Exploring the Similarities of Influencers in Online Brand Communities

Recent advances in technology have changed the way people use Internet. Customers use online platforms to socialize with friends and family, interact with new people and to gather latest information from all around the world. People coming together in online platforms give rise to virtual communities. In this paper we highlight the importance of online brand communities and compare community leaders across brands. Understanding the notion of influencers is important for marketers as these leaders help to create a reliable brand community that can resonate with consumers' desire to build brand loyalty and devotion. Using three different brands of jeans we examined online communities formed within Twitter, using Sysomos. The results showed that there is not much overlap with influencers across brands. However, influencers that are common across brands are very similar in structure and communication strategies.