BrandChannel recently published a new article by our brand community expert Lara Lee. Her piece examines four often overlooked opportunities for strengthening an already vital brand community in a sometimes confusing Web 2.0 world.

Originally Published on BrandChannel.com, August 2009

Community marketing strategies are now common. Years of research have demonstrated that transforming customers into community members yields higher repeat purchase, greater loyalty and stronger brand advocacy. This, in turn, creates a virtuous cycle of greater brand authenticity, increased marketing efficiency and the ability to reinvest marketing dollars in building the community.

But the proliferation of Web 2.0 features and social networking platforms has created confusion between tools and strategies. Be it Twitter, Facebook or a custom CRM (customer relationship management) system, constant buzz about the latest tools is enough to make a marketer’s head spin. Instead of chasing the latest technology, it’s time to step back, reflect on brand community fundamentals and explore hidden opportunities for increased impact.

Needs in Tension Reveal Hidden Opportunities
People join communities to meet a wide range of needs, including practical (get help to get things done), emotional (express devotion to my group), individual (explore different parts of my identity) and social (raise the quality of my interactions). But a community-based solution to one need often turns out to create conflict with others. This tension, if unresolved, puts community members at risk of dropping out. By understanding the four most common need tensions and crafting solutions to address them, brand communities can increase member retention and broaden their appeal. As a robust, well-developed community, Harley-Davidson and its Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) illustrate this strategy in action.

Sustain Passions while Managing Responsibilities
Joining a community is often a means to pursue a hobby or interest: think of volunteer fire departments, book clubs and pub trivia leagues. Strong brand communities are no different. Nike’s global online running community, Porsche car clubs and Disney family vacations all enable brand aficionados to explore their shared passions.

Paradoxically, the more a community succeeds at providing members multiple ways to engage, the more it increases the potential conflict between spending time with the community and the need to manage responsibilities such as family and career. This tension often peaks as young adults start families and buy homes, and is frequently resolved only by putting outside interests on the back burner to be picked up again “later,” when practical realities are less pressing.

Strong communities head off these issues by providing opportunities to include the family and by making it easy for members to manage their involvement without feeling guilty. For example, Harley-Davidson originally established its Ladies of Harley program to get spouses involved in the sport. It added kids’ activities and family-friendly fare to its motorcycle rallies to make them places that multiple generations of Harley enthusiasts could enjoy together.

Deepen Experience and Explore New Challenges
Some of the most tangible benefits communities offer are opportunities to deepen knowledge and gain expertise. These can be informal, like exchanging favorite running routes; semiformal, like identifying mentors to train with; or formal, like organizing a running clinic to be taught by a track star. Successful brand communities typically pursue multiple strategies to feed members’ desires for increasing levels of mastery, be it Ducati riding clinics, REI rock-climbing classes or weekly cooking demonstrations at Williams-Sonoma stores. The more the brand enables members to explore their shared passion, the stronger the ties to the community become.

But while people often crave increased mastery, they also tend to want variety in their lives. Delving ever deeper into one interest can begin to feel like a barrier to exploring new terrain. What’s more, as people gain expertise within a given field, they often feel pressured to teach or mentor others. For some, this can be the realization of a long-held dream. But many others are more comfortable remaining in a learner role.

By providing members opportunities to explore outside interests with each other, brand communities can help reconcile the tension between going deeper and branching out. Often activities organized at the grassroots level can point to shared interests that brand stewards can then amplify and extend across the community to keep it fresh. At Harley-Davidson, for example, guided adventure tours, Harley-themed cruises and historical touring rides were all ideas that developed from the grassroots.

Be an Individual and Part of Something Bigger
Individuals often join communities to test out or develop different aspects of their identities. Affiliating with a like-minded group is a good way to explore ideals and decide if they’re really for you. Trying out different brands can serve the same function. It’s why your teenager craves Abercrombie today, Hot Topic yesterday and PacSun on alternate days.

While sampling identities is convenient for individuals, a brand’s motivation is to attract and hang onto members. Marketing experts have taught us that the best way to do this is by developing a strong brand identity: define a relevant set of values and express them clearly and consistently to attract a loyal following. While this formula works well for attraction, it can be limiting in terms of retention. The very clarity and consistency that build a strong brand can feel confining to those already involved and lead to a desire for escape.

Brand communities can combat this impulse by serving up a continuous stream of opportunities for members to express their individuality within the group. Harley-Davidson is a master of this. Motorcycles can be customized with special paint jobs, handlebars, seats, lights and dozens of other parts to make the fit, function and form completely unique. A high-quality, durable and protective riding jacket can come in pink leather, Kevlar with body armor and anything in between. As a rider I met at a German H.O.G. rally put it, “Where else can you be an individual in a sea of individuals?”

Enjoy Today while Preparing for the Future
The tension between immediate gratification and future rewards has plagued humans for thousands of years. It shows up in every aspect of our lives, and the community sphere is no different.

Because communities are often avenues for pursuing extracurricular interests, they may seem inherently at odds with future planning. Involvement in the community can feel like a distraction or like an impediment to getting on with the serious business of real life. Young adults, in particular, tend to face this tension between cultivating their outside interests and building a foundation for the future in terms of career and relationships.

Strong communities understand this tension and offer up solutions that let members build toward future goals while participating in community activities. Unbeknownst to most outsiders, the Harley Owners Group is a highly disciplined leadership-development organization. It takes only a handful of corporate staff to satisfy and grow a global community of over a million members because of the incredibly dedicated volunteer leadership at the country, state and local chapter levels. To cultivate and support these champions, H.O.G. sponsors annual leadership training sessions around the world that school volunteers in everything from contracts to risk management and conflict resolution. For Harley-Davidson, this is a way to involve enthusiasts in shaping the brand community. For the members, the community becomes a way to have fun and pursue a passion while developing marketable leadership skills that can support career advancement.

Putting It All Together
Unlike establishing a brand community, which can require considerable preparation to align strategies and build organizational support, strengthening an existing community by reducing need tensions can be taken on at any time by any brand. Discovering these opportunities requires listening to constituents, asking questions and, often, digging beneath the surface to unearth hidden conflicts. The four common need tensions provide a roadmap to guide these conversations. Once the challenges are identified and it’s time to design solutions, remember that some of the best ideas come from the grassroots. Passionate community members are eager to co-create, and engaging people in strengthening their own community is always a winning strategy.

Related posts:

1. Extending Harley-Davidson’s Brand Community
2. Getting Brand Communities Right
3. The Power of Community in Marketing
4. Lara at MSI Video
5. Reinventing Real Estate Development