Understanding the modification of a customer network based on the circulation of products and brands between members of a personal network[Comprendre la modification d'un réseau de consommateurs à partir de la circulation de produits et marques entre membres d'un réseau personnel]

Marketing has broadly studied the circulation of products and brands among consumers using the approach of innovation diffusion and interpersonal influence. This research focuses on the circulation of products and brands based on the vision of social assemblies to question the change in consumer ties in a customer network. Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews with consumers, twenty-two object centered auto-videographies and three semi-structured interviews with marketing/business sales managers, reveal the link between circulation intensity and changing consumption relationships. Depending on circulation, the consumer network can take four forms: collaborative network, group purchasing network, spot consumption network and personal and family consumption not shared with other members. Circulation adds to the other factors that can change a consumer collective, such as value and identity. In this process, three key roles emerge, allowing circulation intensity to be introduced into knowledge about interpersonal influence. Managerial contributions are explained.