Understanding value-creating practices in social media-based brand communities

Abstract

ABSTRACTFor service providers hosting social media-based brand communities, understanding the use of value-creating practices enables them to enhance their customers’ brand community experiences and facilitate value. Yet, extant social media-based brand community research neglects to examine the uses of practices in commonly occurring, direct service provider customer interactions that may be value co-creative. Thus, for a more holistic view of value creation, and informed by service logic, this study applies netnography to observe participants’ uses of practices in two social media-based cause brand communities, in both direct and indirect interactions. The findings reveal that participants predominantly employ practices in direct interactions and act as value co-creators. The findings extend empirical evidence into value-creating practices in social media-based brand communities. They also highlight how cause organisations should plan their uses of practices to facilitate the types of value-creating interactions they seek (i.e. direct and value co-creating, or indirect and independently value creating).