Grow Your Fans! Branded Community Strategy with Antsomi CDP 365, Vol. 1

Introduction: What is a Branded Community, and Why is its Importance Growing?

In today's world, consumer purchasing behavior has dramatically shifted. While information dissemination used to be primarily from companies, the widespread adoption of social media means that "connections" and "empathy" among consumers are now crucial factors influencing purchases.

In this era, a powerful method gaining significant attention for brands to build long-term relationships and deep bonds with customers is the "Branded Community".

A Branded Community is an online and/or offline "space" managed by the brand itself, where customers with shared interests gather to exchange information and interact regarding the brand. It's not merely a platform for one-way information dissemination, but rather a two-way communication hub where customers become the "protagonists," sharing brand experiences, deepening their empathy, and sometimes even co-creating the brand itself.

Why is the Branded Community so important now? As digital advertising costs soar and customer acquisition costs increase, enhancing existing customer engagement and loyalty becomes indispensable for sustainable growth.

Through communities, customers deepen their affection for the brand, ultimately evolving into "enthusiastic fans". Enthusiastic fans don't just purchase products; they actively share information themselves, potentially becoming "KOC (Key Opinion Consumers)" who contribute to acquiring new customers. The presence of such KOCs enhances brand credibility and naturally expands awareness, making the establishment of a Branded Community no longer an option but a critical strategy for business growth.

Chapter 1: Which Brands Need Branded Communities? The Path to Success and Common Pitfalls

A Branded Community is an effective strategy for all brands aiming to build deep customer relationships and achieve long-term growth. It particularly demonstrates its true value in areas where products or services have a "story" or "philosophy," or where customers have a desire to "participate" and "share."

Let's look at common characteristics of brands where Branded Communities succeed:

• An Empathy-Evoking "Brand Purpose (Why)": People are strongly attracted not just by product features, but by the brand's reason for existence and its vision. Customers don't just buy "things"; they resonate with the brand's worldview and values, seeking a connection.
• A Stage Where Customers Become the "Stars": The company takes a backseat, establishing a system where customer-generated posts and activities (UGC: User Generated Content) are at the core of the community. An environment where customers can freely express opinions, share experiences, and contribute deepens their engagement.
• A Mechanism for Continuous "Dialogue" Between Company and Customer: Two-way communication functions by earnestly listening to customer voices and reflecting them in products and services. When customers feel "heard," they deepen their trust and affection for the brand.
• Combining Online and Offline "Special Experiences": Relationships with customers are deepened multi-dimensionally by combining daily digital interactions with memorable real-life experiences like events. Reinforcing online connections with impactful real experiences strengthens bonds.
• Employees Are the "First Fans": The employees' passion for their own brand radiates to customers, elevating the overall enthusiasm of the community. Employee enthusiasm is the source of community vitality.

However, building a Branded Community is not something that yields results in the short term. A long-term perspective of nurturing relationships with customers over time is essential. Seeking only immediate sales results can lead to losing sight of the original purpose and often results in failure.

So, what are the "common mistakes" in community building?

• Starting without a Clear Purpose: Without a clear goal of "why a community is being built," activities can become aimless, and it becomes unclear what to do.
• Seeking Immediate Sales and Lacking a Long-Term Perspective: Community cultivation requires time. If short-term results are prioritized, and efforts are abandoned too soon, all the hard work goes to waste.
• Companies Unilaterally Promoting Themselves: If a community turns into a company's "advertising bulletin board," customers will disengage. It's crucial to remember that it's a place for dialogue and to maintain an attitude of listening to customer voices.
• Creating a "Space" and Neglecting to Activate It: Building a community isn't the end. If efforts to actively engage it are neglected, it can become "desolate," leading to stagnation.
• Over-managing Out of Fear of Negative Opinions: Making it a "stifling place" where free expression is suppressed leads to a loss of genuine dialogue. It's important to understand that constructive feedback can sometimes be fuel for brand growth, and appropriate management is necessary.

By understanding these keys to success and pitfalls, you can build a more robust Branded Community.

Chapter 2: Branded Community Success Story: Cultivating Loyalty Through Consumer Participation

By now, you should have a good grasp of the importance of community building. Now, let's look at a concrete example of how deep customer engagement is fostered and loyalty cultivated. Here, we introduce a case study of a food and beverage brand. This brand built a consumer-participatory branded community with the aim of increasing product awareness, encouraging usage, and contributing to sales.

This campaign was characterized by its multi-faceted approach to customer touchpoints.

• Firstly, users were guided to the brand community landing page from various channels, including online advertisements, product packaging, QR codes placed in stores, and even local events. This ensured that customers could easily participate in the community, regardless of whether they were online or offline.
• At the core of the community were "gamification" and a "reward system". Users could earn points or coins by completing missions such as participating in mini-games and surveys, viewing new product information and influencer collaboration content, and even uploading purchase receipts after buying products. These points could be exchanged for discount coupons or luxurious prizes, allowing users to continuously engage with the brand in an enjoyable way.
• Particularly noteworthy was the purchase receipt upload feature. Users could scan or photograph their product purchase receipts, which administrators would then verify to award points. This seamlessly linked offline purchasing behavior with online community activities. This made it possible to treat not only online engagement but also actual purchasing behavior as part of community activity, which could then be used for loyalty analysis.
• Furthermore, redeemed voucher codes could be received via WhatsApp or email and easily redeemed at the nearest store. This way, online activities connected to real-world experiences, enhancing customer convenience and the quality of the brand experience.

This brand's initiative successfully and dramatically improved engagement and loyalty by transforming customers from mere "consumers" into "players participating in brand activities." This contributed to increased brand awareness and usage, as well as higher sales. The common success factors mentioned in Chapter 1 - providing a "stage where customers can be the stars" and "combining online and offline special experiences" - are vividly demonstrated in this case study.

Continue to Vol. 2