Paper Number

ICIS2025-2453

Paper Type

Complete

Abstract

Firms operating online brand communities (OBCs) face a key tension: aligning user contributions with brand values without slowing the flow of fresh, engaging content. This study offers one of the first empirical examinations of how pre-moderation—moderating content before publication—affects user behavior. Leveraging a natural experiment in a large OBC dedicated to recipes for a kitchen appliance, I found that the policy reduced published recipes by 4.4 percent. This decline was driven primarily by inexperienced users, who publish fewer recipes in oversaturated categories, and partly by experienced users, who were deterred by likely publication delays. However, user engagement with content, as measured by likes, remained largely unchanged. Together, these findings suggest that pre-moderation can inadvertently silence the periphery—deterring new or less-established contributors. The results highlight a trade-off: while pre-moderation can filter for brand fit, it may risk a drift toward contributor disengagement.

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Dec 14th, 12:00 AM

Pre-Moderation in Online Brand Communities

Firms operating online brand communities (OBCs) face a key tension: aligning user contributions with brand values without slowing the flow of fresh, engaging content. This study offers one of the first empirical examinations of how pre-moderation—moderating content before publication—affects user behavior. Leveraging a natural experiment in a large OBC dedicated to recipes for a kitchen appliance, I found that the policy reduced published recipes by 4.4 percent. This decline was driven primarily by inexperienced users, who publish fewer recipes in oversaturated categories, and partly by experienced users, who were deterred by likely publication delays. However, user engagement with content, as measured by likes, remained largely unchanged. Together, these findings suggest that pre-moderation can inadvertently silence the periphery—deterring new or less-established contributors. The results highlight a trade-off: while pre-moderation can filter for brand fit, it may risk a drift toward contributor disengagement.

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