Faculty Publications
The Role And Ethics Of Community Building For Consumer Products And Services
Document Type
Book Chapter
Keywords
Chicago school of social thought, Communitarian, Community, Community-building, Consumer community, Culture, Ethics norms, Public relations, Social capital, Social ethic, Society, Values
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Handbook of Product Placement in the Mass Media: New Strategies in Marketing Theory, Practice, Trends, and Ethics
First Page
133
Last Page
146
Abstract
Kruckeberg and Starck (1988) argue that public relations is the active attempt to restore and maintain the sense of community that has been lost in contemporary society. Many manufacturers and service providers seek "communities" of consumers. However, what is the social ethic of such consumer communities? Do they provide an authentic "sense of community" as advocated by Kruckeberg and Starck? This article examines these and related questions and offers suggestions regarding the creation and maintenance of consumer "communities." Consumer communities-when appropriately formed and nurtured-can have impact on individuals and society at large that are best considered from a public relations, not marketing, viewpoint.
Department
Department of Communication Studies
Original Publication Date
5-28-2004
DOI of published version
10.4324/9780203824702
Recommended Citation
Kruckeberg, Dean and Starck, Kenneth, "The Role And Ethics Of Community Building For Consumer Products And Services" (2004). Faculty Publications. 3109.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/facpub/3109
