Hi Ted, your article reminded me of Saturn automobiles (in the early days) when thousands of drivers would convene in TN for an annual event and dealerships would hold quarterly picnics for Saturn owners. People bought the cars because they believed in the "different kind of car company" mantra. You weren't buying just a car, you were buying a community.

What an opportunity GM had. I believe it's one of the brands that GM is now considering paring from their portfolio...

For readers who are interested in learning more about the book check out this interview with Rob Walker. He coins a great term called murketing...
http://www.1to1media.com/Xfactor.aspx?DocID=30930

Yes, I remember those initiatives by Saturn, Paul. Sadly, GM let a lot of that go and I can't say why, either. I also read this week that GM is considering either selling or closing the Saturn brand (can't remember which) due to "lack of profitability". You're right: this was a missed opportunity for GM to expand a brand that stood for well-built family cars at affordable prices. One that they had built a community around. . .

Thanks for commenting, Paul. I always appreciate your insights.

Thanks very much, Marji. It's always nice to get additional insights on a book like this directly from the author who wrote it. Especially when it comes to a marketing book.

I'm sure Daily Fix readers will be interested in learning what Rob Walker has to say.

Thanks again, Marji.

Hi, Ted
This will surely trigger plenty of contemplation throughout the day. A brand that comes to mind for its identity and community is Target.

Considering the price and product offerings that overwhelmingly mirror those of competing mass merchandisers, they succeed in maintaining loyal supporters who will drive miles past a Walmart to buy the same items at Target.

And to Marji--Thanks for the interview link. It was a great read.

Hi Sidra,

Thanks for weighing in on this. Target is a good example of a community-oriented retailer. They also give a percentage of their profits back to the communities in which they do business. Right now, Target is struggling as many retailers are due to the downturn in the economy. Consumers are purchasing less. Only Wal-Mart and the club stores like Costco are doing fairly well at present. However, I do think that if Target stays on course with its brand and its message, it will be able to ride out the current storm we're in. . .

Thanks again, Sidra. Good insights.

I think Apple will always be the best example of a brand/community embodiment for me. The Zune will never even touch the iPod because the loyalty is so fierce.

Regarding your third question, I think it will be a bona fide trend as long as the internet is the prevailing connector. When that changes, all bets are off.

As a huge Apple fan, Laura, I couldn't agree with you more. Even if I wasn't one, Apple is still an example of a company that has built a unique community around its brand.

Thanks for answering my third question, Laura. Many of the things I've been reading express the same point of view that you do. I'm not sure what I think about this one yet, myself. Even if the Internet isn't the primary connector between brands and consumers down the line, I'm not sure Pandora's box is ever going to close again. . .that is to say, I think there will always have to be two-way communication between companies and brands from now on. I can't imagine going back to a time before conversation became initiated between both.

Thanks for weighing in here, Laura. I appreciate your thoughtful insights.

what's most interesting isn't that brands spawn communities of fans. Fads/trends come & go, and some companies do better than others in cultivating and extending them. It's the idea that these fans become blind adherents to a brand, predisposed to accept anything the brand offers and taking the marketing & advertising to heart -- the Coke drinker or the Orange Grove drinker (in the WSJ article) -- that's really provocative to me. And it works both ways. You might be totally devoted to a beloved brand or dead-set against one you perceive negatively. Think of Wal-Mart. I don't care if they start selling my favorite [insert product] at a deep discount; I'm never going there. And, sorry, JC Penney is NEVER going to be cool. Ever. These companies can't overcome their long-standing reputations; at the other end of the spectrum is teflon-coated Apple, which can survive any image lapse.

Consumers have been label-conscious slaves for years. today's market and technology let them broadcast their fealty, find validation from other like-minded slaves & feed their brand worship. Tech also lets companies tap into and nurture such behavior like never before.

One of these days, I want to be the one drinking the spiked Orange Grove. I wonder how I'd do in the taste test...

Patricia,

There are always a great number of truths in your comments and postings. Better yet: you have a unique, refreshing style of delivery. You truly are a great brand.

I don't think I can add anything to what you've said here, except this: "One of these days, I want to be the one drinking the spiked Orange Grove (right along with you). I wonder how I'd do in the taste test..."

Thanks for adding much to this post, Patricia. It's always appreciated.

Wow, that's such a nice thing to read. I think you're connecting with the Philadelphian in me :-)
(full disclosure: I'm really from Lower Merion but close enough, right? And I did go to Penn!)

How did you know, Patricia? I'm from Philadelphia and graduated from Tyler School of Art at Temple. It's a small world, isn't it? :)

We may move on in life, but Philadelphia is deeply rooted in us; that's for certain. Thanks, Patricia, for your "full disclosure". I'm proud we're Philadelphians!

yo, Ted, it's in your bio

I didn't know you had taken the time to read my bio, Patricia. I'm humbled and flattered. . .thanks!

I try to be an informed consumer & I like to know whose opinion I'm consuming. Social media marketers, take note!

funny, and not really even ironic...but this little thread appears to be its OWN brand (and i'm certain that many of the same people interact site-wide).

funny thing about branding (and the mention of the ramones t-shirts by walker touches on this concept briefly) is that even people who resist being "labeled" or branded are providing for the REST OF US that very identification they're looking to avoid.

their brand (and i admit...it's mine, too) is the ANTI-BRAND. they may not feel as though they identify with ANY other people or trends...and that in itself is its own brand, its own anti-society. i guess we just cannot escape it, can we? i don't listen to the radio, avoid top-40 music, like VERY FEW TV shows, and i don't care much for many other people (too much work to start and maintain "relationships")...but i know that there is a massive number of people who are a whole lot like me. something in me hates that, but i can't escape the reality, can i?

Many people are anti-brand, Paul; not just you. However, in describing yourself as a unique individual with specific attributes, likes and dislikes, you must realize that you yourself are a brand. We all are. I say that because when people who know you conjure up "Paul" in their minds, they have a specific image of who and what you are. It isn't good or bad; it just is the way of the world. I respect the fact that you are comfortable with your uniqueness and do not feel the need to be identified with trends or pop culture, but that too, goes to who Paul the unique individual is.

Thanks for sharing your views, Paul. Your honesty is refreshing.

Paul, my friend, I share your pain. I sometimes feel unqualified to comment on posts here because I clearly don't fit into a target demographic (topic for another day or therapy session).

I'm a big fan of old movies (like 1930s & 40s), and I sometimes marvel at a world where there was one color of car available, where people were all wearing the same basic styles/colors, etc. (of course, everything is preserved for our viewing in only black & white, but you get the gist).

I contrast that with the endless entertainment I find in observing the variety of dress, eyewear, hair styles, during my daily commute on public transportation. What an amazing concept that you could conceivably be wearing a t-shirt that no one else in the city is wearing. And that, in & of itself, is a brand statement nowadays. In a way, being "anti-brand" isn't so much about being an individual with unique tastes -- because everyone seems to be trying to broadcast their own uniqueness.

And yet, when I see a Prius, I'll sometimes think, "ugh, who wants to drive the same thing as everyone else."

Don't know what my point is exactly... just that I wish I were living in 1932.