In tribal marketing, a brand tribe’s “doctrine” is the consistent set of beliefs and ideals held (and promoted) by its members.
This tribal doctrine can include the following:
- Creed: The core of the brand tribe’s doctrine is its creed: a simplified, one-sentence statement that summarizes the tribe’s goal, its reason for existing.
- Values: Values are specific, personal, and attainable attributes to which members of the brand tribe strive. They should reflect, among other things, the ideal traits characterized by the tribe’s brand archetype or brand metaphor.
- Commandments: The commandments are specific actions that, when executed diligently, will bring members of the tribe closer to achieving their creed and values. They are signposts directing individuals down what is believed to be the most correct path.
- Vision: Every brand tribe has a conceptual image of how they will improve the world, and what that world will be like when they are done. This vision serves as a unifying reminder of what the individual members are working for.
- Demons: In its efforts to promote its doctrine, the brand tribe must necessarily come into conflict with other individuals, ideas, or competing brands. Every tribe has natural enemies, and it’s prudent to identify and understand them as part of the tribes overall strategy for survival and growth.
It’s worth sitting down and thinking through each of these elements of tribal marketing for your brand. You’ll be surprised how naturally they can come once you start thinking about your company and its customers as a tribe unified around shared ideals and values.
