A brand community is a group of customers who feel an emotional connection to a brand and engage with it beyond transactional relationships. According to research by Harvard Business Review, customers in brand communities spend approximately 52% more than those outside them.
This underscores the financial and relational value of fostering such connections.
Barak introduced the concept of community as a “proverbial campfire,” where brands create spaces for consumers to gather and share stories. This analogy highlights the importance of storytelling in branding—a skill that transcends industries and products.
Whether marketing Evian water or plant-based baby nutrition, brands can build trust by enabling conversations rather than dominating them.
“Community is all about collaboration and connection. It’s about letting consumers share their stories while the brand steps back and facilitates.”
A key strategy discussed with Barak was Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework. This framework shifts the focus from brands being the hero to customers taking center stage.
In this approach:
- Brands act as guides helping customers overcome challenges.
- The narrative revolves around customer success stories rather than product promotion.
This paradigm shift fosters deeper emotional connections between brands and their audiences—a critical factor in building loyalty.
When looking at the success of online communities you don’t have to look too far to find multiple thriving brands benefitting from this approach.
The top three that spring to mind when talking about building an authentic brand are:
Else Nutrition: A Facebook Community Success Story
Else Nutrition created a Facebook group to address parents’ concerns about plant-based baby nutrition alternatives.
By empowering parents to lead discussions and providing expert voices (e.g., pediatricians and dietitians), the group grew from just three or four members to over 7,000 engaged participants.
Key takeaways from Else Nutrition’s strategy:
- Organic Growth: The community was driven by authentic conversations among parents rather than overt brand promotion.
- Expert Contributions: Professionals added credibility by answering complex questions.
- Customer Feedback: Insights from the group informed product development and marketing strategies.
“The best ideas for our brand came from listening to our customers in this community.” Barak noted.
Huel: Integrating Communities into Owned Platforms
Huel, a UK-based nutrition brand, hosts an active forum directly on its website where customers (known as "Hueligans") discuss products and share experiences. This approach mitigates risks associated with third-party platforms like Facebook or TikTok while ensuring that customer data remains within Huel’s ecosystem.
LEGO Ideas: Crowdsourcing Creativity
LEGO’s “Ideas” platform allows fans to submit designs for new LEGO sets. Winning ideas are turned into products, with creators receiving royalties. This initiative has not only strengthened LEGO’s community but also generated innovative product ideas while boosting engagement.
Start Small but Authentic:
- Begin with a niche audience passionate about your product or cause.
- Use platforms like Facebook Groups or Reddit to create tight-knit communities.
Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC):
- Encourage members to share photos, videos, or testimonials.
- For example, Starbucks’ #RedCupContest generated thousands of UGC posts during its holiday campaign.
Incorporate Experts for Credibility:
- Invite industry professionals to participate in discussions.
- Else Nutrition successfully used pediatricians and dietitians to answer parent queries.
Expand Beyond Social Media:
- Consider hosting forums on your website to reduce reliance on third-party platforms.
- Owned platforms also allow you to control data privacy and user experience.
Measure Engagement Over Size:
- Focus on metrics like response time, quality of interactions, and actionable insights rather than sheer numbers.
- A smaller but highly engaged community often provides more value than a large but inactive one.
Experiment with Emerging Platforms:
- TikTok offers opportunities for video-based engagement through influencer partnerships and UGC campaigns.
- Barak mentioned Else Nutrition’s plans to build an influencer-driven community on TikTok.
Start Small but Authentic:
- Begin with a niche audience passionate about your product or cause.
- Use platforms like Facebook Groups or Reddit to create tight-knit communities.
Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC):
- Encourage members to share photos, videos, or testimonials.
- For example, Starbucks’ #RedCupContest generated thousands of UGC posts during its holiday campaign.
Incorporate Experts for Credibility:
- Invite industry professionals to participate in discussions.
- Else Nutrition successfully used pediatricians and dietitians to answer parent queries.
Expand Beyond Social Media:
- Consider hosting forums on your website to reduce reliance on third-party platforms.
