"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲."
That's the provocative title of the latest episode of Dutch Podcast VSR (Voorheen Schaamteloos Randstedelijk), where Perre van den Brink and Doortje Smithuijsen delve into the complex dynamics of modern brand communities.
In a world where every brand aspires to build its own community—much like the rush for viral hits a decade ago—it's crucial to understand what genuinely makes a community more than just another marketing platform. Having built communities for iconic brands like KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, McDonald's, and Nestlé over the past 15 years, I've seen firsthand how they can significantly deepen customer relationships when done right. However, the real challenge lies in executing these strategies effectively.
This week's VSR highlights brands like Soho House & Co , Patta Exclusive Sneakers BV., and Glossier, Inc.’s 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴 as benchmarks in branded communities. Each of these communities succeeds because they embody six distinct characteristics that set them apart from mere brand platforms👇.
Communities are a powerful tool, but only if we remember that at their core, they're about people connecting over shared passions, not just brands pushing products. Let's get back to building genuine communities, where the proof really is in the pudding.
𝘑𝘰𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴.
FACTS! 🪄