Discursive interactions shaping online brand communities’ social dynamics

Abstract

Purpose Based on Landowski’s sociosemiotics theory, this paper aims to propose an alternative outlining of online brand communities’ social dynamics, not for their collective behaviors but for their discursive interactions. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected during a three-year netnographic immersion into a Disney-related Facebook group and authors’ trips to Walt Disney World. Findings The findings point to four styles of discursive interactions that shape an online brand community’s social dynamic. On the one hand, utterances based on the guiding and following styles of discursive interactions inform desired behaviors, which subsequently become tacitly routinized. On the other hand, utterances based on the adapting and venturing styles of discursive interactions mark random and unusual communicational situations. Originality/value This work expands current theoretical discussions on online brand communities by unveiling an unexplored linguistic dimension of them.