Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Course
Instructor
Writers: Group 5
Date
SM 50 Cultures, Networks and Communities
Niels Kornum
Anne Andersen 050482-3334
Catrine Moltzen Wiid 061183-2370
Chuthida Phichaiphrome 110487-3002
Pia Vornholt 180786-3688
6 November 2009
An investigation into users' motives for participation in an online human brand community
Table of Contents
1. Case Delimitation (Anne Andersen)................................................................3
2. Theory Delimitation (Pia Vornholt)................................................................6
3. Research Question (Anne Andersen)...............................................................8
4. Framework (Pia Vornholt)..............................................................................9
5. Analysis (Chuthida Phichaiphrome)..............................................................10
5.1 Cooking Related (Chuthida Phichaiphrome)............................................10
5.2 JO Related (Catrine Moltzen Wiid)..........................................................12
6. Conclusion (Anne Andersen)........................................................................16
7. Perspectives (Chuthida Phichaiphrome)........................................................17
2
1. Case Delimitation
This study investigates a lifestyle community centered around the topic of cooking, which is
embedded in the official website of the British cook Jamie Oliver1 (www.jamieoliver.com), who
became famous through a series of TV shows, books and his campaign for more healthy food in
British schools. He gained popularity with “The Naked Chef” TV show, turning him into a celebrity
chef (Kotler & Keller 2009: 280). The website contains information about JO, ranging from
personal information to his recipes, restaurants, books and kitchen supplies. In addition, it includes
an online community section. This community seems to be an interesting case for an in-depth
investigation due to its dynamic and lively environment.
The registration for this community is not mandatory, i.e. the content is accessible for everyone.
Only active participation requires membership, which can facilitate lurking due to the low entry
barriers. Nevertheless, the number of registered users is very high (155,001 registered members on
2 Nov 20092).
Members can set up a profile with basic information like interest, location, occupation and e-mail
address. There is no direct way to contact other members via the website and personal information
is reduced to a minimum. Furthermore, users cannot add friends and there is no member directory.
The community section consists of three elements – “Food Forums”, “Food Blogs” and
“Foodwise”. The Food Forums are a “place for [users] to chat to each other, exchange recipe ideas
and maybe even help each other out with any problems [they] might have in the kitchen area“. Food
Blogs give members the opportunity to set up their own blogs regarding their recipes and cooking
tips. Foodwise is a “section on the site where [users] can share [their] knowledge of all things food
related”. It acts as an “online encyclopedia where [users] can upload articles and also edit other
people’s articles as well”. Regarding these definitions of each element, the forums are the part that
mostly aligns with the definition of an online community, which is an “Internet-connected
collective of people who interact over time around a shared purpose, interest, or need” (Ren et al.
1 In this paper referred to as JO
2 http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/
3
2007: 378). Throughout the paper the forums will be referred to as JO community or JO forums.
For reasons of simplicity the terms will be used interchangeably.
The forums are split up into different topics. One forum is specially set up for new members, giving
them the opportunity to learn about the rules and introduce themselves. Five forums relate to food
and cooking (recipes, cooking advice, growing own food, wine, nutrition). Three forums deal with
offline events, campaigns and career advice in the food industry. Any other topics can be discussed
in a general forum.
Participation in the forums is very active which has been proven by an observation3. The
observation is by no means representative, but serves as an indicator for the high traffic in the
forums. Depending on the number of posts, users can become “forum champs” with a bronze (1000
posts), silver (2500 posts) or gold (5000 posts) star4.
The focus of this project will be on analyzing limited threads in specific forums according to its
relevance to the research question leaving out forums related to offline activities. Since the activity
in the forums is particularly interesting, the high participation in this community will be the starting
point of this study. In order to get a relatively broad picture of the community activities the
following four forum groups have been selected: introductions, recipe swap, in the kitchen, and
leftovers. These four groups have the highest traffic and number of postings.
In the four forums, certain threads will be selected based on the number of views and the number of
replies. These are important criteria as they represent the level of interest and participation in the
thread. In addition to in-depth observations of the chosen threads, JO’s posts and replies will be
taken as a point of departure in order to obtain a richer insight into JO’s involvement.
In order to study the community, the new qualitative research methodology, nethnography, will be
used (Füller & Jawecki 2008: 249). Based on the existing literature about nethnography by
Kozinets, online communities can be studied through observation of user generated data in forums
and blogs (Kozinets 2002: 63). Nethnography is selected as it allows studying mass consumer
behavior at an in-depth level, thereby surpassing the traditional techniques of focus groups and in-
3 Please see Appendix D for more information
4 http://www.jamieoliver.com/bloggers/viewtopic.php?id=33083
4
depth interviews (Kozinets 2006: 279). Kozinets proposes certain procedures5 that should be
followed when using nethnography. However, due to the nature and time constraint of this study, it
is not possible to adhere to all those procedures.
