10.1016/j.smr.2014.10.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zagenczyk, Thomas J. & Scott, Kristin D. & Gibney, Ray & Murrell, Audrey J. & Thatcher, Jason Bennett, 2010. "Social influence and perceived organizational support: A social networks analysis," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 111(2), pages 127-138, March.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Baker, Bradley J. & Zhou, Xiaochen & Pizzo, Anthony D. & Du, James & Funk, Daniel C., 2017. "Collaborative self-study: Lessons from a study of wearable fitness technology and physical activity," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 114-127.
    2. Katz, Matthew & Ward, Rose Marie & Heere, Bob, 2018. "Explaining attendance through the brand community triad: Integrating network theory and team identification," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 176-188.
    3. Habiba Ben Ameur & Kaouther Saeid Ben Rached, 2022. "Impact of Consumer Empowerment on Satisfaction in an Online Brand Community: Mediating role of the Online Experience Toward the Brand," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 12(6), pages 44-54, November.
    4. Rundio, Amy & Dixon, Marlene A. & Heere, Bob, 2020. "“I’m a completely different person now”: Extraordinary experiences and personal transformations in sport," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 704-718.
    5. Yuan, Denghua & Lin, Zhibin & Filieri, Raffaele & Liu, Ran & Zheng, Mengqin, 2020. "Managing the product-harm crisis in the digital era: The role of consumer online brand community engagement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 38-47.
    6. Kim, Jeeyoon & Kim, Yukyoum & Kim, Daehwan, 2017. "Improving well-being through hedonic, eudaimonic, and social needs fulfillment in sport media consumption," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 309-321.
    7. Lock, Daniel J. & Funk, Daniel C., 2016. "The Multiple In-group Identity Framework," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 85-96.
    8. Adam R. Cocco & Matthew Katz & Marion E. Hambrick, 2021. "Co-Attendance Communities: A Multilevel Egocentric Network Analysis of American Soccer Supporters’ Groups," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-18, July.

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