Different types of brands
This distinction immediately shows the differences in types of brands. Heineken has loyal fans but also people who like to show that they drink Heineken, or that they subscribe to the brand values of the organization. These members are relatively easy to organize into a community. The Albert Heijn on the corner will have a lot more trouble with this, because if this branch were to suddenly become a C1000, many people would continue to do their shopping at the same location. This therefore tends much more towards an implicit community.
We must therefore link the dependency of the type of organization much more to the way in which the community is built up. In applying the model, we choose to investigate in the first phase whether there is an existing community and whether this is an implicit or explicit community.
Individual fans versus a community
The most important questions here are whether there is already a brand preference present in the target group and whether there are individual fans or whether they have already organized themselves into a community. This determines the angle within the model. This determines the angle within the model. Questions a brand will have to ask are:
Implicit or explicit community
The Square Onion Community model
After an organization has gone through the first step plan, it has become clear what kind of community is already present. The second step is to go through the community model. The model is structured as follows. Vertically, an entrance is provided for implicit or non-implicit communities. Horizontally, the same applies to the presence of an explicit community.
The model is further explored as a z, covering all four phases:
Identify
Commitment
Participation
Retention
The community phases
In the research we looked at the behavior of the members of a community and to what extent they can be influenced with Cialdini's influence techniques. Cialdini's influence techniques are placed over the different phases: 1: reciprocity, 2: list to data consistency, 3: social proof, 4: sympathy, 5: authority, 6: scarcity.
1. Identification (top left)
fingerprintThere is no implicit or explicit community yet. This phase is about identifying the target group. The target group itself is in an observant role. It is important to mention the raison d'être of the brand, to make the target group familiar with the brand and to make them familiar with the brand. The most important thing in this phase is to make the target group aware of the existence of the brand. Influencing techniques that are central in this phase are:
Reciprocity: If someone does something for us, we will be more inclined to do something back. This tendency is stronger if what we have received is meaningful, unexpected and personal. This can be achieved by, for example, offering a discount, giving regular customers a preferential position or giving access to exclusive related products or services.
Sympathy: We are more likely to do something for, or be influenced by, someone we like. This phase is about building sympathy without losing the authenticity of the brand. So make sure that the right tone of voice is used when communicating with the target group. In addition, it is important to communicate openly, honestly and transparently, in order to build more sympathy among the target group.