UBA068 - Brands and community

Why it matters and where it fails.

When I graduated, I worked at Procter & Gamble for a short period. I wasn’t really a good fit for their needs and my time there was relatively short. One of the things I always remember was their definition (at the time) of “loyalty”. Loyalty was expressed simply as a metric, it was about the percentage of category spend that was spent on a single brand. I guess if you need to find a quantitative expression of loyalty that’s where you go but the whole idea of expressing loyalty as a figure seemed bizarre to me.

As I understood it, loyalty was something much deeper, something that relates to how someone feels about a brand, or intends to act. It’s really about the relationship a person has with a brand, a feeling that can’t really be constrained to a simple metric.

But 25 years on, I see the same issue showing up when brands consider “community”. Brands do understand that community is important today in theory, but i see many show up time and time again considering community through metrics rather than a deep understanding.

As Mark pointed out in his recent article, “We Become What We Measure,” this fixation on numbers can often shift focus away from what really matters. Community, like loyalty, isn’t built on numbers or metrics, it’s based on shared values, trust and a genuine connection between people and the brand.

Community isn’t a one-off tactic or a social media strategy, it requires genuine long term efforts to create something lasting and real, even if it can’t be easily measured. From our Unorthodox Blend Conversations over the last year, certain themes come through about how community can be nurtured and mutually benefit brand and the people involved.

Why Community Matters

While consumers have endless options, they’re increasingly choosing brands that resonate with them on a deeper level - brands that align with their values, beliefs and sense of identity. For many people, community is the natural evolution of brand loyalty, where the relationship is reciprocal and built on shared purpose rather than one-sided transactions.

When a brand genuinely invests in community, it becomes more than just a product or service provider; it becomes part of people’s lives, creating a sense of belonging and trust. Community gives brands the chance to cultivate long-term relationships that go far beyond the purchase cycle. Customers who feel part of a community are more likely to advocate for the brand, engage with it meaningfully and remain connected even when they’re not actively buying.

A true community forms when people feel valued, heard, and connected to each other not just to the brand. This deep connection transforms casual customers into loyal advocates and fosters resilience in times of change, as the brand becomes something meaningful to its community members.

In our conversations with Algy on Unorthodox Blend, we reflected on how, for us, Run Dem Crew embodied the true spirit of community by putting people, not products at the centre. In the early days, Nike allowed space for this community to grow without any specific commercial desire or metrics. For those of us who were involved in that stage, we all learned something about ourselves, made lifelong friends and had a meaningful time.

A community thrives when it’s built around shared experiences rather than transactions, where brands and individuals share a genuine commitment to each other’s growth and well-being. When brands embrace this people-first mindset, they cultivate a community that’s self-sustaining, continually reinforced by the bonds between its members.

For brands, investing in community needs to be about shifting from transactional loyalty to a long-term relationship that holds value beyond metrics.

For community to thrive, the objective needs to be community. Any other objective will taint efforts to build community and will ultimately lead to failure or cynicism.

Where Brands Fail

Despite the potential of genuine community, many brands fall into predictable traps that undermine their efforts.

As mentioned above, when brands reduce community to engagement numbers, follower counts or other quantifiable measures, they miss the core purpose of community - a deep, relational bond based on shared values and mutual respect.

Another major pitfall is adopting a transactional mindset. Brands that prioritise quick wins and short-term loyalty programs often mistake customer activity for loyalty. Discounts, incentives and points programs may drive sales, but they rarely create an enduring connection. Community requires more than perks; it needs real emotional engagement, a sense that the brand and its people genuinely care about each other.

Many brands also make the mistake of centering conversations on their products rather than their people. I often refer to this as ‘push’ communication rather than ‘pull’ communication, where the information being communicated relates to the stories that brands want to tell, rather than focussing on their audience’s needs. When brand dialogue focuses solely on product features, new launches or sales, the connection remains one-sided. Brands that want to build community must shift the focus to what matters to their audience and create spaces where they can come together for reasons beyond the product itself.

Brands also fall short when they engage in surface-level interactions without investing in genuine, ongoing relationships. Sporadic social media campaigns, one-off events or limited engagement initiatives can feel shallow and inauthentic. Community thrives on consistency and commitment; it’s about showing up repeatedly and building trust over time, even when there’s no immediate commercial outcome.

Finally, brands often underestimate the importance of trust and authenticity - true community requires transparency. When brands fail to communicate openly or fall short on promises, people quickly lose trust. Community is based on a foundation of respect and honesty, and when those are compromised, even the most loyal customers will feel disconnected. And if people only interact with ‘a brand’ and not real people then how can we expect a deep level of trust to emerge?

Building community isn’t a quick tactic, and brands that view it as a strategy to be checked off often miss its deeper potential.

Reclaiming Genuine Community

For brands to build a true community, they must move beyond metrics and prioritise the real connections that develop when people feel seen, valued and heard.

Listen First, Then Engage

A genuine community starts with listening. Brands that understand their community invest time in actively listening to what people care about - their needs, their experiences, and their feedback. This isn’t a one-time exercise, it’s an ongoing practice of gathering insights that can shape how the brand engages and responds.

Create Shared Experiences

Community is built around shared experiences that make people feel connected - not just to the brand, but to each other. These experiences can range from interactive events to online forums or group initiatives that foster connection through shared interests or values.

Prioritise Values Over Metrics

A strong community is rooted in shared values, not vanity metrics. Brands should focus on values that resonate with their community - like transparency, inclusivity, and respect - and let these values guide engagement efforts. This is where the shift from “push” to “pull” communication becomes critical: rather than broadcasting brand-driven narratives, brands should lean into what their community finds meaningful.

Foster Consistency and Trust Over Time

Trust isn’t built overnight. For a community to thrive, brands must commit to consistent engagement that goes beyond quick sales cycles or temporary campaigns. Building community is about showing up repeatedly and staying true to promises, even when there’s no immediate commercial outcome. When trust is cultivated over time, it strengthens the brand’s relationship with its community and fosters resilience.

Put People at the Centre

When brands prioritise interactions that allow real people to represent them, the community gains an added layer of authenticity. Relationships are built more easily when the brand allows genuine voices and personalities to shine through, creating spaces for community members to engage with the people behind the brand, not just the brand itself.

Conclusion

Building a genuine community requires more than strategies and metrics - brands that succeed in creating community do so by valuing relationships over transactions, trust over quick wins and shared values over follower counts. Community can’t be manufactured in a marketing meeting or achieved through a one-time campaign - it’s an ongoing, dynamic connection that thrives on transparency, respect and authenticity.

Reclaiming community means shifting the focus from what the brand needs to what the community cares about - a process that requires patience, humility, and a willingness to truly listen. When brands commit to understanding and engaging with people on their terms, they create spaces where real connections grow, and communities can thrive.

Written by Russell