It's still happening! Brands are doing their best to manufacture social communities using the social web with varying degrees of success. The majority of 'forced' online communities would appear to be made up of family, friends and those willing to give support...but not really going anywhere.
How many such company-originated Facebook groups have you seen that are genuinely thriving and active? Most don't really go anywhere, but on the rare occasion some really do take off.
I've tried to analyse why and I think there may be a need to go back to basics; your feedback is most welcome on these thoughts.
It struck me, when sitting with my family in the middle of Thetford Forest, waiting for Mr Paul Weller to come on stage and do his thing, that we were part of a mini community. 5,000 plus people had descended on a remote part of East Anglia (All parts of East Anglia are remote aren't they?) and were sat in a forest, chatting and sharing.
In fact, several groups of people near us were readily offering food and drink to my daughters; even offering them blankets because of the evening turning a little chilly. (Make a mental note to feed and clothe my children properly.) This then led to conversation and laughter; there was a genuine and wholesome community vibe happening. So why was this? Could there be something to learn here that brands could use for making online
