A university brand community on social media: A netnographic analysis

Momoko Fujita, Paul Harrigan, Geoffrey Soutar

Research output: Contribution to conference (non-published works)Paperpeer-review

Abstract

Universities today use social media, trying to engage students and stakeholders in the communities. However, much of virtual brand community studies have focused on commercial brands, while non-profit organisations such as universities have received limited attention. This research explores the nature of a university’s brand community based in social media. A netnographic analysis of an exemplary Facebook page of a leading Australian university investigated the nature of content and the characteristics of interactions between members and the university and among members. The results first evidenced the use of visual narratives and brand stories to emphasise the cultural norms and artefacts that exist in an offline university community. Further, while the existence of community markers and value-creating practices were identified, the leadership role of the university marketer in facilitating and inspiring these engagements was clear. These findings have practical implications and contribute to the higher education marketing literature.
Original languageEnglish
Pages874-880
Number of pages7
Publication statusUnpublished - 2015
Externally publishedYes
EventAustralian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference 2015 - UNSW, Sydney, Australia
Duration: 30 Nov 20152 Dec 2015

Conference

ConferenceAustralian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference 2015
Abbreviated titleANZMAC 2015
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CitySydney
Period30/11/152/12/15

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