Engaging Communities for the Company and the Brand

[Excerpt] This year’s MSI conference, “Engaging Communities for the Company and the Brand,” sought to explore the notion of brand communities. Cosponsored with Boston University’s School of Management and chaired by Susan Fournier of Boston University, the presentations explored several key themes, including: the creation of brand communities as organic versus corporate entities, the impact of brand communities on marketing strategy, and the power of brand communities in changing and reshaping the brand itself. The following summary highlights the key findings from each presentation and offers directions for future research surrounding unanswered questions and ideas. In addition, we have provided an extensive list of references to give you suggestions for further reading