Neo-Tribalism and Understanding the World

Understanding the world today is looking at it through the prism of neo-tribalism. It’s the macro and the micro, informing everything from politics and economics to lifestyle and marketing.  I wrote about it back in 2006 as an emerging trend in our Luxury Travel and Lifestyle Trends newsletter.  Here’s what appeared (to read more, click here):

Now, almost 8 years later, it has come full bloom — not the apocalypse Wacker predicted, though sometimes after reading the newspaper I think that’s around the corner.We’re living in a time of tremendous change. The Wall Street Journal called it “an arc of instability” not seen since the late 70’s. and people worldwide are looking for refuge in their groups — religious, ethnic, economic, and social.  So what does this mean for marketers?  The niche a.k.a. tribal plays will continue to grow, fueled by the  perfect distribution channel – social media.  Consumers, barraged by change and often fearful, will increasingly look for comfort and convenience and  to family and friends and others of like interests at home and in their travels . Always on top of trends (and setting them), Marriott and MIT recently announced an app to connect hotel guests with shared interests who are staying at the same hotel. Can’t wait to see more. Intriguing.

By Karen Weiner Escalera