Communities in the 21st Century - Fact or Fiction

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• INTRODUCTION
• NEW PERSPECTIVES OF RELATIONSHIP MARKETING
• Problem Statement
• Subquestion
• DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
• CONTRIBUTION
• Theoretical Contribution
• Practical Contribution
• CHAPTER OUTLINE
• BRAND COMMUNITIES
• INTRODUCTION
• BRAND COMMUNITIES
• THE KOLONISTEN VAN CATAN COMMUNITY
• SUMMARY
• RELATIONSHIP MARKETING
• INTRODUCTION
• ASPECTS OF RELATIONSHIP MARKETING
• Relationship Marketing Definitions
• Summary Relationship Marketing Definitions
• TRUST
• COMMITMENT
• SUMMARY
• BRANDING
• INTRODUCTION
• BRANDS VS. PRODUCTS
• Products
• Brands
• CUSTOMER-BRAND RELATIONSHIPS
• Conceptualisation
• Determinants of Brand Relationship Quality
• Hypotheses Development
• BRAND TRUST AND BRAND AFFECT
• BRAND LOYALTY
• Components of Loyalty
• SUMMARY

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

The study aims to explore the existence and potential of brand communities in a setting outside of the automotive product category. It investigates the relationship marketing characteristics present in these communities, focusing on the customer-product, customer-brand, customer-company, and customer-customer relationships. The study uses the Kolonisten van Catan board game and its brand community as a case study to investigate these relationships.

• The existence and potential of brand communities in a product category outside of automobiles.
• The relationship marketing characteristics within brand communities.
• The role of trust, affect, and commitment in building sustainable loyalty within brand communities.
• The impact of brand communities on relationship marketing and branding theory.
• The potential of brand communities as a competitive advantage for businesses.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introductory chapter sets the stage for the study by exploring new perspectives on relationship marketing, specifically in the context of community building in today's globalized world. It outlines the problem statement and subquestion guiding the research, delineates the scope of the study, and highlights its theoretical and practical contributions. The chapter concludes with an outline of the subsequent chapters. Chapter 2 delves into the concept of brand communities, defining them as non-geographically bound communities based on four distinct customer relationships. It explores the concept of brandfests and their role in strengthening these relationships. Chapter 3 examines the key aspects of relationship marketing, including definitions, trust, and commitment. It emphasizes the importance of these elements in fostering sustainable loyalty. Chapter 4 dives into the realm of branding, differentiating between products and brands and exploring the significance of customer-brand relationships. It discusses determinants of brand relationship quality, hypothesis development, and the role of brand trust, brand affect, and brand loyalty.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main keywords and focus topics of the text include brand communities, relationship marketing, brand loyalty, trust, affect, commitment, Kolonisten van Catan, and customer relationships. These keywords reflect the study's focus on exploring the potential of brand communities in relationship marketing and the role of specific characteristics like trust and commitment in fostering sustainable loyalty.