Throughout human history, communities have played an essential role in uniting people over a common cause or influence.
Past decades, such as the 1950s, saw people heavily engaged in their local neighbourhood or church community and while these ties are no longer as strong, they have inspired brands around the world to capture the same spirit of belonging.
Today, the brand community brings a new dimension to the customer experience and is a key driver of loyalty. Based on dialogue, rather than broadcast, community members bond over a shared fandom for a product or service and the lifestyle it promotes. Add to this the word-of-mouth benefits of bringing a brand’s biggest evangelists together, and it is little wonder why community has become key.
Harley Owners Group
Launching in 1983, the Harley Owners Group (or H.O.G. for short,) is largely credited with pulling Harley Davidson back from the brink. Today, the Harley Owners Group has more than one million members and 1,400 chapters across the world to match the dedicated fanbase of the Harley Davidson brand.
In a 2007 interview, Geneva chapter director, Guy de Smet, said the appeal is rooted in “the legacy that comes with it; the tradition and the history since the company started in 1903.”
Similarly, in an interview with the Economic Times Pallavi Singh, director marketing for Harley-Davidson India, said: “Our bikes are more reliable, more technologically advanced, we deliver better performance…”
It is this passion for bike riding that draws members together and it is the organised events that keep H.O.G. members riding back.
Each chapter offers meet ups and socials, chances to bond over a shared love and ride across beautiful landscapes all for the equivalent of around £55 a year. The official H.O.G. site lists rallies across the globe, a chance to “easily choose an event that suits your schedule or your appetite for adventure.”
This social aspect of membership is a central benefit, but members also have access to merchandise and informational magazines.
IKEA Family
Officially, the first IKEA Family launched in 1984, but IKEA’s first customer club dates back to 1952, started by IKEA’s founder, Ingvar Kampard. As a company, IKEA has a long history of engaging its core demographic and as a result, every hour 1,800 people join the IKEA Family. At the time of writing there are 150 million IKEA Family members.
IKEA family members are granted various benefits, ranging from substantial to small, all for free. Any IKEA member can get free tea and coffee from Monday to Friday at any store, there are also events that offer members access to new ranges before they are officially released. But really, the IKEA Family taps into what draws customers to IKEA in the first place – the ease of their furniture construction and sleek design styles.
Speaking to Dezeen IKEA’s design manager, Marcus Engman, summarized its success as follows: “…It actually helps a lot of people get a beautiful home.” He expanded by saying Scandinavian style is “very simplistic and also very blend-able with a lot of different things.”
Ultimately, this brand ideology is why a central IKEA Family benefit is a discount on selected items and a free “Oops-assurance” – insurance against any damage during travel and assembly.)
Nike Run Club
Premium global sports brand Nike launched its Nike Run Club as an app in 2010 to encourage people to start their independent running journeys. While the premium version of the app costs $14.95 a month, it is free for anyone else starting out.
Marathon pacer Pooja Shah, referenced the Nike Run Club app when discussing her own running journey. As she pointed out in an interview with Sportskeeda “sports brands are doing their bit to push the running culture.”
The most effective way the Run Club does this is by keeping track of each customer’s running stats on the app, marking their progress. Coaches and trainers are also offered as voice overs, reviews on the webpage highlight this aspect of the app. But the true highlight of the Nike Run Club is how it offers every member access to a community through its advanced social apparatus. The GetGymFit review of the Nike Run Club app highlighted this as a way “to set challenges and keep you accountable.”
Effectively, the Nike Run Club allows you to reach out to your friends and family through the app with run lengths to finish by a certain date.