The focus of the nethnography will mainly be on the first and second procedures (see footnote 5).
However, other procedures such as ensuring trustworthy interpretation or research ethics will also
be considered during the research process as much as possible with the resources available in this
study. Concerning the second procedure, focus will be placed on certain threads in the chosen
forums. No direct quotes of the posts in the threads will be written in this project for ethical reasons
rather the content of threads will be used as an inspiration for the analysis.
2. Theory Delimitation
Online communities have been the subject of a vast amount of studies. The literature spans from the
classification of different types of communities to investigations on the motives for participation.6
Since online communities are platforms for interaction among a collective of people, they highly
depend on the commitment and participation of their members (Ren et al. 2007: 378, Ardichvili
2008: 543). With its high traffic and large member base, the JO community is a particular
interesting case in this respect.
Ren et al. (2007: 378, 380) argue that people develop commitment to an online community
depending on their reason for being in the group. They differ between identity-based attachment,
where “members feel a commitment to the online community’s purpose or topic”, and bond-based
attachment, where “members feel socially or emotionally attached to particular members” (Ren et
al. 2007: 381). As JO community has clear policies,7 tolerates a large number of participants,
conducts conversations in public forums, limits member information it can be classified as topic-
centered.
Previous research addresses the motives for members to take part in and contribute to topic-
5 1) making cultural entrée, 2) gathering and analyzing data, 3) ensuring trustworthy interpretation, 4) conducting
ethical research, and 5) Providing opportunities for cultural member feedback (Kozinets 2002: 63)
6 Please see Kozinets 2006 for a more detailed outline of this topic
7 http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19842
5
centered online communities (e.g. Ewing 2008, Kornum 2008). The interesting aspect of the case in
question, however, is the involvement of a celebrity. The effects of celebrity influence on member
interaction in a community have not been investigated so far. In order to understand the attachment
to and interaction in the JO community, it is thus necessary to explore both the theory for
attachment to a specific interest and theory of the attachment to celebrities.
2.1 Common Interest
The McKinsey consultants Amstrong and Hagel (1996: 135) refer to communities where
participants interact on specific topics as communities of interest (de Valck et al. 2007: 242).
McWilliam (2000: 48) states that the enthusiasm and care about the specific area encourages
members to contribute. In particular knowledge sharing, i.e. accessing and providing information, is
a primary reason for people to engage in communities of interest (Ridings et al. 2006: 332).
According to Werry and Mowbray (2001: 50) one of the first uses of bulletin boards on the internet
was sharing recipes, because the topic “suit[s] the functioning of an electronic gift economy in
which members contribute their own knowledge to the common capital.” This highlights that
people generally take part in cooking communities to share knowledge and experience about the
subject. The description of the JO forums stated above illustrates that their primary purpose is also
to provide an area for these exchanges.
Osterloh and Frey (2000: 539) distinguish between extrinsic (indirect need satisfactions through
monetary compensation) and intrinsic (direct need satisfaction through the action itself) motivations
for knowledge contribution. Since the JO community does not reward members financially, the
focus will be on intrinsic compensations that encourage participation and thus act as motivators for
users to contribute. Ardichvili (2008: 543-548) mentions the following personal benefits that could
reward users in an online community: enhancement of reputation, boost of self-esteem,
development of stronger ties with the community, establishment of ties with others, reciprocity,
learning and development of expertise and altruism.
2.2 Celebrity Involvement
People can develop emotional attachment to a variety of things, including celebrities (Thomson
2006: 105). Psychologists claim that people with strong attachments to an object are likely to seek
6
proximity to it and are committed to establish and maintain a relationship with it (Thomson et al.
2005: 78). A meaningful online presence of a celebrity is thus likely to attract attached consumers
to ask questions and learn more about the person (Thomson, 2006: 116). Rein et al. (2006: 97) refer
to fans, which join personality-based websites, as “interactives” that pursue a closer relationship
and dialogue with the star.
This implies that members with a strong attachment to JO can be motivated to participate in the
community, because they want to connect with and learn more about him. Especially statements
about affection, passion and connection indicate high attachment (Thomson et al. 2005: 88) and can
thus indicate that the commitment to JO as a celebrity is the primary reason for participating in the
forums.
