From brand awareness to online co-design : How a small bathroom provider turned interactive on the web

• The role of virtual communities in marketing development and brand management is gaining growing attention both from scholars and practitioners. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs[1]) often lack organizational readiness and pre-adoption awareness related to new tools available online. This article presents an in-depth case study on how a small company transforms itself into an interactive platform on the web from merely a provider of online information to help customers participate actively in bathroom design. Online design community hosted by the small bathroom supplier combines social network features and toolkits for 3D bathroom design, attracting both hobbyists and professionals. The study shows that the company benefits from the its move to interactivity with the community perceiving and providing a brand strengthening tool. However, the study also shows relative reluctance on the part of the company towards exploiting the full range of possibilities available online.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Brand awareness

brand commitment

online communities

customer involvement

SMEs

Economy

Ekonomi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)