Brand community is a specific, geographically-unconstrained community based on specific brands and is constructed with consumer groups of different levels, choices and territories. The development issues of characteristic towns were incorporated into the perspective of brand communities, and the development connotation of characteristic towns was discussed in light of the definition, constituent elements and characteristics of brand communities, and a functional platform with organic combination of industry, city, people and literature was established through the exploration of Ninghai forest hot spring town, combined with local spatial resources. Based on this, the planning and design of Ninghai forest hot spring town will form a characteristic town that integrates industrial functions, cultural functions and community functions.