Why are brands resisting

1. Commitment:

Building community requires an organisation-wide commitment and a willingness to work across functional boundaries. It takes courage to examine one’s company values and organisational design.

2. Consistency

Brands are not always consistent.

3. Measure:

ROI can’t be measured as immediately or evidently like digital marketing.

4. Trust:

A lack of trust in the product and or in one’s consumers to offer intelligent feedback.

5. Sales versus Serve:

A brand’s community does not exist to simply drive sales but rather to serve the people.

6. Chicken and Egg:

Brands often believe that once they’ve built their brand, the community will come. In reality, if the brand engineers community, the brand will be stronger.

7. Political:

Communities can be inherently political and conflict is the norm. Community is about both loyalty and rivalry. Apple enthusiasts snub Microsoft, Dunkin’ Donuts coffee drinkers shun Starbucks, PlayStation gamers dismiss Xbox.

8. Control:

Community building defies managerial control. Brand communities are not corporate assets; control is an illusion. Effective brand stewards participate as co-creators nurturing and facilitating community. The brand must create conditions in which they can thrive.