In this episode of the Techmap podcast, I speak with Bernie Mitchell from...well, he's just Bernie. Some say he's a lynchpin, others think he's a marketing guru, some know him as a deep expert on building communities. I just know Bernie as someone to turn to when you need an introduction, or some insight drawn from his encyclopaedic knowledge of business writing or failing that, someone to show you where to find the best empanadas in London. In this episode, Bernie and I talk about community, and whether it makes sense to grow a big community around your brand or to focus on finding 1,000 true fans as Kevin Kelly puts it. We talk about case studies of where communities have been effective and how brands can engage with fan groups without actually owning them, as Lego and Salesforce.com have done very successfully. If you want to find Bernie, just google Bernie J Mitchell and you'll track him down easily enough.
