Tribal aspects of postmodern consumption research: the case of French in‐line roller skaters

Tribes constitute a research focus for postmodern consumer research and an alternative way of targeting marketing action. Consumers are supposed to value the goods and services which, through their linking value, permit and support social interaction of the communal type, products or services that support AB and not the fact of being A or B. This paper seeks to explore current developments in postmodern consumer research in terms of methods used to identify tribes and in terms of approaches used to elaborate an offer which is capable of supporting tribal rites and to capitalise, at a brand image level, on these tribal phenomena. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications.