Advancement in information technologies has created change in our economics as well as in our societies because companies strive to adapt the conditions that prevail in marketplace. In this scenario, marketing professionals are exploring advanced and effective ways to build a strong brand. The research objectives explore the impact of online brand communities on brand equity dimensions through which consumer could achieve commitment and value-creation. While, marketing managers could explore attributes regarding brand perception, information and resource sharing and brand loyalty. A framework is proposed based on the drivers of online brand community and its influence on the dimensions of brand equity. From theoretical perspective, this study contributes to branding literature by exploring strategies for value-creation, brand image and integrated marketing communication. Additionally from marketing perspective, the drivers will guide managers to understand the want and desire of target audience. The building of such online brand communities will raise the return of investment, save marketing cost, enhance consumer loyalty, improving product development and providing circumstances for co-creation. Thus, it will provide ever-lasting consumer-brand relationship and substantial information about consumer behavior.

As the clout of social networking is growing, brand managers are exploring diversified marketing strategies and consumer attitudes. The current study reveals the impact of value creation practices and brand loyalty in online brand communities based on perceived benefits enjoyed by consumers. Based on quantitative research approach, a sample of 308 respondents were collected to investigate relationships among online brand community participation, value creation practices and brand loyalty. The results highlighted hedonic, learning, self-esteem and social benefits as antecedents for online brand community participation. Moreover, value creation practices are derived as essential factor for enhancing brand loyalty among online community members. The finding exhibited valuable insights about developing corporate strategies to achieve customer intimacy for long-term relationship. Managerial implications are explained by identifying value-creation practices as a mechanism for enhancing consumer engagement and relationship management.

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This chapter begins with the simple operative definition of brand equity, previously studied in the context of consumers only, and then extends the notion to employee-based brand equity. This reading suggests that once marketers were challenged to build positive brand equity amongst their customer base to gain a competitive advantage. In contrast, the dynamic world has triggered researchers toward other aspects to gain competitive advantage, such as employee-based brand equity (EBBE), because human capital can add value to the organizations. The second part of this chapter illustrates the role of knowledge hiding as a phenomenon in shattering the EBBE. The debate concludes by providing a framework and recommending that future researchers explore the EBBE due to knowledge hiding practices.