2. Whatʼs it all about?
Nethnography is a method for researching online social
movements, coined by Robert Kozinets (2001);
It is based on the anthropological method – ethnography;
It allows the comprehension of social, cultural and
symbolic issues, within online communities.
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4. Why use Netnography?
The world’s internet usage is about 30%
(data from June 2009).
There’s a need for a technique capable of handling all
the conditions present in the online universe – the
relationship between different kinds of users, and
between users and the channel/system.
The understanding that people (after all, also
consumers) are active creators, committed to the
constructions of meanings and opinions.
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5. Why use Netnography?
Simpler and faster than other qualitative methods.
Less obtrusive (it doesn't enter the individual private
sphere, and enables communication to be less
conditioned and natural).
Netnography offers marketeers a window to the
phenomena happening in the online environment.
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6. Some contexts
in which Netnography has been used.
Simpler than other qualitative methods like focus groups or even
In an online community (Alt.coffee) dedicated to coffee
traditional ethnography.
consumption – namely Espresso and Starbucks (Kozinets,
2001);and more efficient than other methods.
Faster
A study about Listerine (Kozinets, 2010);
Less obtrusive (it doesn't enter the individual private sphere, and
enables communication to be more unconditioned and natural).
A study done on a Danish online forum about plastic and
Netnography offers marketers a window to “netnographic”
cosmetic surgery. In this study, some natural happening
phenomena had toonline environoment.
guidelines on the be changed (Langer & Beckman, 2005).
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7. “Netnographic Method”.
Robert Kozinets established some rules of practice for netnography:
Entrée
Planning and identification of the research target
Data Collection
Two kinds of data to be gathered and contextualized: a) directly
from the system and b) from the interaction with users online
Interpretation
The gathered data is trustworthy, because we are trying to
understand not the individual himself, but his online behaviour.
Ensuring Ethical Standards
Questions about anonymity and informed consent.
Research representation
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The research should be presented to the users that contributed to
the study in order to obtain their feedback (and gains).
8. Combining Netnography
with “Critical Discourse Analysis”.
In order to have a more profound understanding of the
written and audio-visual data gathered, one can use
“Critical Discourse Analysis”.
Its objective is to deconstruct the fundamental basis of
discourse - and, consequently, to deconstruct its cultural
background. This is essential to get new points of view
applied to business.
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9. “Immersion in the terrain”.
Simpler than other the research will depend upon groups
The time period of qualitative methods like focus
or even traditional ethnography.
the type of netnography wanted.
Faster and more efficient than done in the period of a week.
A small netnography can be other methods.
A medium/long term netnography can take one to three
Less obtrusivebeing completed.the individual private
months until (it doesn't enter
sphere, and enables communication to be more one or
On some academic endeavors it can take up to
unconditioned and natural).
even one and a half years.
The more immersive the netnography is,
Netnography offers marketers a window to natural
happening phenomena onbe. online environoment.
the better the results will the
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10. Conclusion:
Netnography is very focused method for the
comprehension of people’s particular and relational
dimensions (users, consumers...).
It is fundamental to the comprehension of online
relationships and how those affect the way people
behave regarding a certain product or brand.
It allows companies to build upon the knowledge of their
consumers, their thoughts and how they use products on
their day-to-day lives.
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11. About the author.
Marco Ermidas
MA in Anthropology, with specialisation in Communication.
ermidas.marco@gmail.com
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