- Owned platforms also allow you to control data privacy and user experience.
Measure Engagement Over Size:
- Focus on metrics like response time, quality of interactions, and actionable insights rather than sheer numbers.
- A smaller but highly engaged community often provides more value than a large but inactive one.
Experiment with Emerging Platforms:
- TikTok offers opportunities for video-based engagement through influencer partnerships and UGC campaigns.
- Barak mentioned Else Nutrition’s plans to build an influencer-driven community on TikTok.
The podcast prompted our research team to go look at more statistics and information out there about community-building strategies. And you won’t believe what we foud:
- According to Edelman’s Trust Barometer report (2024), 63% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase from a brand that they trust, even if it is more expensive—a trust often built through community interactions.
- A study by Sprout Social revealed that 72% of consumers feel more connected to brands whose employees and CEOs actively participate in social media conversations.
- Marketers believe word-of-mouth recommendations from community members are more effective than traditional advertising. Supported by Qualtrics XM Institute’s recent study showing 94% of American customers will recommend a company whose service they rate as “very good.”
With these statistics in your backpocket, it is basically a no-brainer for any marketing executive to start taking action.
In an era where trust, connection, and authentic engagement are paramount, brands must rethink how they build and nurture their communities. Decommerce offers a groundbreaking solution to overcome the challenges of traditional community-building and empowers brands to create decentralized platforms that foster meaningful connections.
Here’s why your brand should embrace Decommerce to transform its community strategy:
Challenge 1: Platform Dependency
Relying on centralized platforms like Facebook or TikTok exposes brands to risks such as algorithm changes, declining organic reach, or even platform bans (e.g., TikTok controversies in the U.S.)
Solution: Decommerce enables brands to host their own decentralized communities directly on their websites, microsites, or apps. By owning the platform, brand
s can safeguard their data, reduce reliance on external platforms, and create stable
environments for engagement
Challenge 2: Balancing Brand Presence vs. Authenticity
Overbranding within communities can stifle organic conversations and alienate members
Solution: With Decommerce’s tools, brands can prioritize value-driven interactions. Features like gamified communication and user-generated content allow brands to engage authentically while rewarding contributions through NFTs or stablecoins. This approach fosters trust and positions the brand as a collaborator rather than a promoter.
Challenge 3: Scaling Engagement as Communities Grow
As communities expand, maintaining intimacy and meaningful interactions becomes difficult.
Solution: Decommerce’s platform supports segmentation and subgroups, allowing brands to create tailored spaces for specific interests or demographics. AI moderation tools ensure smooth interactions while analytics dashboards provide insights to optimize engagement strategies.
Why Choose Decommerce?
- Decentralized Ownership: Build communities on platforms you control, reducing dependency on third-party algorithms and ensuring data security.
- Authentic Engagement: Reward community members for their contributions with blockchain-enabled tools like NFTs and stablecoins, fostering loyalty and co-creation.
- Scalable Solutions: Utilize advanced features such as AI moderation, segmented discussions, and gamified interactions to maintain intimacy even as your community grows.
Proven Success: Leading brands like TBô, Mercedes-Benz, and Thalia have leveraged Decommerce to boost engagement, drive revenue growth, and build lasting customer relationships.
The future of brand communities lies in decentralization and co-creation.
Don’t let platform dependency or outdated strategies hold your brand back. With Decommerce’s innovative tools, you can build a thriving ecosystem that enhances trust, fosters connection, and drives meaningful conversations.
Start building your own community today with Decommerce—where your brand owns the experience, rewards loyalty, and scales sustainably.
Contact us for a free demo now!
Barak Orenstein is VP of Marketing at Else Nutrition, where he leads efforts to reshape early childhood nutrition with clean, plant-based solutions for babies and kids. With decades of experience across multinational corporations and startups, Barack specializes in brand storytelling, community-building, and innovative marketing strategies.Else Nutrition is dedicated to providing parents with healthy alternatives to traditional dairy-based formulas through its pioneering products.
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