Firm-brand community value co-creation as alignment of practices. Issue 3 (13th April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Skålén, Per; Pace, Stefano; Cova, Bernard
• Is Part Of: European journal of marketing. Volume 49:Issue 3/4(2015)
• Page Start: 596
• Page End: 620
• Publication Date: 2015-04-13
• Subjects: Service -- Communities -- Value; Marketing -- Periodicals; Consumer behavior -- Periodicals; 658.8
• DOI: 10.1108/EJM-08-2013-0409
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0309-0566

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: – The purpose of this paper is to contribute knowledge regarding the nature of successful and unsuccessful value co-creation processes between firms and brand communities and the strategies used to address the latter. Design/methodology/approach: – The paper draws on a netnographic study of the online collaborative platform known as Alfisti.com, which carmaker Alfa Romeo launched to enhance co-creation with its most devoted consumers, the "Alfisti". Findings: – The findings identify three groups of collaborative practices: interacting, identity and organizing practices. The paper details how firm and brand community members enact the elements – procedures, understandings and engagements – of collaborative practices and how the alignment of these enactments impacts value co-creation. Research limitations/implications: – The paper suggests that co-creation of value succeeds when the enactment of collaborative practices aligns, i.e. when firm and brand community members enact practices in a similar way, and that co-creation fails when the enactment of practices misaligns. Firms and brand communities use three realignment strategies – compliance, interpretation and orientation – to address the misalignment and failure of co-creation. The fact that the research draws on a single qualitative case study is a limitation. Practical implications: – Managerial implications include using realignment strategies to manage firm-brand community co-creation. Originality/value: – Creating an empirical-based framework regarding successful and failing co-creation and how the latter is addressed in the context of brand community makes the paper original.