Customer Engagement Through a Brand Community: A Study of Aalborg Pirates and Customer-brand Relationship
Author
Pedersen, Lotte Søgaard
Term
4. Semester
Publication year
2023
Pages
56
Abstract
This thesis examines how a brand community affects customer engagement and the customer–brand relationship in the case of the Aalborg Pirates. Adopting a critical realist perspective, it employs a case study design that combines qualitative interviews and a customer survey with insights from the literature. The analysis is organized using Keller’s Brand Resonance Pyramid to assess brand salience, performance, imagery, judgments, feelings, and resonance. Findings highlight substantial criticism of the current consumer-run brand community, which is not realizing its potential and is weakening the sense of community among customers. The thesis therefore recommends that the Aalborg Pirates create and manage a firm-initiated brand community to include both current and potential fans. Such an initiative is expected to raise engagement across customer segments and further strengthen brand loyalty, customer–brand identification, social identity, and overall relationship quality. The analysis also indicates that many customers already exhibit brand resonance, but a more deliberate community strategy could accelerate and broaden these effects.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan en brand community påvirker kundernes engagement og relationen mellem kunder og brand i casevirksomheden Aalborg Pirates. Med udgangspunkt i et kritisk-realistisk videnskabssyn gennemføres et case-studie, hvor kvalitative interviews og en kundesurvey sammenholdes med eksisterende litteratur. Analysen struktureres efter Kellers Brand Resonance Pyramid, der anvendes til at vurdere kendskab, oplevelser, vurderinger, følelser og resonans omkring brandet. Resultaterne peger på betydelig kritik af den nuværende forbruger-drevne brand community, som ikke udnytter sit potentiale og svækker fællesskabsfølelsen blandt kunder. Afhandlingen anbefaler derfor, at Aalborg Pirates etablerer og driver en virksomhed-initieret brand community, som kan omfatte både nuværende og potentielle fans. En sådan indsats vurderes at kunne løfte kundernes engagement på tværs af segmenter og yderligere styrke brandloyalitet, customer-brand identification, social identitet og den overordnede kundebrand-relation. Samtidig indikerer analysen, at Aalborg Pirates allerede har opnået brandresonans blandt mange kunder, men at en mere målrettet community-tilgang kan accelerere denne udvikling.
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