The power of community.

This week I've been thinking a lot about community.

Community is a term that is bandied around constantly, it is used to describe a social media following, a group of people who subscribe to a channel. But, I believe that there is a strong distinction between what we commonly think of as a social community, and what is a real community actually is.

True community is about the open sharing of thoughts ideas, it is not controlled by a central figure or brand. It is people brought together over a shared experience or interest, where the conversation is free-flowing and people engage peer to peer- there is no centralised control.

To date, brands focus on growing as large as possible, concentrating on the breadth and reach, however, I believe that over the next few years mass and passive communities will be replaced by niche and depth. Covid has accelerated the rise of online communities spaces, with people actively seeking out and coming together to share in the enjoyment of an interest/ subject. Traditionally only associated with the gaming community this has expanded into interiors to films, from wellness to music and spirituality. It is in these spaces that I believe the new role of the brand can be found- the facilitator

It is a terrifying concept for brands to release the reins, and essentially hand over control to their customers to lead and steer the conversation (and product), but I believe that this is where the biggest opportunity lies. By transitioning from a brand from the lead to the supporting act, on the surface appears that you are giving away brand equity. However, in reality, you are creating a far stronger value exchange. You are supporting your customers where they are at. In return, your customers become brand ambassadors, people who are invested in the future success of your brands.

I think the most brilliant example of a brand that is doing this is M-Powder, a menopause supplement company. On the surface, the brand sells a product designed to support women during this time of transition, but it is what is going on behind the surface is where the magic happens. Scientists, holistic practitioners and the community come together to share, inspire and support. Products and packaging are designed by the customer, based on what they actually need. As a result, M-Powder does very little marketing, instead, the community spreads the news of the brand at a grassroots level.

I believe community, fostering real communities is the future for the brands of tomorrow.

Sprowt is a creative studio that helps purpose driven challenger brands stand-out and scale. We take the tried and tested strategies of building memorable brands and then rip up the rule book to create disruptive marketing strategies.