The influx of digital platforms has given us a buffet of ways to connect, yet despite this abundance, the irony is that we grapple with a loneliness epidemic. Deep down, we all seek meaningful connections, not just fleeting online interactions. To create a lasting impact, brands need to understand this and seek ways to foster genuine community.
Let’s be honest. Today we have more opportunities for interaction and relationships than we probably need, and certainly more than we can adequately manage. The abundance of offers sparks an onslaught of consumption, yet our human limitations cause us to struggle to keep pace with the speed of digital opportunities. Numerous consumer studies highlight the increasing fatigue we now experience in managing so many profiles, connections, groups and discussions. Young people, in particular, are at the forefront of paring down their social media presence by opting for private profiles, disregarding vanity metrics like the number of friends (though not necessarily the number of likes) and gravitating back towards offline communities.
Culture and tribes are two of the most common buzz words in the marketing and communication sphere and for very good reason. In a landscape where it's all too easy to be ensnared by yet another random piece of diverting content, tribes are the groups wherein we make stable connections and culture infuses these connections with vitality and significance. In theory it is an easy strategy for brands to move from addressing broad audiences with impactful content to addressing tribes with tailored messaging. However, the reality is far more complex. In realms where people have intense and lasting relationships, they protect themselves from strangers by raising, barriers to keep out those who are not part of the group. Only a handful of lovebrands are spontaneously embraced by tribes, allowed to seamlessly become part of the fold. So, what hope do most brands have of forging new relationships in this landscape?
Brand strategists need to distinguish the different communities wherein people gather. Often, we tend to prioritize close-knit, strong groups while overlooking spontaneous communities that come to life for calendar, entertainment or even media moments. In those cases, people are more receptive to invite brands as guests, if not even as protagonists, when the rules are less rigid, habits are less consolidated and where there is room to create new rituals. This paves the way for partnerships with the creators that ignite these communities and can introduce and motivate the brand presence giving it more credibility. It requires rethinking the experiential marketing less in term of sponsoring and more in terms of enabling human connections for new shared moments when people need them most. Ultimately, it prompts brands to invest in new and bespoke content that speaks the same language of these tribes, who are graciously opening their doors to new additions.
Connecting in the age of distraction isn’t about achieving instant success. It’s about laying the groundwork, one step at a time, one wave after another, engaging communities at the moments when they can create a sense of belonging and becoming woven into the cultural fabric that binds people together.
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