Using online brand communities is one of the hottest topics around, but there’s a lack of clear understanding of how they work and how they can be used. Verve is working to address this by developing a definitive model of how online communities work. The project, spearheaded by Mike Hall (developer of the Hall & Partners model of brand communication and Partner at Verve) and Professor Patrick Barwise, Emeritus Professor of Management and Marketing at London Business School and member of Verve’s Advisory Board), draws on the primary experiences of industry practitioners from a range of sectors, together with a detailed literature and case study review to articulate the practical benefits of running a customer advisory panel or online brand community.