Introduction

These are exciting times for marketing practitioners and marketing academics alike: Much of the discipline’s received wisdom is undergoing reconsideration as the nature of marketing is changing fundamentally. A key concept in this discussion is the general notion of “connectivity.” Consumers are increasingly interconnected through various sorts of social networks, a trend that is facilitated by recent advances in electronic media and telecommunication. Initiatives on the Internet, for example, have created ample opportunity for consumers to connect with other consumers through social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook, Cyworld), information sharing sites (YouTube), (anti-)brand communities (MyStarbucksIdea. com versus iHateStarbucks.com), and so on. Also among business customers, a trend is apparent toward higher connectivity resulting from externally oriented strategies such as e-business, supply chain integration, and alliance networks. This requires a fresh perspective on analyzing both consumer and business markets, as decision makers no longer function independently of one another. Also, novel perspectives are needed on how customers connect with brands and with products, because customers are becoming more participative in some decision environments (e.g., health care) and more emotionally connected in others (e.g., brand evaluations). One of the clearest examples of how such increased connectivity changes marketing practice is the recent revival of word-of-mouth. The increased connectivity of customers with brands engenders brand communications, and the increased connectivity among customers amplifies the impact of such communications, which has important consequences for the spread of products, ideas, and information. “Buzz marketing” is now a central concept in the marketer’s tool kit, and “social contagion” is firmly on top of many marketing scholars’ research agenda.