This document summarizes a presentation on using netnography to extract knowledge from online consumer conversations. It discusses how marketers are increasingly monitoring online discussions to understand consumer opinions. Netnography is introduced as a qualitative research method adapted from ethnography to study online cultures and communities. The presentation provides an example case study of applying netnography to analyze discussion forums on a Dutch culinary virtual community. Key findings include discussion tactics used by forum members and different frames around which discussions are oriented, providing insights into members' culinary value systems.

1. BSIUsing Netnography to Extract Knowledge from Online Consumers Conversations
Marketing 2.0 Conference, Hamburg 2005

2. BSI
Join the conversation
MARKETING 2.0 CONFERENCE
Paris, France 28/29 March 2011
www.marketing2conference.com

3. Virtual Community Intelligence:
Using Netnography to Extract Knowledge from
Online Consumer Conversations
Kristine de Valck
HEC School of Management - Paris
devalck@hec.fr
October 6, 2005
Hamburg, Germany

4. Virtual communities (VCs)

5. Definition
• Virtual communities of consumption
“Affiliative groups whose online interactions are
based upon a shared enthusiasm for, and
knowledge of, a specific consumption activity.”
(Kozinets 1999)
Virtual community members may:
– Obtain product information
– Learn about the consumption activity in general
– Give information and share experiences
– Develop relationships

6. Online consumer quotes
• “Uncle Ben’s Pouch Rice is really easy and fast to use. Rip
open the pouch, put it in the microwave, and: dinner time! It
is a good product that is very suitable for those occasions
when you don’t feel like cooking.”
• “I really like lemon in my cola, but Coca Cola light lemon
tastes completely unnatural. It is unappetizing. I suggest:
drink your cola with a real slice of lemon!”
• “The Pizzahut in Rotterdam has fast service and ok pizzas.
The salad is bar is meager though.”

7. Marketers turn to Netspionage
• Rise of agencies specialized in monitoring online content, e.g.:
TREND7
• Companies / NPOs form special Internet-monitoring teams, e.g.:
• Academic marketing research recognizes the opportunities:
– Boush & Kahle (2001); Catterall & Maclaran (2001); Kozinets
(2002); Maclaran & Catterall (2002); Lau, Lee, Ho & Lam (2004)

8. Underlying motivations
• There is so much information out there.......
– 11% of European Internet users contribute content
– 10% of U.S. Internet users contribute content
• Naturally occurring behavior
• Unobtrusive observation
• Continuous access to informants
• Less time consuming, less costly, more timely than traditional
methods

9. Major drawbacks
• There is so much information out there…….
– Where to begin?
– Where to stop?
• Lack of quality
– Forum contributions after introduction of new depilatory cream:
o “I don’t like it at all”
o “I like it”
o “It stinks”
– Ca. 10% is truly informative
• Reliability, validity, and generalizability

10. Monitoring methods
Using software to collect, analyze, and store consumer
Web mining information
Scanning discussion forums and chat rooms to track
Signal detection negative WOM / valuable feedback
Analyzing personal web pages to understand brand
Web page analysis meaning/dedication and symbol systems
Analyzing online contributions to understand consumer
Discourse analysis attitudes, opinions, motivations
Prolonged engagement in VC that allows for a deep
Netnography understanding of consumer value systems & behavior

11. Monitoring issues
Online discussions are Online discussions are
VERSUS
PRIVATE PUBLIC
Informed consent is Informed consent is
VERSUS
NECESSARY UNNECESSARY
Monitoring requires Monitoring requires
VERSUS
DISCLOSURE NO DISCLOSURE

12. Ethical guidelines
http://www.aoir.org/reports/ethics.pdf
• What ethical expectations are established by the venue?
– The greater the acknowledged publicity of the venue, the less obligation there
may be to protect individual privacy, confidentiality, and right to informed
consent
• Who are the subjects and/or interactions under study?
– The greater the vulnerability of the subject, the greater the responsibility of
the researcher to protect the subject
• Informed consent: timing, medium, addressees, content
– Timing, medium, and addressees are context-dependent
– Make clear how material is used and how identities will be protected

13. Netnography
Netnography is a qualitative research methodology
that has adapted etnographic research techniques
to study the cultures and communities
that emerge through CMC.
Formally introduced in 2002 by Robert V. Kozinets in
Journal of Marketing Research 39 (February): 61-72.
Entrée
Data collection
Analysis and interpretation
Research ethics

14. Case study objective
Applying the method of NETNOGRAPHY
to study the interaction dynamics
between members in VC discussion forums
To analyze how online forum discussants
communicate with and influence each other
To gain insight in their discourse with respect to
the community’s focal consumption activities

15. www.smulweb.nl
• Dutch virtual community about culinary matters
– Topics of interest: recipes, restaurants, food products,
kitchen utensils, dieting, wine, etc.
– Online since September 1998
– More than 160,000 registered members; ca. 30,000
unique visitors per month
– Central theme pages, personal home pages, sub-
communities, forums, chat, articles, reviews, tips
– Off-line community gatherings

