What do Beyoncé, wetransfer and cortiez clothing have in common? Community

how do businesses build beyond loyalty?

Who runs the world?” Despite much evidence to the contrary, 20,000 people in the stadium yell back “Girls,” and for a moment we all believe it. That’s the power of Beyoncé, who has ended her four-month Renaissance tour this week. I was fortunate to see her three-hour show in London and was bowled over by her unimaginable talent, creativity, and energy. I was also bowled over by the strength of dedication to her from the audience.

Beyoncé has captivated us with her music but has also harnessed the incredible power of community building. Her journey from Destiny’s Child to solo superstardom has been more than a musical evolution; it has been a masterclass in how to connect with people on a profound level. This has enabled her to build a business empire as well as being a musical powerhouse. Beyoncé’s genius partly lies in her understanding that community-building is more than just gathering people; it’s about forging deep, emotional connections and having meaningful conversations. She has managed to create an unwavering bond with her fans, her so-called Bey-hive, by consistently delivering the highest quality creative content.

Every business has an ambition to build a loyal and devoted customer base but very few manage to go one step beyond and build a loyal and devoted community. Yet I would wager that if you can do this, you are set up for longer term and more sustainable success. Your customers become your marketing, they organize themselves around your mission and your products and they are more likely to stick with you through tough times.

In the past, community was built through owners’ clubs, perhaps a quarterly copy of a printed magazine, and access to special offers. The digital age then ushered in a new era of engagement. Every business going through a digital transformation in the 2000s wanted to build a community. Few were successful as they normally implemented a plug-on closed area where they encouraged customers to chat about their products but with little reason to do so.

Now the mood has changed again and communities are more open, less clunky and less rigidly controlled. With so many more opportunities to connect through so many channels, why is it still hard to build a real community and what can we learn from those that do it well?

First, building community is not about selling. If you approach your community as a sales channel, then it will likely fail. WeTransfer, the Dutch based company I chair, has used WePresent, its arts platform, to build a community of users in its core market of the creative sector. It has done this by giving visibility to artists and promoting global culture through its platform - WePresent. The objective of the team is to “tell unexpected stories” and it thrives on igniting users’ curiosity and sparking a conversation. They produce a printed and digital magazine but also commission Oscar-winning content and immersive audio, video, visual, and literary experiences. But nowhere will you find an obvious link to the products the company sells.

Secondly, it is vital to be crystal clear who you are building for. Corteiz is a London-based clothing brand that has built a tight-knit community for teens since its inception in 2017. They ask them to solve puzzles to access content, and they won’t  tell them if they are going to be allowed to follow them on Instagram. They also do clothing “drops” in secret locations, with details of the event being revealed only hours before. Corteiz’s product launches are unique and unconventional, and they have gained a notorious reputation for causing havoc on the streets of London, Paris, and Nigeria. They create drama and shareable content that fuels the business when wannabe customers come together in real life and in unexpected and strange locations. Their youthful community feels part of something edgy and disruptive.

Thirdly, the most effective communities are built with tools that empower the users but do not dictate how they use them. Strava, the health and fitness app, has managed to build an incredible community of running and cycling enthusiasts partly because of a relentless focus on their mission to help customers achieve, then share and celebrate their goals. I know of one investor who on the face of it is maxed out in terms of board commitments but loves the product so much, he had to join as a non-executive. It is the camaraderie of fellow users, facilitated by the company’s product innovations that is the lifeblood of the platform.

Finally, the best communities are positive, not threatening. The comments from fellow athletes on Strava are always motivating and supportive. This sounds simple but as we know from repeated online abuses and the current decline in usage at x, it takes work. Safety needs to be designed in as a feature not sorted out as a bug.

Building a community is hard. People have spent careers studying them and advising on them. In this hyper-networked age and with the added complexity of generative AI, it requires smart thinking and creativity. If you need inspiration, try channeling Beyoncé, after all, who doesn’t want customers who are ‘Crazy in Love’ with their business?