Glossary
Consumer community
Subject areaChannels and tools
A consumer community is a group of people who talk online about a product, a brand or a product category, sharing a common interest.
It is a specific form of online community, recognisable by its subject: the experience of using and buying sits at the centre. Each sector has its own dynamics and the nature of the product carries weight: in beauty, for instance, the product is tied to the identity of the person using it.
For a company its value is as a source of knowledge. A plan for monitoring the conversations brings out pain points (the problems customers feel) and the community's needs, and this information can guide how products evolve during their life cycle.
An example
The case below is constructed, because the term does not yet appear in the English articles. A tool manufacturer follows a group of craftspeople discussing its drills online. The conversations reveal that the recurring problem is weight, so the next product is lighter and the advertising talks about fatigue.
Related entries
broader entriesthis entry and narrowertwo levels down← up · → down
Enrico Giubertoni. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0: you may quote, translate and adapt this entry with the author’s name and a link, stating any changes. For commercial use, write to info@enricogiubertoni.com
Spotted an inaccuracy or something that needs updating? Write to info@enricogiubertoni.com and help make this glossary a better place.
What are your business challenges?
Tell us about your priorities and the objectives you want to reach.
You will receive a free, targeted answer within one working day.