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Engaging Communities for the Company and the Brand

12/06/07 - 12/07/07
Boston University, Boston, MA

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While communities—groups of people formed around shared needs, values, interests, or lifestyles—have existed for centuries, some say our hunger for social connection is amplified in today’s fragmented world. Social networking tools now allow collectives to form beyond the place-based boundaries that have traditionally defined them. Brand communities grounded in experiences of shared consumption have also flourished, with members often less interested in the objects of consumption than in the social connections and group identities that come with them. The argument for actively linking community to the company or brand is compelling. Community members influence each others’ perceptions and behaviors. Meanings co-created by community participants offer rare qualities of authenticity and trustworthiness. Communities pool resources in the collective, rendering them an undeniable social force. Co-chaired by Professor Susan Fournier of the Boston University School of Management, this conference will explore cross-disciplinary thinking on the nature and process of community, and leading edge practice in engaging communities for the benefits of the company and the brand.