According to marketing literature, not only products and services can be marketed and branded, but
also people (Kotler & Keller 2009: 46-47, 278, Palmer 2000: 222). Branding applies to celebrities,
because they can be professionally managed and have features of a brand, e.g. a brand image and
brand promise (Thomson 2006: 105, Kotler & Keller 2009: 280). Kotler & Keller (2009: 281)
depict the specific features of JO, which categorize him as a human brand.8 Based on their brand
print the following main attributes of the JO brand are identified: quality, honesty, simplicity,
passion, entertainment and better food. The notion of JO as a human brand implies that his
community can also be classified as a brand community, which requires the inclusion of theory
about involvement in brand communities in this study.
According to Kornum (2008: 341-342) the focal point of interaction in brand communities is the
brand and the interaction between its members evolves around the brand. Members participate to
fulfill their hedonic needs, i.e. they seek pleasure, entertainment and self-expression (Munñiz &
O’Guinn, 2001: 427). Ouwersloot and Odekerken-Schröder (2008: 574) furthermore suggest four
different motivations for getting involved in a brand community: the need for quality reassurance
and exchange of experiences with the brand, the desire to be connected to the brand, the
requirement of joint consumption and desire to live up to the brand’s symbolic meaning.
3. Research Question
The theory delimitation shows that there are different motives for engaging in a community like the
8 Please see Appendix B for the detailed brand print of JO
7
JO forums. Member interactions can either evolve around the topic of cooking or around JO as a
human brand and celebrity. This study will explore why the JO community is highly active and
dynamic by addressing the following research question.
Is the topic of cooking or JO the primary motive for users to participate?
This will be done by investigating the following sub-questions:
- Concerning interaction related to cooking, how strong is JO’s reference in this arena? Do
users refer back to his recipes, cooking techniques etc.?
- What is the nature of users’ interaction of JO? Do they discuss about him in general? Or can
the interaction be classified into either brand or celebrity oriented attachment?
4. Framework
The theory delimitation shows that there are three different constructs that can help investigate the
motives for users to participate in the JO forums. Firstly, members can be motivated by their
enthusiasm about cooking and their willingness to share knowledge. Secondly, members can be
motivated by their attachment to JO as a celebrity or thirdly by their involvement with JO as a
brand.
To answer the research question, the analysis of the JO community will be carried out in two steps. 9
At first the content of the threads will be analyzed for posts that point to one of the three identified
motives. The second step involves an in-depth assessment of these posts in order to determine the
type of motivation that encouraged users to contribute. On the basis of this evaluation, conclusions
about the reasons for participation will be drawn.
It is assumed that user contributions in the forums can indicate user commitment and motivation.
4.1 Cooking Related Topics
To find out whether the primary motive for participation is the topic of cooking, constructs from the
theory about communities of interest will be used. The content of the threads will be analyzed
according to the extent to which members share their knowledge. This is indicated by on-topic
discussions related to cooking and member contribution in form of questions and answers about
cooking. The contributions will be assessed using the motivation factors for sharing knowledge
9 Please see Appendix A for a graphic outline
8
stated by Ardichvili (2008).
4.2 JO the Celebrity
To investigate whether member attachment to JO as a celebrity is a motive for participation, the
theory about attachment to celebrities serves as a foundation for the analysis. Posts that address JO
directly in order to establish personal contact or a dialogue will be used as an indicator that member
participation is caused by celebrity worship. The assessment of motivations (enthusiasm for
celebrity and efforts to get closer) will be based on the extent to which users share their passion
about JO as a person, show an affinity to him, or attempt to connect with him.
4.3 JO the Brand
The brand theories about JO as well as those regarding brand communities will be used to
determine whether users’ motives for participation are brand related. The JO brand attributes can
serve as a starting point for the content analysis. Discussions evolving around these attributes can
reveal users’ primary interest in the JO brand promise and what it stands for. In particular, hedonic
needs satisfaction (i.e. entertainment and self-expression), exchange of experiences about the brand,
and desire to live up to the brands symbolic meaning will be used to assess the involvement of
members in the community because of JO’s image and meaning as a brand.
5. Analysis
After conducting the investigation of the threads, user interaction can be classified as either
cooking-related or JO-related. To simplify the presentation of the analysis this section will thus be
divided into two parts: cooking related and JO related interaction.
5.1 Cooking Related
Out of the four forums investigated, high level of interaction regarding cooking related topics can
be observed mainly in Recipe Swap and In the Kitchen. However, the selected thread in the latter
forum did not result in insightful findings that would help address the research question. Therefore,
this section will focus on the findings from the Recipe Swap forum. In this forum, the thread with
the highest views happens to be the one with the highest replies as well. This thread, entitled
Foodology, initially began as a problem statement where a user was seeking advice about an
9
appropriate main dish to serve at her birthday party. There were several responses from other users
and recipes were posted. Gradually, these responding users started to interact amongst themselves
by posting recipes that meet their interest, but do not necessarily relate to the original problem
statement or exhibit a common theme. As the thread developed, it became an outlet for one user,
foietruffledisiac, to post her recipes. Occasionally, other users would leave a short comment of
respect and admiration, and even post questions to foietruffledisiac. This feedback was well
received by foietruffledisiac as she replies to each post individually in a casual and friendly tone.
