Overview of the key differences between a consumer segment and a consumer tribe, and what that means for marketing strategy

1. TribesSegments
The groups are… • Mutually exclusive
• Clearly defined
• Homogeneous
• Bound by similar characteristics
• Not mutually exclusive; may even be
inter-connected
• Not clearly defined
• Heterogeneous
• Bound by consumption behaviour and
shared experiences
Group membership is… • Easy to determine
• Consumers do not choose which
segment they belong to
• Static
• Membership of the tribe is hard to
determine
• Consumers choose which tribes they
belong to
• Fluid
Loyalty is established through… • Frequent, consistent, and personalised
interactions between firm and
consumer
• Interactions between consumers (which
may or may not be facilitated by the
brand)
Brand adds value by… • Solving problems • Connecting consumers and enabling
experiences
Adapted from:
Cova, B. and Cova, V. (2002) Tribal marketing: The tribalisation of society and its impact on the conduct of marketing. European Journal of
Marketing, 36 (5-6), pp.595 - 620
Dahl, S. (2015). Social Media Marketing - Theories & Applications. London, Sage.
© Ana Isabel Canhoto, 2016