When we think of the word “community”, we know that it revolves around people who belong together, whether through geographic proximity or communal interests. The internet and Web2 (social media) opened up a whole new world of booming communities, transcending traditional forms of community-building. The massive success of community-building social media platforms reflects that yearning to belong to something larger than oneself. In today’s rapidly changing world, it is more important than ever for businesses and marketers to adopt a true community-centric approach.
Fostering a sense of belonging and connection within your customer base can be done by mixing the power of these 3 dimensions:
Physical communities
Physical communities are the most traditional form of community and involve people coming together in a specific location. This can be a neighborhood, a workplace, a private organisation, or any other physical space where people gather. For example, a local community garden where residents come together to grow fresh produce and socialise, or a co-working space where entrepreneurs collaborate and share ideas.
Example: Nike is bringing together people in physical locations for sports activities, and they’re organising physical gatherings with community members to share experiences, work on new designs and meet with like-minded people.
Digital communities
Digital communities, on the other hand, have emerged with the rise of the internet and social media. These communities are not limited by physical space and can include people from all over the world. Examples of digital communities include online forums, social media groups, and even multiplayer games where players come together to form alliances and compete.
Example: Nike has built the Nike Running App where people can share their run, compete with friends, do challenges…all in a digital ‘app’ community. Nike is also organising virtual events with the community to meet with athletes and designers.
Ownership communities
Finally, the power of web3 is bringing about a new type of community: ownership communities. These communities are created through decentralised networks powered by blockchain technology, where members have ownership and potential governance over the community. This will allow community members to participate in decision-making and receive rewards for their contributions.
Example: Nike has created https://www.swoosh.nike/ to build ‘virtual creations’ together with the community through the power of web3. Brand fans will be actively involved but will also be able to reap the rewards of their creations afterwards. Nike’s new slogan: “50 years were special, the next 50 years we are going to create together”.
This will become the future philosophy for many brands; that they do not just cater to the customer, but that they will collaborate with the community to co-create products and services. Web3 is community-oriented, community-centric, and in so many ways, community-run.
It’s important to recognise the unique strengths and challenges of each dimension of community building and how they can be leveraged to create meaningful connections. It is with this same innovative mindset that UAE NFT Key Pass and its community are growing Bedu World and the 2117 metaverse, partnering with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre to simulate the UAE’s manned 2117 Mars mission.
ARTS DAO is another pioneer that has fostered a thriving community of artists and art collectors in the Middle East. The community hosts many popular events locally and supports artistic growth in the region. Prior to Web3, this would have not been as successful or as impactful.
If you want to become more community-centric you should have an engagement plan across all 3 dimensions. To implement your community-led business model, don’t think big, think about your first 1000 true fans as a MVC (Minimum Viable Community). Define a compelling North Star to attract people around a joint mission, and start building marketing ‘through’ the people.
Like Paul Roberts of Cartamundi stated: “He who serves the community in a way to help or delight them will ultimately be served by the community.”
