Virtual Communities on Social Networks and the Indian Consumer: A Netnographic Study

23 Pages Posted: 15 Apr 2016

See all articles by Neha Bhardwaj

Neha Bhardwaj

University of Delhi, Faculty of Management Studies, Students

Anupama Vohra

University of Delhi

Date Written: April 13, 2016

Abstract

Technological advancements have made real time interactions between people frequent, faster and richer in content. The evolution of internet, especially the social media, has brought with it both opportunities and challenges for marketers in abundance. Marketers are constantly seeking ways to understand and serve their customers. Social media offers a richer platform for marketers to reach their customers. It is not just the sellers who share information through social media, but it also offers customers a medium to exchange information. Social media offers “fans” a medium to connect with the brand, the firm, and other customers as well as non-customers. It offers firms an opportunity to listen to and engage with the customer, while also giving them some amount of control on the information being exchanged (Malthouse et. al., 2013).

The interactions that take place on the social media communities lead to the establishment of intimate firm-customer relationships. Richard (2013) observed that social media communities have a considerable influence on customer relationships with product, brand, company and other customers. Park & Kim (2014) identified four benefits that customers derive from social networking websites: social benefits, informational benefits, hedonic benefits and economic benefits. Firms must focus on offering long term benefits through social networking websites rather than on short term functional benefits, to develop meaningful and persistent relationships with customers. While functional benefit may not have a significant impact on relationship quality, it holds significant influence on perceived relationship investment (Park & Kim, 2014, p. 466). A brand’s presence on social media can also be an important criterion for the customer in determining the relationship efforts made by the firm.

The main objective of this study is to understand and identify the benefits offered by brand communities on social networking websites.

Brand communities not only act as a medium to build long term relationships with existing customers but are also instrumental in driving customer acquisition activities. By forming emotional bonds with its members, these communities take the existing firm – customer relationship a level further. There are many studies that observe the contribution of social media communities. While internet penetration is at high levels in developed countries, India still has huge potential to offer. As internet makes deeper inroads, social media too is spreading its wings. While various studies have acknowledged the instrumentality of social media in building and managing relationships and in offering benefits to the customers, the Indian story is still not complete. The purpose of this study thus is to understand the same in the Indian context. This study is thus aimed at understanding how firms are utilizing social networking websites to manage relationships with customers in India and the benefits that this platform offers.

Keywords: virtual community, social network, social media, ethnography, netnography, brand community, online community

Suggested Citation

Bhardwaj, Neha and Vohra, Anupama, Virtual Communities on Social Networks and the Indian Consumer: A Netnographic Study (April 13, 2016). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2764242 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2764242

Neha Bhardwaj (Contact Author)

University of Delhi, Faculty of Management Studies, Students ( email )

Maurice Nagar
New Delhi
India

Anupama Vohra

University of Delhi ( email )

Faculty of Management Studies
Maurice Nagar
New Delhi, ND 110007
India

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