Science Research Management

Science Research Management ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (5): 87-93.

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The relationship between customer participation in value co-creation and brand image building

Yang Nan1,2   

  1. 1. Center of System and Industrial Engineering, Zhongyuan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450007, Henan, China; 
    2. School of Economics and Management, Zhongyuan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450007, Henan, China
  • Received:2018-06-27 Revised:2018-11-15 Online:2021-05-20 Published:2021-05-19

Abstract:     With the popularity of social media, enterprises pay more attention to the construction of virtual brand community, so as to show customers the unique value of products so as to form a good word-of-mouth communication effect. By using the research method of grounded theory, this paper collects community review information as empirical data, encodes the data step by step, constructs concepts from the data, discovers and establishes various relationships between concepts, and distinguishes the main categories. Based on the comparison of concepts and categories, this paper makes an in-depth analysis of the spindle coding, supplements the original data, saturates the theory, and refines the categories of interactive experience, community belonging and brand positioning. Then it analyzes the value co-creation activities from two dimensions of product value and brand value, and finds that product value co-creation includes core elements such as product value cognition and user demand, while brand value co-creation includes core elements such as brand value and sense of community belonging. On this basis, this paper explains the relationship between customer participation in value co-creation and brand image building, provides a theoretical basis for the development of enterprises′ value co-creation activities, constructs a model from the aspects of word-of-mouth effect and interactive experience, investigates the correlation between customer participation in community activities and brand value co-creation, and reveals the main ways for enterprises to realize value co-creation. 
    Through the analysis of the original data, it is found that community interactive experience includes emotional experience, related experience and sensory experience. Good emotional experience can increase users′ affinity for the brand and strengthen brand identification; related experience can make users connect with other members of the community and form brand preference; while sensory experience can strengthen users′ purchase motivation and form good brand identity good brand attitude and brand culture. Research shows that, as an online interactive experience platform, virtual brand community can carry out all-round interactive activities around the needs of users, and build an open space for resource sharing and win-win cooperation. By guiding and encouraging users to participate in community activities, it can not only provide users with good service experience, create user reputation, but also obtain users′ lifelong value, and achieve the goal of value co-creation from two dimensions of product value and brand value. In the process of participating in community activities, users can not only get material rewards, but also get a sense of participation, belonging and achievement in the virtual community with common interests and interests as the link. Research shows that product value co-creation includes core elements such as value cognition and user demand, and is conducive to the formation of a good brand culture. Through the coding analysis of community reviews, it is found that the shaping of brand image depends on product innovation and the construction of an ecosystem based on user value interaction. 
    The study also shows that there is a correlation between customer participation in community activities and co-creation of brand value. Customers will have a sense of belonging to the community through information sharing and online interaction in the community environment, which helps enterprises to obtain higher brand value. Therefore, enterprises should build a virtual brand community around product innovation, obtain demand information and creative sources of product innovation through platform interaction, strengthen customer interaction experience, and establish a perfect information communication mechanism. Enterprises should pay attention to the role of public opinion leaders, give full play to their enthusiasm and influence. It is found that enterprises should focus on customer′s "interactive experience" and focus on product creativity and emotional experience. The choice of interactive topics should be close to customers′ deep needs, focus on emotional resonance with customers, and stimulate customers′ willingness to participate in value creation. Enterprises can use high-quality original content resources to increase user stickiness, create a good environment for product value co-creation, and create a distinct brand image. Enterprises should also set up a community maintenance group to improve user registration and activity, and strengthen the sense of social identity and belonging of community members.

Key words: customer participation, value co-creation, product innovation, brand community, brand image