As the Foodology thread seemed to be dominated by mainly foietruffledisiac and two other users, it
was decided to observe another thread in Recipe Swap for a more complete insight into the
interaction between users. The supplementary thread chosen is named The Silk Road and is focused
on Asian cuisine. This thread was started by Stefanie, a self-proclaimed expert in Asian cuisine,
who is also of Singaporean descent. The thread was designed as an arena where questions related to
Asian cuisine can be posted, to which Stefanie will reply, and where Stefanie would post self-
determined interesting Asian recipes. It can already be observed that this thread, in contrast to
Foodology, has a clear theme and direction. Another difference is that in The Silk Road the level of
interaction is shared amongst a various amount of users with the posts still being directed towards
Stefanie and Asian cuisine. One interesting observation is that in this thread, it is mainly Stefanie
who has the recognized position of posting recipes. Others who wanted to actively post recipes
were politely suggested to start their own thread in order to be recognized for their contribution.
5.1.1 Content Analysis
The interactions in both threads are mainly on-topic with the subject matter: cooking. This is
particularly true for The Silk Road, where the interaction revolves around a specific area of cooking.
As both threads consist of requests, questions about, and the sharing of recipes, it can be implied
that these threads act as a medium for the sharing of knowledge (De Valck et al). Discussions in
these threads rarely deviate from cooking-related topics and when they do, the degree of deviation
is quite minor. For example, users would ask each other about their well-being, work, and study
lives but the discussion would always come back to cooking. This illustrates that cooking is a topic
of common interest amongst these users. Coupled with the extensive sharing of recipes and
10
concerns regarding those recipes it can be implied that these users interact in order to “access and
provide information” (Ridings et al.) regarding a topic of interest (cooking).
5.1.2 Motivations Analysis
It seems that out of Ardichvili’s list of factors motivating users to contribute information in a
community, “learning” is the most evident within The Silk Road and Foodology threads. This is
illustrated by the contributing users’ active interest in various areas of cooking: recipes, ingredients,
preparations methods etc. Users are noticeably seeking new knowledge regarding ways to prepare a
certain dish or a particular ingredient by requesting relevant recipes. It appears that the aspect of
learning is not one-way. Dominant players (foietruffledisiac and Stefanie) also engage in learning
through feedback about their recipes that have been tried by other users.
It is not clear whether the dominant users are motivated to participate by factors such as reputation
enhancement or boosting self-esteem, as there is no substantial way to measure these factors. It is
possible for posts of admiration from other users to influence the motivations to participate amongst
the dominant users. Reading between the lines of these two users’ posts, however, it seems as if
they are satisfied by merely sharing their knowledge about cooking.
In these two threads, there is a notable absence of JO related discussions. The celebrity chef, his
recipes, as well as his activities were rarely mentioned. This could be an implication that the users
contributing in these two threads are more motivated to participate by cooking related topics rather
than by JO. However, observation of the remaining two forums, Introductions and Leftovers reveals
the significant difference in user behavior and their attitude towards JO.
5.2 JO Related
In this part user interaction related to JO will be discussed. The forums Introductions and Leftovers
were the initial point of departure. However, in the Leftovers forum the identified thread did not
yield any valuable insights to answer the research question. As a new point of departure, JO’s posts
and replies were selected independent of the forums. The rationale behind this approach is that it
would be interesting to further analyze how JO interacts in the community and observe the effect
his posts have on the user involvement in the threads.
11
After the observations had been carried out it was possible to divide JO’s interaction into two
categories. The interaction JO has amongst users can be classified as either brand oriented or
celebrity oriented.
5.2.1 JO Brand Oriented Interaction
To observe how users react when JO posts replies within an existing thread, the thread with the
most replies posted by JO was selected for observation – Jamie’s American Road Trip.
Jamie’s American Road Trip is a thread within the Leftovers forum. This forum is where JO has the
highest involvement both in terms of starting threads and replying to existing ones. In this particular
thread, JO introduces his new TV show, asks users to provide feedback and share relevant personal
experiences.
