Religiosity in the Abandoned Apple Newton Brand Community. By ALBERT M. MUŃIZ, JR. and HOPE JENSEN SCHAU. © 2005 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc. - Vol. 31 - March 2005 From: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-03/uocp-tco032905.php : The cult of consumerism How consumers bind together to religiously worship a (sometimes deceased) brand Everything that is crucial to religion--shared values and beliefs, community interactions, storytelling, and an acceptance of the supernatural--can also be found in the worship by consumers of many marginal brands to hit the marketplace, propose Albert Muńiz, Jr. (DePaul University) and Hope Jensen Schau (Temple University) in their published in the March 2005 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research. "Our findings reveal something about the nature of the types of brands that foster brand communities. Clear examples of brand communities have been found in cars (Bronco, Jeep, Saab, Volkswagen), computers (Macintosh, Newton) and even science-fiction (Star Trek, Star Wars, Xena: Warrior Princess, X-Files). All of these brand communities have been demonstrated to be capable of producing transformative experiences in their consumers and all have traces of magic, religion or the supernatural," write the authors. The researchers examined the intense relationship that certain groups of consumers forge not only with a specific brand but also with each other. As a result of this research, Muńiz and Schau argue that the true underlying principle of this behavior stems from "followers" of a brand demonstrating cult-like worship--a consumer culture driven form of modern religion. In particular, for this study they focused on the now defunct brand, the Apple Newton. "The consumers of the forsaken Apple Newton brand are now charged with the responsibility for the entire brand-sustaining experience: modifying, repairing, and innovating the product, writing brand promotions and performing the brand experience," the authors explain. "As part of this brand performance, they engage in consumer-to-consumer narrative interactions that bind the community together and reify its values and beliefs. Supernatural, religious, and magical motifs are common in these stories, including the miraculous performance and survival of the brand, as well as the return of the brand creator. We see traditional religious stories, players, and parts played out in the marketplace." ################################ From http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=newtontalk&m=111219915931012&w=2 : List: newtontalk Subject: Re: [NTLK] Cults and other fun topics From: "Albert Muniz" Date: 2005-03-30 15:47:20 Message-ID: [Download message RAW] > I vaguely remember reading about a couple of people doing research > about the newton culture and gathering interviews from the newtontalk > community and others - is this them and their final results? Yes, it is us. Al Muniz and Hope Schau. (http://fac.comtech.depaul.edu/amuniz/newton.htm) We are still following the Newton saga, only we are being completely mis-represented \ in the press release about our article. We never said it was about getting together \ to “worship a dead brand.” Ugh. Sorry, but I expected less sensationalism from U. of \ Chicago Press. I didn’t think they’d go all Springer on us. And sorry I’m so late responding to this thread. I’ve been a little behind in my \ Newtontalk reading owing to the new quarter starting. Let me start off by saying I am \ a Newton fan and user myself (I own two) and I will be happy to answer any questions \ you may have on the list, via email or phone. I would like to clear away some deadwood first. For starters, we never called the \ Newton community a cult. We simply noted the important role of stories in threatened \ groups and cults and extrapolated to some of what we saw here. Not that we would have \ been the first, though, to invoke the cult word with regards things Apple. Leander \ Kahney (of Wired News fame) called his book about the Mac community “The Cult of \ Mac.” (“The Cult of Mac” is also a title of a neat documentary about the Mac user \ community) Kahney’s book, by the way, has been called “a love letter to the Mac \ community,” and I would like to think that our journal article is similarly \ pro-Newton. I’d also be happy to send anyone who wants one a copy of the paper we \ wrote. As per the religious and magic themes, we are hardly the first to make this \ connection (and the way in which we make it is more reasonable than the press release \ would lead you to believe). There is actually a long line of work about magic, mystic \ and religious themes in the realm of science, computing and the Internet. I just \ finished reading another one “The Pearly Gates of Cyberspace” by Margaret Wertheim. \ (It was quite good) Also see “Techgnosis” by Erik Davis * (wrote for Wired Magazine). \ Or “The Religion of Technology” by David Noble. Things mystic actually show up a lot \ in computing and science. And in communities centered on brands. Really. That’s why what we were seeing was so \ fascinating (I’ve seen similar themes among long-time Saab fans). And I don’t think \ anyone in this community/listserv should be too surprised. It is a very self-aware \ group. Witness Greg “Doc Clu” Goodwin’s comment: > In truth, Windows and the windows platform has made a great "devil" for many > user groups over the years I think. It is true! All strong and unified groups love a common enemy, even those groups \ focused on brands. Saab versus Volvo, Mac versus WinTel, Coke versus Pepsi, VW versus \ Honda (older and more obscure). Us versus them. Anyway, I think I’ve probably written way too long a message for starters, but I will \ be around and will be happy to discuss any or all of it. Please remember though, I’m \ a Newton-ite myself, and we are both fans of the brand and the user community. \ Moreover, I have done many of these things with my Newton that we describe in the \ article (including forcing it in friends and co-workers’ faces after it survived a \ fall off a high shelf and claiming that it was indestructible). Long live the green. Best, Al Muniz Hope Schau Albert Muniz DePaul University fac.comtech.depaul.edu/amuniz