Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The digital age is driven by brands seeking online connections, networks and customers and rapidly so. Building community trust with the brand’s network is ever important. Prof Abhishek Mishra from IIM Indore co-investigated the workings of high-quality customer-to-customer (C2C) interactions in business-to-business online brand communities (B2B-OBC). This study aimed at examining the results of such interactions in B2B-OBCs on the brand.
“It is important to understand B2B interactions and B2B-OBCs to gauge the importance of the study. Business-to-business (B2B) interactions involve interactions between one business and another. Such B2B interactions also use online customer forums to encourage customer cooperation on their goods and services. Why is this important? This is important because community trust is good for the brand’s business. Now, in the digital age, B2B interactions occur in what are called B2B online brand communities or B2B-OBCs,” Mishra said.
Large B2B-OBCs are useful tools for firms to monitor the flow of information between customers, improve customer identification with brands, and even launch brands. B2B-OBCs have been defined by researchers as an “accumulation of interrelated businesspeople who come together in the virtual space of the internet and interact voluntarily, based on common, brand-related economic interests and goals.”
Sharing knowledge and information is important for the existence of B2B-OBCs and such communities can be a source of business intelligence and innovation. The authors surveyed 214 members in three online B2B communities run by three Indian technology enterprises. Their analysis revealed that social network links, identity, reciprocity and shared vision are linked to brand community trust.
It emerged that brand community trust drives structural, relational, and cognitive aspects of social capital, which might impact brand loyalty for the business. Social capital indicates the community characteristics that enhance coordination and cooperation between group members for a common objective. The structural dimension of social capital explains the network of relationships between individuals within a system in the form of network ties.
The cognitive dimension of social capital consists of shared language and codes as well as shared stories. Finally, the relational dimension is made up of reciprocity and social identification among communities. These results hold vital lessons for brands. The authors' results help firms and managers build brand loyalty. The study has revealed that firms should improve C2C communication in their B2B-OBC by building customer social network ties.
“This can be achieved by encouraging interaction in online and offline forums and rewarding top contributors. Norms of reciprocity and identification also play a role in enhancing collaboration. Organizations should incentivize members to reply to others' questions and create forums for customers in the same industry or function. Creating a shared vision is important, as it drives high-quality C2C interactions,” Mishra said.
“Brand community trust has a significant impact on C2C communication and brand loyalty. Organisations should monitor conversations to ensure functional, emotional, and social benefits are realised. Hosting regional events can also foster social connections. By effectively running B2B-OBCs, firms can increase customer loyalty and switching barriers,” he added.