16. Smulweb’s discussion forums
Total Average Total
number of number of number of
discussion postings per discussion
threads 2003 thread starters
Culinary forum 558 24 136
Slimming forum 28 7 26
Wine forum 36 3 22
Q&A forum 260 7 184
Computer forum 90 6 66
General forum 1187 57 127

17. Netnographic method
• Entrée in VC in September 2000
– Start informal observation
• Systematic review of all topics discussed in the six forums in
2003
• Purposeful selection of 53 discussion threads
– Topics that are regularly discussed
– Topics that generate ample postings
– Topics that are brought up by a variety of discussants
– Topics that address cooking and eating
• Total research volume: 3161 postings / 82 discussants

18. Netnographic method
• Iterative content analysis
– Amassing, coding, comparing, and collapsing postings
– E-profiles of the 82 contributors
• Member feedback
– Entire netnography was posted to the VC
– VC-wide solicitation for feedback
– 16 reactions (active discussants + lurkers)
– All positive and affirmative of analysis and interpretation
• Ethics
– Announcement in the forums
– Personal web page in VC with information about research
– Anonymity ensured by using pseudonyms

19. Main findings
Heterogeneity discussants Discussion tactics
• Shared interest • Calling upon authority
• Diverging opinions and behavior • Telling deviating behavior stories
• Active learning and influencing • Contextualizing / justifying
• Confessing secret passions
Discussion frames
• Sharing knowledge
• Negotiating norms
• Opposing values
• Celebrating similarities

20. Calling upon authority
“Shrimp croquettes with mustard, served on a sandwich. That
makes you want to cry!!!! From where do they get this nonsense?
And there are more untruths in the magazine.” (Amy)
“This so-called journalism that does not make any sense makes
me very angry. Shrimp croquettes with mustard? For heaven’s
sake!” (Brenda)
“I will certainly prepare your shrimp croquettes and I will mention
your name when everybody cries ooh and aah in delight.” (Julia)
“I am going to the market to buy shrimp. Funny what this forum
brings about.” (Brenda)

21. Stories about deviating behavior
“We ate several times at my parents-in-law, and I am sorry to say
so, but she really can’t cook. [She made] a stew with six kilos of
onions and only 300 grams of meat and she served it with mashed
potatoes and nothing else.” (Monica)
“I also have that kind of mother-in-law. My kids love her cooking, but
that is no surprise because she mixes everything with applesauce. I
really try hard not to eat there.” (Donna)
“I had a colleague who had a fixed weekly menu. They ate omelets
on this day, spaghetti with always the same ready-made sauce on
the next, then another day chicken with curry, et cetera.” (Brenda)
“Sometimes I see people doing groceries who buy a ready-made
mix and then only buy the extra ingredients suggested on the
package. Out of curiosity I often read the meal suggestion that is
given and then I feel sorry for the family that has to eat it.” (Monica)

22. Contextualizing
“Frozen foods are a solution when you have little time.” (Carol)
“I always have green peas and dill in the freezer, and, for an
emergengy, french fries too.” (Neil)
“Frozen foods are handy to keep in reserve and they are healthy
enough. The hospitals all use frozen foods, so why not?” (Harry)
“Nowadays, I buy meat in large quantities, because it’s cheaper. I
divide it in several servings and freeze it. It’s a solution for us,
because it’s more economical and I don’t have to pay a visit to our
expensive butcher everyday. I think it differs little in taste.” (Clair)

23. Confessing secret passions
“It is not that I wake up at night and engage in indecencies, but
eating late at night and then really gross, yeah, that I do. Just now,
1.30 A.M. I have ripped open the filet américain and ate it with
sweet-and-sour.” (Kevin)
“The later at night, the more gluttonous. I could easily make a
bouillabaisse at night. But I try to restrain myself.” (Brenda)
“I try to buy ‘wisely’ by choosing for these horribly delicious raisin
biscuits, and then I only take one. Or maybe two, no, three….
(Susan)
“My wife hides chocolate for me….. She thinks ☺” (Kevin)
“There is nothing better than food that is hidden.” (Emma)

24. Main findings
Heterogeneity discussants Discussion tactics
• Shared interest • Calling upon authority
• Diverging opinions and behavior • Telling deviating behavior stories
• Active learning and influencing • Contextualizing / justifying
• Confessing secret passions
Discussion frames Culinary value systems
• Sharing knowledge • Fresh versus ready-made
• Negotiating norms • Health versus enjoying bad food
• Opposing values • Simple versus dressed-up dishes
• Celebrating similarities • …..

25. Conclusions
• Netnographic research contributes to a richer and deeper
understanding of the process of interpersonal influence online.
• Netnographic research allows for in-depth study of a large
number of consumers > smulweb case study: 82 discussants!
• Netnographic research is limited to active VC members.
• Netnographic research requires time and interpretative skills.
IMMERSIVE INTERESTING INSIGHTFUL
INCOMPARABLE INDISPENSALBE

26. Thank you for your attention!
Kristine de Valck
devalck@hec.fr