Consciousness of Kind
The most important element of community is consciousness of kind, and it is evident in the brand communities encountered in this research. Members share what Bender (1978) describes as “we‐ness.” Members feel an important connection to the brand, but more importantly, they feel a stronger connection toward one another. Members feel that they “sort of know each other” at some level, even if they have never met. This triangular, rather than dyadic, social constellation is a central facet of brand community and echoes Cova’s (1997, p. 307) assertion that “the link is more important than the thing.”
Members also frequently note a critical demarcation between users of their brand and users of other brands. There is some important quality, not always easily verbalized, that sets them apart from others and makes them similar to one another. Such a demarcation usually includes a reference to brand users being “different” or “special” in comparison to users of other brands. Such comments are common among brand community members and the Web pages these community members create. One Saab Web page describes itself as being “made by a Saaber for other Saaber’s . . . to enjoy.” Others include references to “Saab spirit,” or “the cult of Macintosh,” or note that a Mac site was, like the brand, “for the rest of us.” Such sentiments illustrate consciousness of kind in their recognition of a distinct social category (e.g., Saabers, Mac people). In this way, brand communities are just like any other community. But the shared consciousness of brand communities is also informed by an explicitly commercial and competitive marketplace ethos (e.g., Coke vs. Pepsi).
The consciousness of kind found in brand communities transcends geographic boundaries. This is apparent in observation at community collectives, as well as in analysis of Web pages. Brand communities are largely imagined communities (Anderson 1983). Members feel part of a large, unmet, but easily imagined community. The following field notes from a Saab club meeting reveal how the far‐flung and place‐liberated nature of brand communities is not only acknowledged but sometimes celebrated.