At first, the users’ responses were addressed directly at JO, talking about their anticipation towards
the new show. They provide feedback by congratulating him and also applaud him for being
interested in other things besides cooking, e.g. the role of culture. A unique aspect of this thread is
that the guests featured on the show were also contributing in the thread. Especially one user,
Chefrigo, becomes quite popular in this certain thread. Chefrigo has been on JO’s new TV show,
and the other users admire him and are happy that he contributes to the thread. TamaraR and
ZoraO, also guests on the TV show, joined the thread and were welcomed as well and even
received replies from JO. TamaraR and ZoraO could be seen as representatives of JO because they
answer questions about the show and how JO is as a person. It could be thus implied TamaraR and
ZoraO act as a link between JO and his audience.
5.2.1.1 Content Analysis
This thread focuses on the brand attributes with regards to JO as a means of entertainment. This is
illustrated by the way users discuss how JO cooks and inspires them to make the featured dishes as
on the show. They see him as an inspiration not only related to cooking but also for bringing
cultures together. In addition the content of the TV show is discussed extensively. Users will
thoroughly explain the content of the episode for those who did not managed to watch it, engage in
minute countdowns in the thread to when the show will air on TV etc. This can imply that the show
acts as a source of entertainment for them (Kotler & Keller).
12
One ongoing discussion in the thread is about how JO killed a crocodile on the TV show. One user
in particular, rookiecook, claims that JO’s action is immoral. The content of the responses to this
accusation can be linked back to what the users believe JO represents. They disagree with
rookiecook’s point of view as they claim that JO is one of the most prominent advocates for animal
welfare. The users constantly refer to JO’s belief that animals should be provided with at good life
even if they are bred with the purpose of being consumed. They argue that this enhances the
knowledge of where food comes which results in better quality food consumed.
5.2.1.2 Motivations Analysis
From the users’ responses to rookiecook’s statement against JO in the thread, it can be observed that
the tone is quite defensive in nature. Users’ defense of JO’s actions and what he stands for can be
interpreted as representing the users’ desire to be connected to the brand, and to live up to his brand
values. These are two of the motivational factors suggested by Ouwersloot & Odekerken-Schröder.
This thread in particular exhibits a significantly higher degree of passion and emotion in the user
participation. The users’ offensive tone in their response to the attacks against JO can imply that
(most) users in the community disapprove of comments that oppose what JO stands for.
In addition users seem to be motivated to contribute by the entertainment value and pleasure they
receive by watching the show. According to Munñiz and O’Guinn (2001), these can be considered
as factors motivating users to participate in the community. As the source of entertainment is JO’s
TV show, it can be argued that users are motivated to participate in the community due to the JO
brand, which includes the TV show.
Furthermore, it is observed in the thread that users tend to relate their personal life experiences with
the content shown on the TV show. For example, there are a number of users whose places of
origin were depicted on the TV show. These users praise JO’s accuracy in depicting their
hometown and not its stereotypical image. Furthermore, these users tend to confirm and elaborate
on the topics regarding their hometown covered in the TV show. This can be interpreted as users’
attempt to exchange their experience with the brand, which can be considered one of the
motivational factors that influence users to participate in a brand community (Ouwersloot and
Odekerken-Schröder). This further reinforces the notion that users are motivated to participate in
Jamie’s American Road Trip due to the JO brand.
13
5.2.2 JO Celebrity Oriented Interaction
5.2.2.1 Content Analysis
In the Introductions forum, the thread with the highest views also has the most replies and is
Welcome to the forums!. This thread was started by JO himself in 2005, but replies are still being
posted till this day10. The nature of the responses is mainly directed at JO. Users used this thread as
an opportunity to reach out to JO and post messages of support and admiration. Topics in the posts
range from users’ interpretation of JO himself (i.e. his personality and passion for cooking), his TV
shows, to attempts to contact him. It can be argued that the thread’s position as a tangible channel to
reach out to JO may be the reason behind its high traffic as the users rarely specifically introduce
themselves to existing community members.
Celebrity oriented content was also noticeable in the Jamie’s American Road Trip thread. There are
numerous posts where users suggest that JO should visit their hometowns and explore their local
cuisine. Some even offered to assist JO in his visit should he ever decide to take that on. In addition
there are a number of users who offer and suggest their cooking services to JO. For example ,
realpacucho claims to have a Mexican origin and is currently working as a chef in London. He
offered to further enhance JO’s experience and knowledge of Mexican cuisine by proposing to
stage a demonstration at Fifteen (JO’s restaurant).
In these posts users usually directly address JO in the second person as if they were talking to him
directly. This illustrates that users in these threads and posts are attempting to establish a personal
connection with JO. This reflects the psychological theory of attachments (Thomson et al.) as users
try to establish proximity.
