Tribal culture: Mobile app takes social networking to the streets

Paris – Countering the loneliness people may feel in a big city, a new location-based mobile phone application helps connect people by alerting them, in real time, to the proximity of potential friends and possible lovers.

HiMyTribe mixes GPS technology with social networking to allow users to create tribes of like-minded individuals for social or business connections. The app then indicates people nearby who fit these descriptions. Users can send live messages to fellow subscribers and invite these candidates to join their tribe.

Changing the way brands communicate with consumers, mobile apps continue to grow as an important part of the marketing mix, as outlined in our recent report. HiMyTribe demonstrates that, beyond marketing, apps also have the potential to change the way we interact with people around us, taking social networking offline and placing it in a real-world, real-time situation.