The podcast on brand community deserves so much credit in our contemporary age with the advent of social networking and other cyber technologies that has become part of ur daily lives.
I really liked the analogy that Prof. Frisbie highlighted using Grateful Dead fans and how despite their period going back to the rock n' roll era experimented the concept of brand community. Brand community as manifested by the 'Deadheads' brings out the real experience of the product, the journey of experience of the product with constant improvisation.
Prof. Frisbie brought out several other examples of the 80's. Let me highlight another which is in the entertainment world, Startrek and StarWars fans who form their Darth Vader and Spock club through which Century Fox was still able to reload the first episodes before the filming of the pre-sequels.
The latest ones need no reminders, the strongest to me in my list is the Apple Brand community. I know many collegues of mine would only use Apple products regardless of its price, limited capabilities at Office atleast a few years back. However, its constant experimentation with this loyalty brand community (a large and a strong one) has made Apple products come of age that is on par for desktop/laptop levels. In addition, with the innovative ideas fueled by Steve Jobs that has made the computer/mobile space disruptive in many ways has only received more acceleration through its Apple Stores and Online Apple clubs. As a matter of fact, if one sees a problem with Apple, the response by posting in the Facebook clubs is much faster than any other application or product where one has to wait for the customer support to answer back. In the case of Apple, the brand community is so strong that one can either figure out the solutions from the social Apple Club media postings or get a response almost instantaneously.
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