"Community' - I've heard that word 416 times this week, ok not really, I wasn't counting but I've heard it a lot. Every brand wants a community. But can every brand have a community and can you be successful without one?
That started me thinking which brands I felt any community with or indeed wanted to - I had a cup of Twinings English Breakfast Tea this morning, shaved with my Gillette Fusion Razor, used some Clinique Moisturiser (for men!), phoned Comcab (the black cab company), jumped out near the office walked past Starbucks (rubbish coffee), went to Make Mine (much better coffee) and made a call on my Apple Iphone whilst waiting for it to be made. Now I don't know but I would guess that if you were a fly on the wall in a marketing meeting for most of those companies, they would discuss 'community' and its importance. Now I like many other people, happily patronise those brands, take note of their marketing messages but don't want to be part of any community with them, even Apple. In fact, in many ways Starbucks' attempts to make me part of their community puts me off (and did I mention their rubbish coffee).
So I ask this question - Should all brands be obsessed with community and do they always need one to be successful?
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