By Vivek Banerji, John Forsyth and Trond Riiber Knudsen
An American woman who loves to travel knows that her family does not share her passion. Sure, they take trips, but not with the same interest and frequency. So what does she do? “At the end of my day, when my family is in bed,” she told McKinsey, “I like to connect with people like me - online." There she can find people, all over the world, who are happy to chat with her any time, all the time, about what is going on where.
She is, in short, part of a global digital tribe.
McKinsey defines “global tribes” as people who connect to each other across the world because of a common passion -- be it a product, a service or an interest. Tribes are, of course, an ancient form of human connection. What is different is how new tribes are forming and developing in the digital world -- and thus changing the market place.
Like traditional tribes, there is an emotional component to the digital version. The exchange of information and ideas is not simply transactional. Tribe members are driven by a feeling of reciprocity (“I gained so much, so I want to help others.”) and feel gratified when others respond positively to their posts. Unlike traditional tribes, though, digital tribes do not depend on proximity. Indeed, as tribe members seek other likeminded people on the Internet, they may feel they have more in common and with someone who is geographically distant but who shares the same passion than someone who is physically close, even if it’s a friend or family member.
McKinsey wanted to understand how consumers are experiencing – and shaping – this world of change. Working with TNS Infratest, in June 2011, we decided to consult the experts, in the form of “engaged consumers” -- people who participate regularly in blogs, online forums and boards -- in the travel and consumer electronics sectors in Germany, Britain and the US. We asked these respondents to complete exercises (such as compiling collages or selecting pictures) and to write online diaries about things like what sites they visit and why they participate in forums. Then we followed up with detailed interviews.
Here is what we learned.