????其中有一位成員是專業(yè)的制被者，有感于這個(gè)群組給她的工作和朋友圈帶來的深刻影響，特意邀請群組其他成員給她郵寄布料，希望縫制一床被褥，反映通過eBay結(jié)成的紐帶。共有114位成員寄來了設(shè)計(jì)特別的布塊。后來，她征得小組的同意后，把這床被褥放到了eBay上進(jìn)行拍賣，并把拍賣所得收入捐給了加拿大糖尿病協(xié)會（Canadian Diabetes Association）的一個(gè)特殊兒童項(xiàng)目。購得這床被褥的是群組中的一個(gè)活躍分子，此人后來把它借給了eBay，用于展示。

????再看另外一個(gè)例子，卡特里娜颶風(fēng)（Hurricane Katrina）過后，eBay社區(qū)的成員開設(shè)了一個(gè)討論版塊，就可能的災(zāi)害性天氣相互給出預(yù)警。每年10月，一個(gè)賣家團(tuán)體都會自發(fā)組織起來，為蘇珊科曼乳腺癌基金（Susan G. Komen for the Cure）募捐。“這些群組、討論版塊和論壇活躍著幾十萬成員，”Liveworld首席執(zhí)行官彼得?弗雷德曼說?！耙?guī)模更龐大的eBay網(wǎng)絡(luò)中則有幾千萬成員參與，它值得信賴的反饋機(jī)制為買賣雙方提供了相互評分和評價(jià)的機(jī)會?！?/p>

????金寶湯（Campbell Soup Company）的社區(qū)一開始是一個(gè)菜譜交流平臺，版主是一些喜歡交流家常菜烹飪心得的人。如今，這個(gè)網(wǎng)站已涵蓋與家庭養(yǎng)育相關(guān)的廣泛議題。

????網(wǎng)絡(luò)社區(qū)的參與者建立了社會聯(lián)系之后，也開始舉辦一些活動，社區(qū)的贊助公司也能從中受益，這類活動被稱為“協(xié)同創(chuàng)作”。比方說，樂高玩具公司（Lego）已越來越依賴其虛擬社區(qū)，它不僅能為公司提供新產(chǎn)品創(chuàng)意，事實(shí)上還參與到了產(chǎn)品的設(shè)計(jì)。

????設(shè)計(jì)網(wǎng)絡(luò)社區(qū)，第一步是要理解稍微宏觀一點(diǎn)的背景，掌握客戶是使用你的服務(wù)的情況。他們還有什么需求沒有得到滿足？客戶之間的網(wǎng)絡(luò)互動對解決這些未得到滿足的需求有什么幫助？

????One member, a skilled quilt maker, was so moved by how her work and friendships had grown as part of the group that she invited members to mail her cloth to stitch a quilt representing the eBay bond. A total of 114 members sent specially designed squares. With agreement from the group, she then sold the quilt on eBay, with proceeds going to a special children's program at the Canadian Diabetes Association. It was bought by an active member of the group who then lent it to eBay to display.

????In another example, members of the eBay community launched a discussion board in response to Hurricane Katrina to give each other advance warning of potentially dangerous weather conditions. Each October, a seller group self-organizes to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. "Hundreds of thousands of members are active in the groups, discussion boards, and forums where this deep engagement happens," says Liveworld CEO Peter Friedman, and "tens of millions participate in the larger eBay network that uses the trusted feedback mechanism through which buyers and sellers rate and review each other."

????Campbell Soup Company's (CPB) community started out as a recipe exchange, which was prompted by moderators who shared personal stories about how they cook for their families. The site now covers a broad range of interests around raising families.

????As participants in these online communities develop relationships, they can begin to take on projects that often benefit the company that sponsors the community, also referred to as "co-creation." As one example, Lego has increasingly relied on its virtual community not only for ideas on new products but actually for help designing these products.

????To design your online communities, as a starting point you need to understand the broader context of how your customers use your services. What are their unmet needs? How might online interaction among customers themselves help to address these unmet needs or opportunities?