Empowerment within brand communities: Overcoming the Achilles’ Heel of scale-free networks

Highlights• In newly formed brand communities, group leaders play an important role facilitating the empowerment of other group members.• Empowering consumers can help alleviate the Achilles’ Heel of scale-free networks.• The evolution of a newly formed, leader-centred community of consumers into a sustainable long-term brand community is marked by the increased empowerment of followers.