The millions who wear logoed shirts, drive only a particular brand of auto, and own a particular brand of computer, a Mac for instance, are members of what an article in the San Francisco Journal calls Corporate Tribes. The article, titled iCorporate tribalism -- just canit do iti by David Lazarus, posits that people buy things, not necessarily because they are better products, but because they want to belong to a certain tribe. The article pointed to several popular brandsnames, including Apple, and said:
"These people arenit just buying products," explained Wendy Liebmann, president of marketing consultant WSL Strategic Retail in New York. "Theyire buying an aesthetic, a lifestyle that the brand connotes."
That may be, but one consultant thinks thereis less to it.
"Look at Apple Computer," said Steve Manning, managing director of A Hundred Monkeys, a Sausalito branding consultant. "They make boxes with chips, but people think Apple actually has a personality."
The Apple corporate tribe, in turn, believes itis waging a holy war against the evil forces of Microsoft and PC-makers. "And the thing is," Manning observed, "you can spend $1,400 for an Apple or get a Dell that runs faster for just $700."
His conclusion: "Advertising works."
This is a interesting notion. Read the article, then let us know what you think.