ABSTRACT
The concept of a brand community is not new, but the phenomenon has risen to prominence in the contemporary fashion communication environment. The establishment and maintenance of a thriving community is a goal for most, if not all, fashion brands due to the multiple benefits observed, from customer loyalty through sales and product development.
Placing the brand community model first developed by Muniz and O’Guinn (2001) within the fashion environment, this chapter introduces the meaning and relevance of community to fashion brand communicators and describes how and why the process of building a community is important to fashion brands. The chapter presents a case study of international cycling-fashion brand Rapha, that shows how a brand community plays a strategic role in brand direction while drawing audiences closer into the brand’s sphere of influence.
