C/EI/25. Dissertation. Virtual Internet Communities as the Way to Increase Consumer Loyalty for Companies

The dissertation investigates the role of virtual (online) communities in increasing customer brand awareness and loyalty. The review of literature touches on the impact of ICT development, the role of the Internet communications, relationship marketing, virtual communities, brand communities, online forums, etc. The methods of secondary and primary research are used including questionnaires, interviews and a survey study. Conclusions are made about the effectiveness of using online virtual communities as a tool for informing customers about the company’s products and services thus contributing to the customers’ retention with the company.