Clanning or Tribes

Marketing guru, Seth Godin wrote a bestseller called 'Tribes'. Interestingly, in 1997 trendspotter and futurist, Faith Popcorn wrote about 'Clanning' as one of 17 future trends for clicking with consumers. In effect, the community spirit is what moves people to achieve a sense of identity, common cause, unity in numbers, and a sense of belonging.

Triathletes belong to a tribe of everyday people, who lead extreme lives in their pastimes. Lard man from New Zealand writes about his adventures in triathlons. He is an interesting person with a wicked sense of humour. Read his blog if you dare!

Many tribes exists, and universally, tourists are a strong and predominant group. Camera-ready, ever eager, and abundantly curious and pedestrian, tourists will crowd around anything and anyone. You see them cordon off streets watching buskers perform. You also meet them at fast-food convenience outlets. Book-lovers will scour bookstores like a library. Coffee connoisseurs will make a beeline for the next caffeine-infused shot. Foodies will search websites by food bloggers to seek that next gastronomic or epicurean indulgence. Such is the magnetic appeal of like-minded individuals in endurance sports in exotic locations doing the unthinkable. Some groups hold annual runs while in underwear or even naked (Naked Pumpkin Dot Org).


Here are some snapshots that clicked with my sense of adventure (to be upload soon, as working with an iPad has it's challenges, when traveling).

John doing the famous plank at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona; my version is modified

Photo-credits by Mel Chan