What are the 5 Ps and 1 C of community?

Online, digital, virtual and physical communities and networks can broadly be classified into 6 categories.

I’ve found it helpful over the years to develop a categorisation called ‘The 5 Ps and 1C of community’.

The 5 Ps of Community are:

Communities of Play
Communities of Product
Communities of Practice
Communities of Place
Communities of Purpose

And the 1 C of Community is:

Communities of Circumstance

In this article I’ll define each category of community and provide a helpful example.

The 5 Ps of Community

Community of Play

Communities of Play form around interests and hobbies.

They can be ‘grassroots’ communities, created and managed by passionate fans or they can be brand-led ‘official’ communities.

Typical hobbies and interests featuring in Communities of Pay include games, sports and collectibles. In some cases, brands will work with unofficial fan communities, or even fund / buy them.

A good example of a brand-led Community of Play is the LEGO Ideas community.

It’s an important part of LEGO’s product development and innovation engine. Their community of passionate fans suggest and upvote sets that they would like to see developed, such as classic typewriters or Tetris games.

On average 4 products from the community are manufactured each year. A fantastic example of community co-creation.

LEGO Ideas is a good example of a Community of Play where community members co-create and upvote sets that they wish to see manufactured

Community of Product

Communities of Product focus on discussing and learning about a specific product.

Members can seek or share information, find inspiration and often get access to exclusive events, content and rewards.

Communities of Product are evident in fashion and beauty, where members benefit from being part of a 'fan' community and often receive exclusive member benefits such as offers, events and product updates.

In technology and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), global product communities can comprise millions of members, but are often broken into smaller, more niche communities.

Salesforce has developed a global community of 2 million+ members in 90 countries who support each other, attend and organise events, and are a critical part of Salesforce’s global growth.

Salesforce’s Trailblazer Community brings together multiple stakeholders including developers, partners, employees and customers.

Salesforce’s Trailblazer Community is a good example of a Community of Product where community members can seek product support, collaborate, learn and network

Community of Practice

A Community of Practice can be identified as one that is usually restricted by a professional sector, industry or role.

It is often focused on a profession, discipline, skill or craft - for example chartered management accountants, finance or marketing leaders, or specialists working towards a cure for H.I.V.

These communities can be organised by official membership associations or federations, or they can be more informal groupings sometimes created in the absence of a valued network where members are able to express their identity.

Occasionally the absence of community of practice for specific groupings can lead to the development of a community/network that creates its own membership and subscription model.

The Marketing Society has a vibrant, private, global community of practice for senior global marketers. The society puts community and networking at the heart of its membership offering because “we believe that we can achieve much more together than alone”.

The Marketing Society Coffeehouse is a vibrant, private, member-only, Community of Practice for senior global marketers

Community of Place

Communities of Place are made up of people who are connected because they have the same location in common, whether that is a neighbourhood, workplace or place of origin.

These communities can also be created at events (virtual or in-person).

You are almost certainly part of a local community group on a platform like WhatsApp, NextDoor or Facebook Groups. These communities come into their own in times of crisis or difficulty, such as the pandemic.

One of my favourite examples of a Community of Place is Made in Stoke. It is a community of people with a link to Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding North Staffordshire area in the UK. Its mission is to create connections with people who are ‘Made in Stoke’ and to support the regeneration efforts in the area.

Made in Stoke is a powerful example of a Community of Place, connecting people with a link to Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding area to regeneration efforts and each other.

Communities of Purpose

Communities of Purpose align people around a mission, goal or ambition to fulfil a higher purpose such as “eradicating systemic racism in X industry” or “tackling the use of plastic in British supermarkets”.

These communities sometimes have a target date or time frame for the community to achieve its stated goals.

A successful example of a Community of Purpose is Beacons Connect, a community that connects prominent philanthropists, social investors, thought leaders and sector pioneers. It’s a powerful but informal support network for high-net-worth philanthropists and social investors to collaborate in private and to support social impact projects and organisations.

Beacons Connect is a private Community of Purpose connecting philanthropists, advisors and social impact thought leaders

There is additional, hugely important category of community and that is the 1 C.

Community of Circumstance

Communities of Circumstance can be the most powerful of all when we need them.

They are similar to Communities of Practice, except that membership is driven by a set of circumstances or life experiences rather than a shared interest or profession.

Examples of these communities include people living with the impact of Cancer or those caring for loved ones with Dementia. Many of these communities are run and funded by charities and non-profits and they provide invaluable support to millions of people around the world.

An example of a Community of Circumstance is the Multiple Sclerosis Society Forum Boards. A supportive space for those living with or caring for people affected by the disease.

The Multiple Sclerosis Society Forum Boards is a Community of Circumstance - providing support and connection for those living with or caring for people affected by the disease

Can communities belong to more than one category?

Yes they can.

There is nothing stopping a community of practice focusing on a societal issue, such as regenerative business practices, or even developing a subset/working group within the community focused on a higher purpose. If it does this , it becomes a Community of Practice + a Community of Purpose.

A Community of Play could be focused on a specific location or team, such as the Atlanta Braves, making it a Community of Play + a Community of Place.

The 5 P and 1 C categorisation is a way of simplifying thinking around planning a community. It’s something that I used when creating the Periodic Table of Community Strategy.

I hope this article has helped.

And if you want to discuss your plans for launching or growing a community of play, place, product, practice, purpose or circumstance, then grab a free 15 minute consultation with me below.

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Want help or support with your community strategy or community building? I’m ready and waiting to hear from you. Book an introductory call to speak to me about your challenges and questions you might have.

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Photo by Michelle Goodall

What are the 5 Ps of Community (and the 1 C)?