ABSTRACT
It is actually quite rare for a consumer subculture also to be a brand community, and vice versa. Most consumer subcultures form around and defi ne themselves by certain activities or lifestyles, which in turn are supported by multiple brands. Those brands may compete for share and prestige within the subculture and, yet, all be viewed within the subculture as acceptable alternatives. For most consumer subcultures their brand identity is their activity or practice. Think “fl y-fi shers” rather than “Orvisians” or “Shakespeareans”. Think “surfers”, not “Billabongers” or “Hurleyites”. Branded products are used, endorsed and legitimized according to what they bring to the party. In their emphasis on socialization and hierarchy, most consumer subcultures are more akin to communities of practice with their systems of apprenticeship and mentoring (Lave and Wenger 1991) than they are to brand communities.
