How Online Brand Communities Affect Consumer Engagement

Prutha Shah () and Varsha Jain ()
Additional contact information
Prutha Shah: MICA
Varsha Jain: ESSCA School of Management

A chapter in Marketing in the Digital Age, 2026, pp 147-173 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter explores the significance of Online Brand Communities (OBCs) in enhancing consumer engagement and co-creation. Grounded in theories such as Consumer Engagement Theory and User Engagement Theory, it highlights various dimensions of engagement – conative, cognitive, sensorial, behavioural, and co-creative – as observed in activity community eco-systems. Using real-world examples, GoPro, Duolingo and Airbnb, the chapter demonstrates how OBCs enable emotional connection, peer-driven innovation and cost-effective support. It introduces the Community Engagement Influence Framework (CEIF), which explains how content, culture, and feedback triggers generate layered engagement outcomes across individual, community, and brand levels. The rationale for this chapter lies in the increasing relevance of community-centric environments where consumers seek authenticity, peer validation, and opportunities for participation beyond transactional exchanges. By decoding how structured communities foster such engagement, the chapter provides a practical lens for marketers and platform designers to enhance relationship-building. It also reflects on emerging dynamics such as integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to personalise experiences and the parallel rise of anti-brand communities as counter-narratives to mainstream building. Designed to inform researchers and practitioners, this work provides insights into participation and value generation in a community-led marketing context. This chapter extends prior engagement frameworks by introducing the Community Engagement Influence Framework (CEIF), which uniquely incorporates sensorial and co-creative dimensions alongside cognitive, conative, and behavioural aspects. Unlike earlier models, CEIF links engagement triggers with measurable brand outcomes such as customer lifetime value (CLV) uplift, engagement index, and Net Promoter Score (NPS). It also anticipates future dynamics by exploring how AI-driven personalization, Web3 community governance, and immersive technologies such as AR/VR are reshaping online brand communities (OBCs) across diverse cultural and ethical contexts.

Keywords: Online Brand Communities; Consumer engagement; Co-creation; Community strategy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-981-95-6509-2_7

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9789819565092

DOI: 10.1007/978-981-95-6509-2_7

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Springer Books from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().