5.2.2.2 Motivations Analysis
According to Thomson et al. affection and passion are factors, which indicate attachment to
celebrities. These elements were observed to exist in Jamie’s American Road Trip where, a user
finds people like JO to be a “rare breed” and that, ideally, she would like for him to be her son-in-
law. However, in this thread, posts that display strong attributes of affection and passion are
10 See Appendix D
14
uncommon, thus the relevance of JO’s celebrity factor in inducing motivations amongst users is
questionable.
The attempt to investigate how much influence JO has on the community, by taking JO's posts as a
point of departure, has resulted in insightful learnings. However, it would not be trustworthy to
generalize these findings to represent a significant amount of users in the community, as the number
of posts in this thread is not significantly high.
6. Conclusion
This study has revealed certain facts regarding the nature of users’ interaction related to cooking.
An interesting finding is that within cooking related threads, there was minimal reference to JO.
Users usually interact amongst themselves, refer back to their personal experience and skills related
to cooking rather than cite that of JO’s. Thus, it appears that for these users, their motives for
participating in this community are less related to him. Therefore, it seems that cooking is the
primary motivating factor for interaction amongst these users.
With regards to JO related user interaction, it was difficult to classify whether the brand or the
celebrity motivates users. From this study, it seems that these elements are linked as users address
attributes of both the brand and the celebrity in their posts. A possible explanation for this is that the
JO brand is likely to be derived from his celebrity status. According to Kotler & Keller (2009),
many of JO’s activities resulted from his fame from being on The Naked Chef TV Show. It can be
argued that the JO brand is built on the basis of these activities, which would make the two
elements (JO the brand and JO the celebrity) interlinked.
From this study, it is apparent that all three types of motives (cooking related topics, JO the brand,
JO the celebrity) exist within this community. After observing the forums (Introductions, Recipe
Swap, In the Kitchen, and Leftovers), the primary motive regarding user participation could be
clearly identified within each observed thread. As the motive only clearly exists in each thread, it
was not possible to derive a clear conclusion regarding user motives at forum level. Thus, the
primary motive for the entire community could not be clearly identified. To draw a concrete
conclusion for the entire community, which comprises of numerous forums, would require more
resources mainly in terms of time and technology than what is provided in this study.
15
7. Perspectives
After carrying out this investigation, several constraints and obstacles as well as potential for further
research have been discovered. One of the most evident constraints of this study is time, as the
scope of the investigation had to be significantly reduced and certain elements were excluded.
Initially, the affect of JO’s offline activities on user interaction in the community was one of the
elements aimed to be explored in this study. Hypothetically, it is possible, if users are interested in
JO and his celebrity status, for his offline activities to act as a source of motivation for users to
participate in the community.
During the observation of the investigated threads, it became apparent that towards the end of the
thread there seemed to be a bond-like relationship developing. In particular, contributing users in
Foodology have already organized a social meeting. Had there been more time for the study, it
would have been interesting to investigate whether user motivations to participate change from a
more content focused to more social focused over time. By doing this, Ewing’s argument regarding
the shift in users’ motivations to participate (from content to social) can be explored.
With regards to further exploring user behavior in the community, there are areas that can be
investigated as an extension of this study. One area that can be extended further relates to the
observation of low barrier-like behavior exhibited by existing users. Taking this as a point of
departure, an in-depth analysis into the behavior of lead users (“forum champs”) in this community
can be conducted to observe how their behavior influences other users in the community. Another
area that was not fully explored is the notion of recognition and rewards acting as sources of
motivation. In addition to being named a “forum champ”, it can be argued that replies from lead
users and JO also constitute as forms of recognition. Thus, it would be interesting to investigate
whether users treat these replies as recognition and whether there is a drive amongst users to be
recognized in the community.
While conducting the investigation for this study, a particular observation was noted regarding the
design (layout) of the community. It seems that this community has been designed so that the focus
is shifted from JO the TV personality and celebrity chef. Instead, the community highlights topics
such as recipes, healthy lifestyle, cooking procedures, and natural ingredients by devoting a specific
forum to each of these topics. This may be a biased factor that shifts users’ participation away from
16
JO. The effect that the design of the community has on user behavior is thus an interesting topic to
investigate to see whether participation in those forums is genuine or influenced by the design.
A truly unique element of this study is the fact that JO represents both the content and the brand.
The topic of human brands acting as a source of user motivations has been explored in this study.
However, the behavior and motivations of the human brand in engaging in the community has not
been explored. When JO’s posts were taken as a point of departure in observing brand related
interaction amongst users, it has been noticed that the nature of his involvement has changed over
the course of the community’s development. During the initial phases of the website’s development,
JO’s involvement in the community was quite high, consisting of posting every two days and
replying to many users’ posts. However, recently his involvement has decreased as the frequency of
posts is now reduced to about once a week It would be interesting to investigate JO’s behavior in
this community, whether there is a pattern in his replies, and the effect is has on him as a brand.
