In an exclusive three-part series for MediaBrief, Akshay Dsouza explores the forces reshaping modern marketing. In part one, Dsouza unpacked why consumers trust people more than brands; in part two, he examined why fandom is becoming marketing’s most valuable asset. Now, in this closing chapter, he unpacks why brands are chasing communities, what true belonging means, and why most community-building efforts miss the mark. Read on.
The new as for every brand today is, they want a community. Whether it’s a community of marketers, CEOs, travelers, or even students, the new buzzword online is “Community”. However, few can explain what one actually is.
The term has become a staple of modern marketing conversations. Brands, Creators, Startups, everyone wants to build communities.
The assumption is simple: If people feel connected to one another, they are more likely to stay engaged.
People don’t join communities because they love platforms. They join because they want to belong. This distinction matters because belonging changes behaviour: Akshay Dsouza
The assumption is correct. The execution is often flawed.
A WhatsApp group is not a community. A Discord server is not a community. A LinkedIn closed group is not a community. These are platforms. Communities are built on something deeper. They have shared identity, shared values, shared experiences.
People don’t join communities because they love platforms. They join because they want to belong. This distinction matters because belonging changes behaviour.
People leave products but they rarely leave identities. The most successful communities in the world are rarely organised around products. They are organised around meaning.
Sports fans don’t gather because they enjoy watching a game. They gather because supporting a club becomes part of who they are. The same pattern exists across gaming, entertainment, creator ecosystems and even lifestyle brands. The strongest communities give people something larger than a transaction. They give them a sense of participation.
For marketers, this changes the equation.
Historically, the objective was awareness -> Then consideration -> Then conversion.
Today, another layer has emerged. Belonging.
The brands winning disproportionate attention are often the ones creating spaces where consumers feel recognised, valued and connected to others. This is one reason creator-led businesses have become so powerful. Many creators are not competing with traditional media. They are competing with loneliness. They provide connection, interaction and shared identity at scale.
The brands winning disproportionate attention are often the ones creating spaces where consumers feel recognised, valued and connected to others. This is one reason creator-led businesses have become so powerful: Akshay Dsouza
Brands attempting to build communities should pay attention. Because consumers can instantly tell the difference between a marketing initiative and a genuine sense of belonging.
One attracts members while the other attracts participants.
And that difference determines whether a community survives when the campaign ends.
Also read: FUTURE.EXE | Young Minds Exclusive: Akshay Dsouza – The price of personalization: Is Social Media driving us apart?
Akshay Dsouza is a marketing and communications professional at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), with over seven years of experience spanning brand strategy, digital marketing, social media, and marketing analytics. He writes about the intersection of consumer behaviour, marketing, business, and culture, with a particular interest in how communities, technology, and human behaviour shape modern brands. Akshay holds an MSc in Digital Marketing from Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin.
