TribalWorks

As I was browsing through my Facebook account, I couldn’t help but notice an ad for a new social networking site specifically for hunters, HuntRush

Lifefitter brings HuntRush.com and HookTight.com to the hunting and fishing community.

Columbia, SC based Lifefitter Network, a project of technology incubator LoudDoor Labs, announced the beta release of its latest social networks HuntRush.com and HookTight.com for hunters and fishermen.

“There are few things I enjoy more than hunting and fishing”, said co-founder Jeff French. “The outdoors community is overlooked by web 2.0 firms, but it’s a market we are proud to serve, and I look forward to being an active member on each of these sites.”

One of the main purposes of hunting and fishing is to bond with others that share their passion.  Thus, hunters and fishers already form strong tribes.  It is surprising then that Jeff states that the outdoors community is under served by web 2.0 firms.  If true, it leaves a big opening for Lifefitter and other organizations to tap into this community.

Success will occur if Lifefitter can create an online experience that captures the essence of being with their fellow hunter.

CTV recently launched a new promotion, Live the Drama, which enables fans of popular TV shows to enter a contest.  However, this is not like other promotions:

The five grand prizes include VIP treatment at the final wrap party of ER; a CSI set visit and “victim makeover” by the show’s special effects makeup artist; an opportunity to attend a live taping of Dancing With the Stars (including a private dance lesson with one of the choreographers); a Desperate Housewives wardrobe tour and shopping spree; and the first-ever visit to the set of Grey’s Anatomy.

The promotion from CTV’s Creative Agency invites fans to battle for prizes by completing “missions” inspired by their favourite series. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Canadian viewers to win trips to the sets of their beloved television shows,” says Susanne Boyce, CTV’s president, creative, content and channels.

Essentially, each mission asks you to act out a scene or a theme from a TV show.  Then, after the submission period is over, viewers can vote online for their favourite entry.  CTV is running the contests for 5 shows and only reveals one mission at a time.  Thus, if you are a fan of multiple shows you have to come back.    

I think this is a good starting point to get fans not only more connected with the show but also with other fans of the TV series.  They have certainly used some Tribal Elements (i.e. fan voting), but I think they could have gone further.

If CTV, builds a more complete strategy around this, they could be in a position to ‘own’ the show’s tribe - at least in Canada.  This could do wonders for CTV the next time they negotiate for distribution rights.

Yum Brands Inc. announced that it will posting nutritional information on menu boards in its corporate owned stores.  Yum Brands owns the KFC, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s, Pizza Hut and A&W All-American Food brands.  According to company spokesman Jonathan Blum:

“We believe this is the right leadership role…to be providing more information so consumers can make better-informed purchase decisions about the food they eat,”

 This move gained some praise:

Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, called it a groundbreaking announcement that is “fabulous news for health-conscious consumers.”

However, from a consumer standpoint, I think Yum Brands only stands to lose.  As you can see from KFC’s menu, there is not too much one would consider light.  Not only that, but I don’t think this fact is surprising at all to anyone.

Where is the benefit to Yum’s shareholders?  It is highly unlikely that the health focused population will begin to view any Yum Brand restaurant as a healthy alternative and thus frequent them more often.

The people who go to these restaurants are typically those who know that the food served isn’t the most healthy.  As I blogged earlier in my New York Fries post, there is an overemphasis on being healthy, when a good segment of the population wants to have something unhealthy once and a while. 

By seemingly caving to the healthy living trend, Yum Brands may alienate its existing tribe.  Seeing the calorie count next to the menu may make patrons feel guilty, forcing them to feed their chicken drumstick vices elsewhere.