Your Customer Tribe

My son, Jeff, alerted me to the fact that MySpace now broadcasts Amber Alerts to it's members, based upon their zip code. The amber alert people are taking advantage of the MySpace community to get their message out. He found it remarkable enough to tell me about it. And I'm sure he'll be talking about it with his friends.

Time-Warner now sends my kids text messages when their school is cancelled or delayed due to weather. They are starting to build a subscriber base around what matters to (their younger) consumers. After all, a day off, or a couple extra hours of sleep on a school day, rank pretty highly on any teenager's wish list.

This begs the question.

Is your business providing a service that your customers (or potential customers) absolutely have to have?

And if not, how are you trying to build a customer community around your product or service, igniting or fostering a passion for the thing your company does? How do you reach out to your customers?

If you're just trying to sell stuff or to sell services, and you're NOT cultivating a "customer tribe", you're missing the point... and a huge opportunity. After all, a tribe is all about "kinship", shared values and shared dreams. Tribe members look out for one another. They share stories.

One very recent example. Apple's MacBook Air, was essentially marketed by Apple's customer "tribe" - the community of customers who appreciate sleek design and superb, simple, intuitive functionality. Sure, Steve Jobs officially kicked off the product launch at MacWorld, but long before that event, the Apple "tribe" was talking about the possibility, speculating about the product, building anticipation. And soon after the launch, the same group was busy blogging about the product, singing it's praises, pointing out it's shortcomings. Do your products command the same tribal attention that Apple's do?

Allpost links to no fewer than 34 newsites and blogs that focus on Apple products, design and culture.

The event was remarkable on two fronts. First the product itself, was the lightest, slimest full sized notebook ever. And secondly, the Apple "tribe" did most of the selling.

If your products are not the brightest, fastest, lightest, most flavorful, energy efficient, long wearing, coolest, 100% reliable or unique, what are they?

They may not be worth talking about.