We are all about understanding here at NetBase: Our tool, ConsumerBase delivers reports that showcase what social media understanding is capable of unearthing. One of those reports is the Brand Passion Index, which recently inspired a flurry of emails and activity following last week’s installment, on eReaders. The BPI showed that while the iPad is clearly leading the pack when it comes to sales numbers and chatter, the Kindle has an incredibly passionate following from online communities, as evidenced by this one’s immediate response.
To me, this is a phenomenal example of how many of these online communities are comprised of people who are incredibly loyal to the brands they love – any chance they get, they want to talk about their Kindle:
“The fact the there’s a whole selection of ‘outfits’ for our Kindles should be proof enough that we’re nuts about them! We dress them up! ”
“Of course we’re passionate. I’m pretty sure everyone here always liked to read, even before e-ink, so when a gadget comes out that can easily substitute a DTB and with a whole bunch of advantages, of course we all got one. And the Kindle being the best “professional” e-reader out there, it’s only natural that it will be the most popular. And loved .”
At the very least, knowing how passionate these small communities are is an excellent opportunity for market researchers to see where that passion comes from, and what their brand is doing right. After all, any community with a large passionate fan base starts with a small, anonymous one – connecting with that spark and turning it into a brushfire is what social media understanding and market research in this new space is all about. And who knows? Under that Kindle-sized tip might be an iPad-sized iceberg.
I have … and love my Kindle. Not because I think it’s as advanced as the iPad or as flashy – but because I’m a brand lover and Kindle is my brand. It matches my reading style so it’s great.
Great point about uncovering what’s behind the curtain and driving those brand-lovers.
@chrisdowsett