Brynildsen, Gina

Relationships
Member of: Graduate College
Person Preferred Name
Brynildsen, Gina
Model
Digital Document
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Description
An estimated 90% of U.S. companies including Tesla, 3M, McDonald’s, and UnitedHealth Group use social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to connect with consumers and form community around their brands; yet little is known about the effects of different social media structures on consumer-brand relationships. The purpose of this research is to understand the unique nature of firm-hosted online brand communities on social networking sites and how they can be used to retain customers.
We review the literature on online brand communities as a tool for building relationships and apply network theory to understanding firm-hosted online brand communities on social networking sites. Relationship marketing provides a framework for how consumer-brand relationships are developed, built, and maintained. Network theory explains how different network structures interact with network processes to produce specific outcomes for individuals and groups.