Religiosity in the Abandoned Apple Newton Brand Community
2005; Oxford University Press; Volume: 31; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1086/426607
ISSN1537-5277
AutoresAlbert M. Muñiz, Hope Jensen Schau,
Tópico(s)Media, Gender, and Advertising
ResumoThis research explores the grassroots brand community centered on the Apple Newton, a product that was abandoned by the marketer. Supernatural, religious, and magical motifs are common in the narratives of the Newton community, including the miraculous performance and survival of the brand, as well as the return of the brand creator. These motifs invest the brand with powerful meanings and perpetuate the brand and the community, its values, and its beliefs. These motifs also reflect and facilitate the many transformative and emancipatory aspects of consuming this brand. Our findings reveal important properties of brand communities and, at a deeper level, speak to the communal nature of religion and the enduring human need for religious affiliation.
Referência(s)