17
8. Appendix
Appendix A. Analysis Framework
18
Appendix B. Jamie Oliver Brand Print
19
Appendix C. Methodology
This project can be classified as qualitative research including elements of both inductive and
deductive approaches making it into a retroductive approach. It means that instead of working from a
theory (deduction) or from the data (induction), it is a combination of the two (Saunders, Lewis &
Thornhill 2003; 86). Inductive approach was used in the very beginning when searching for general
data in the J.O community. After looking into the community as well as looking through different
theories and deciding on which ones to use, the research approach was changed into deduction.
Deductive approach was conducted by explaining the causal relationships between variables such as
motivation for participation between Jamie and community members. By using this retroductive
approach, the research process became clearer and the double funnel model by Kornum (2009) was
applied when narrowing down the focus.
The research strategy is a case study including empirical investigation of a specific online community
within its real life context (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill 2003; 93).
The theoretical part of the project is built on secondary data such as related articles and books,
whereas primary data is gathered by observing the interaction in the forums by netnography in order
to answer the research question.
Appendix D Online Activity Observation
Conducted in week 43
Synopsis:
The member base rose about 1,5% with an average of 275 new members each day. In the same period the number topics increased about 1% with an average of 32 new topics each day. The posts show a similar development with an increase of 0,8% in week 43 and an average of 276 new posts per day.
17.10. = 149742 users
24.10. = 151938 users = +1,5%
Each day ca. 275 new members
17.10 = 27222 topics
24.10. = 27474 topics = +1%
each day ca. 32 new topics
17.10 = 289264 posts
24.10. = 291472 posts = +0,8%
20
each day ca 276 new posts
Appendix D. Forum Statistics: Top Five Threads (according to number of posts)
Note: The following information was retrieved on 05 November 2009 to ensure up-to-date
information. However, due to the change in the layout of the website on 30 October 2009 the number
of views is no longer accessible.
In the Kitchen
Thread Number of Posts Date of Initiation Date of Latest Post
What do you think when you hear…
1415 Sat 06 Jun 09 11:03am
Wed 04 Nov 6.08pm
Conversions 68 Sun 20 Nov 05 6:01pm
Sat 10 Oct 09 4:35am
Poached Eggs - Can't seem to get it right
51 Tue 06 Oct 09 12:15am
Wed 21 Oct 09 8:50am
What is difference between cake, pie and
bread?
33 Tue 20 Oct 09 3:24pm
Thu 22 Oct 09 6:12pm
Polenta - Ready to Serve 33 Tue 21 Apr 09 11:08am
Tue 03 Nov 09 2:29pm
Introductions
Thread Number of Posts Date of Initiation Date of Latest Post
Welcome to the forums! 3322 Fri 13 May 05 2:00pm
Tue 03 Nov 09 2:35pm
The Never ending 4 word story............
1660 Thu 11 Dec 08 5:51pm
Tue 03 Nov 09 6:16pm
Spam and advertising on the Forums
43 Sat 26 Jul 08 9:44am
Thu 29 Oct 09 1:10am
New in cookery! 36 Tue 20 Oct 09 9:59am
Tue 20 Oct 09 3:29pm
Anyone Ever Tried Acai Force Max?
31 Fri 16 Oct 09 1:19pm
Sun 18 Oct 09 3:51pm
21
Leftovers
Thread Number of Posts Date of Initiation Date of Latest Post
Whats [sic] For Supper? 9477 Sun 11 Feb 07 7:06am
Thu 05 Nov 09 4:19pm
ADD a letter, DROP a letter, CHANGE a letter
9169 Sat 25 Oct 08 7:23pm
Thu 05 Nov 09 10:47am
lets play, the name game..... welcome...
6133 Mon 27 Oct 08 9:44am
Thu 05 Nov 4:00pm
Whats [sic] your weather like today?
5914 Mon 07 Jul 08 12:07pm
Thu 05 Nov 09 7:13pm
Are you an Olivercholic [sic]?
