Kim, Jae Wook, et al. "It takes a marketplace community to raise brand commitment: the role of online communities." Journal of marketing management 24.3-4 (2008): 409-431.

This research investigates the role of online communities in enhancing brand commitment among consumers, utilizing social identity and reciprocal action theories to develop a framework. A field study involving over 1,500 members of a herbal products online community provides empirical evidence that participation in online communities significantly increases brand commitment. The study finds that online community members exhibit stronger brand commitment than non-members, and this commitment extends to both active users and non-users of the brand. These results underscore the effectiveness of online communities as a marketing tool, contributing to brand awareness, customer loyalty, supplier commitment, and revenue generation.