Tribes
By Seth Godin
LEARNING NEW MARKETING
T E C H N I Q U E S B Y U N D E R S TA N D I N G
NEW MEDIA SOCIAL NETWORKING
NORMS
Definition /Common Focus
 A tribe is a group of people connected to one
another, connected to a leader, connected to an idea.
 Only two things needed to be a tribe: a shared
interest and a way to communicate
Tribe-isms
 “You can’t have a tribe without a leader - and you
can’t be a leader without a tribe.”
 Human beings can’t help it: we want to belong.
 The real power of tribes has nothing to do with the
internet and everything to do with people.
Three things that have happened to the marketplace . .
.
 Recently three things have happened to the
marketplace:



1.) many people are working on stuff that they believe in
2.) many organizations discovered that factory-centric model
is not profitable
3.) consumers have decided to spend time on things that
matter to them, and on things that they believe in
What does this all mean?
Heretics
 Miriam Webster’s definition of “heretic:” “One who
dissents from an accepted belief or doctrine: non-conformist”
 The market place now rewards heretics. It’s clearly
more fun to make the rules than it is to follow
them, and for the first time, it’s also profitable,
powerful and productive to do just that.
What’s Different
 Marketing changed everything. Marketing created
leverage. Marketing certainly changed the status
quo. Most of all, marketing freed and energized the
“tribe.”
Permission Marketing
 In Permission Marketing, years ago, Seth Godin
wrote about how marketers must earn the right to
deliver anticipated, personal and relevant messages
to people who want to get them. And that’s still
correct, as far as it goes. But tribes go much further.
 We’ll talk about APR later on.
Tribal Logistics
Two things can turn a group to a tribe
 A shared interest
 A way to communicate
The communication can be four kinds:
1. Leader to tribe
2. Tribe to leader
3. Tribe member to tribe member
4. Tribe member to outsider
What’s the difference: crowds vs.. tribes
Crowds vs.. Tribes
Two different things to know:
 A crowd is a tribe without a leader
 A crowd is a tribe without communication
 Most organizations spend their time marketing to
the crowd. Smart organizations assemble the tribe.
 This is really important to understand. Understand it
emphatically.
Numbers vs. Fans
 Too many organizations care about numbers, not
fans.
 Apple cares about “fans;” Microsoft cares about
“numbers.”
 What does that mean?
Things to consider
 Status Quo
 Initiative = happiness
 Tribes and movements
 Discomfort
What Should Leaders Do?
 Defeat ‘fear’ and learn to use it to your advantage
 The first thing a leader should do is tighten the tribe. A
tribe that communicates more quickly, with alacrity and
emotion, is a tribe that thrives.
 The Internet and the explosion in social media have made
it easier than ever to market. The first kind of marketing,
the act of spreading the word and reaching the un-reached,
allows tribes of all sorts to create forums. Sites like
Meetup.com and Craigslist.com make it easy for people
who aren’t connected to become connected.
 Catholic Church fiasco
Reacting vs. Responding
 Very Important Point:
 Reacting is intuitive and instinctive and usually dangerous.
Managers react.
 Responding is a much better alternative. Response is always
better than reaction. And that’s what leaders do. They see
something others are ignoring and they jump on it.
Quotation Corner
“ Instead of wondering when
your next vacation is, maybe you
ought to setup a life that you
don’t need to escape from.”
Seth Godin — Tribes