The State of Online Branded Communities 2012
ComBlu’s study of over 200 communities sponsored by 92 brands in 15 industries shows a focus on advocacy as an engagement mission but a lack of adoption of related best practices.
Key themes from the 2012 study
- Brands are not “connecting the dots” between community and post-purchase advocacy
- Some brands are starting to use content customization to personalize the community experience
- Some brands are “asleep at the wheel” when it comes to community management
- Top-performing brands don’t confuse the role of social and community, properly leveraging the two in an integrated ecosystem
- Despite the maturation of the discipline, worst practices still abound
Some brands seem to be entering a new, more sophisticated stage of experimentation, and are applying learnings from past community and social programs to the next phase of maturation.