Yuya Suzuki

Based on "relationship marketing," a key concept in contemporary marketing, "brand community" is here reconsidered. Using data acquired in a survey during March 2012, a brand community model incorporating the "purchase/use intention" of retailer service was formulated. This study's originality is its use of the following set of hypotheses. First, it adopts the concept of brand personality for studying brand community. Second, it combines the arguments for relationship-based conventional brand community (McAlexander et al.2002 and Muniz and O'Guinn 2001) and consciousness-based community (Carlson et al, 2008) together. Third, the model assumes the member-led model and adds an original pass. Forth, it introduces earthquake disaster influence and dynamic in the proposed model. Brand community solidarity may be enhanced by the support offered through the brand at the time of crisis. Furthermore, results show the necessity to reconsider retailer function and its provision of the place of exchange.