Tribetailing is the act of marketing and selling products or services to a certain tribe (group of people). Tribes are defined as groups of people connected to one another, to a leader, and to an idea. For instance, groups of people who follow a certain diet (Keto, Paleo, etc.) can be considered tribes.
Unlike communities, tribes usually have a leader and they are united by a way of communication. Brands that focus on tribetailing have the advantage of offering their audience exactly what they are looking for. Instead of focusing on demographics, brands that use tribetailing find it easier to personalize their products.Tribes are becoming more and more important and brands need to focus their attention on them. Customers are expecting more personalized offers from brands, even in brick and mortar stores, because they got used to this on eCommerce platforms. In order to do this, brands that don’t have access to analytics in stores, can focus on a tribe, instead of a demographic.
Tribes are much more united because they are made out of people with a common interest, no matter the age, race, gender, or location.
These two terms can be confused, but they don’t have anything in common. Tribetailing means marketing and selling for a specific tribe or group of people. Niche retailing means selling only one product or group of products to masses of people.