4581 Thu 12 Feb 09 7:52pm
Thu 05 Nov 09 6:56pm
Recipe Swap
Thread Number of Posts Date of Initiation Date of Latest Post
Foodology [sic] 4666 Wed 01 Sep 04 3:34pm
Mon 12 Oct 09 10:36pm
The Silk Road 2889 Thu 07 Oct 04 7:17am
Wed 04 Nov 09 8:26pm
COOKIES ANONYMOUS [sic]
1706 Mon 18 Apr 05 9:52am
Wed 04 Nov 09 9:33am
Soup's on!! 836 Mon 31 Oct 05 12:52pm
Wed 04 Nov 09 10:29pm
Weekly Cooking Challenge Revised
506 Sun 12 Jul 09 4:37am
Thu 05 Nov 09 11:00am
22
10. Bibliography
Books
Kornum, N. (2008) Three Types of Firm-related Online Communities, In: Strategic Market Creation, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester
Kotler, P. / Keller, K.L. (2009) Marketing Management. 13th ed., Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River
Palmer, A. (2000) Principles of Marketing. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Rein, I. / Kotler, P. / Hamlin, M. / Stoller, M. (2006) High Visibility. 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill, New York
Saunders, M. / Lewis, P. / Thornhill, A. (2003) Research Methods for Business Students. 3rd ed., FT Prentice Hall, Madrid
Werry, C. / Mowbray, M. (2001) Online Communities. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River
Articles
Ardichvili, A. (2008) Learning and Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities of Practice: Motivators, Barriers, and Enablers. Advances in Developing Human Resources, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 541-554
Armstrong, A. / Hagel, J. (1996) The Real Value of On-Line Communities. Harvard Business Review, May-June Issue, pp. 134-141
de Valck, K. / Langerak, F. / Verhoef, P.C. / Verlegh P.W.J. (2007) Satisfaction with Virtual Communities of Interest: Effect on Members’ Visit Frequency. British Journal of Management, Vol. 18, pp. 241–256
Ewing, T. (2008) Participation cycles and emergent cultures in an online community. International Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 50, No. 5, pp. 575-590
Füller, J. / Jawecki, G. (2008) How to use the innovate potential of online communities? Netnography – an unobtrusive research method to absorb the knowledge and creativity of online communities. International Journal of Business Process Integration and Management, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 248-255
Kornum, N. (2009) Project Delimitation & - Formulation: The Double-Funnel Model. Third version. CBS: Department of Marketing.
Kozinets, R. (2006) Click to Connect: Nethnography and Tribal Advertising. Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 279-288
Kozinets, R. (2002) The Field Behind the Screen: Using Netnography for Marketing Research in Online Communities. Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 49, pp. 61-72
McWilliam, G. (2000) Building Stronger Brands through Online Communities. Sloan Management Review, Spring Issue, pp. 43-54
Muñiz, A.M. / O'Guinn, T.C. (2001) Brand Community. Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 27, pp. 412-432
Osterloh, M. / Frey, B.S. (2000) Motivation, Knowledge Transfer, and Organizational Forms. Organization Science, Vol. 11, No. 5, pp. 538-550
23
Ouwersloot, H. / Odekerken-Schröder, G. (2008) Who’s who in brand communities – and why? European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 42, No. 5/6, pp. 571-585
Ren, Y. / Kraut, R. / Kiesler, S. (2007) Applying Common Identity and Bond Theory toDesign of Online Communities. Organization Studies, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 377–408
Ridings, C. / Gefen, D. / Arinze, B. (2006) Psychological Barriers: Lurker and Poster Motivation and Behaviour in Online Communities. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, Volume 18, pp. 329-354
Thomson, M. (2006) Human Brands: Investigating Antecedents to Consumers' StrongAttachments to Celebrities. Journal of Marketing, Vol. 70, pp. 104-119
Thomson, M. / MacInnis, D.J. / Park, C.W. (2005) The Ties That Bind: Measuring the Strength of Consumers’ Emotional Attachments to Brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology, Vol. 15, Issue 1, pp. 77–91
Websites
Jamie Oliver (2009) Blogs and Forums. http://www.jamieoliver.com/blogs-and-forums, 2 November 2009
Jamie Oliver (2009) Foodwise. http://www.jamieoliver.com/foodwise, 9 October 2009
Jamie Oliver (2009) Forum. http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/, 2 November 2009
Jamie Oliver (2009) Forum House Rules. http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19842, 30 October 2009
Jamie Oliver (2009) Forums/Foodology. http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2409, 15 October 2009
Jamie Oliver (2009) Forums/Jamie’s American Road Trip. http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=50889&p=9, 21 October 2009
Jamie Oliver (2009) Forums/Profile. http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/profile.php?id=4, 20 October 2009
Jamie Oliver (2009) Forums/The Silk Road. http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3134, 20 October 2009
Jamie Oliver (2009) Forums/Welcome to the forums!. http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9148, 17 October 2009
Jamie Oliver (2009) Member Blog Danny. http://www.jamieoliver.com/bloggers/viewtopic.php?id=33083, 2 November 2009
24
