Abstract

The brand community concept refers to a group of people who share their interest in a specific brand and create a parallel social universe ripe with its own values, rituals, vocabulary and hierarchy. These brand communities or brand tribes are both an opportunity and a threat for the companies that own the brands. On one hand, brand communities can bring in additional know how and competencies, and offer active support to companies. On the other hand, brand communities assert considerable claims on ownership. They assert more channel power, more claims on core competencies formerly reserved for companies. Thus, the interaction between the brand community and the company is not always a positive one. This paper details the discords that could happen on the basis of the analysis of the Vespa and Alfa Romeo brand community/company interaction. Furthermore, it brings into play the Ferrari case which contributes in the building of solutions to these relational problems.