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The impact of being Tribal

August 22, 2012

The impact of being Tribal

 

I have 2 passions in my life at the moment and they are my work and football (also my girlfriend, I should mention her). At BrandHook we are all about the people and since football is very much a people sport I have decided to combine the two. In Victoria and especially Melbourne, AFL is the dominant sport and is watched by hundreds of thousands of people whether that is live or on the TV every weekend. Since there are 10 AFL teams that are based in Victoria the choice made by a young boy or girl about who to follow is critical for the rest of their life.

Ever since I was little I have worked out that no matter where you’re from or who your friends are, it is your AFL football team that defines you. I remember going to school on footy colours day and hoping that there would be other fellow Bulldogs supporters to protect me from the ravenous St Kilda supporters, mean Richmond supporters or the up themselves Collingwood supporters.
This “need” to be accepted into a football group starts when we are young and develops into a bigger passion as we get older. However with 10 supporter groups going head to head in Victoria there is bound to be some tribal-like tendencies creep in.

I have certainly noticed (and have had first had experience) that some people base their first opinions of others on who they barrack for, and will instantly accept or reject them as a person of interest based on which AFL team they go for. This got me thinking, have the effects of the AFL world started a war between people, or maybe it has been the catalyst for bullying at school? We are so passionate about our sport in Melbourne some people will sacrifice a potential friend if they don’t wear the same colours as us.

At the BrandHook office however we are all here to work and not to discriminate…even if someone barracks for Essendon.


Last November, Trendwatching wrote about a trend called Dealer Chic where consumer’s are proud of getting a good deal. Rather than cut off the tag of a bargain or cover up a basic bought from a discounter, consumers are waving their deals above their heads and showing others how smart they are. In 2011 Ernst Continue reading

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