Brand Tribalism: An Anthropological Perspective

Abstract

Companies that move beyond product attribute positioning to fostering affective-laden relationships with customers would seem wise, as customers today often want to feel part of the brand they purchase. In some cases, customers view themselves as co-creators of their beloved brand’s image. Such cult or tribe-like followings are a core reason why certain brands evolve prosperously; these brand tribal members share something emotively more than brand ownership and use. Although beguilingly to marketers, proven instruments measuring brand tribalism and studies investigating its explanatory power are limited. Leaning on Sahlin’s (1961) anthropological theory of segmented lineage, we offer a three-study approach to help fill this research fissure. In Study 1, we develop and evaluate the measurement properties of a new brand tribalism scale. In Study 2 and Study 3, we examine the applicability of brand tribalism on brand-response variables across two diverse technological contexts. The data confirm scale validity and explanatory power of brand tribalism.