Content must be made for “tribes”

Andoni Zarrabe, Head of Branded Content at Discovery Networks Mexico, stated in his conference The Era of Weirdness, in Advertising Week, that technological disruptions have created a new social order: subcultures have fragmented into tribes and today, weird is cool, a synonym of identity. “People have more in common with our tribe than with people of our generation, which is what marketing is used to,” he said, after mentioning that storytelling must aim towards those particular interests.

An example, he stated, is the world of videogames: there, different ages, men, women, and social groups converge. But they are all united by the passion for games and all the culture it involves.

“The big bet brands must make is on branded entertainment to be able to connect with these tribes, because what they are going to pay attention to is what interests them or they feel passionate about,” he said, after stating that the business of the XXIst century is consumer attention, because “if I can get your attention, I can very likely get your money”.

He highlighted that Discovery has an entire grid dedicated to those tribes. “Animal Planet is a channel full of tribes: the adopt-don´t-buy, the environmentalists, the veterinarians and those who want to take care of the planet,” he said, after mentioning that the same thing happens with the home-renovation formats aimed at architects, interior designers, and lovers of renovation.