The manager of an up and coming clothing store in the Metquarter has claimed that his "organic" TikTok posts have been crucial for the growth of his business.
Adam Cummings is the shareholder and operations manager at Tribal Society in the Metquarter. Established in 2021,Tribal Society aims to produce clothes classed as "affordable luxury", namely jeans but also a range of hoodies and t-shirts too.
His personal TikTok account, @adamtribal.society alongside the brand's @TribalSociety, have over 1000 followers combined. This may seem small compared to other accounts, but Adam and the rest of his team have cultivated a unique following.
READ MORE: UK charities ‘hugely thankful’ to Bruce Willis for sharing dementia diagnosis
Originally from Old Swan, Adam regulary posts 'day in the life' style videos, showcasing what he does in a day's work. He also tries out the businesses' latest products. He said that "putting a face to the brand" has been crucial to establishing a connection with customers before they've even stepped foot into the store.
He explained: "I get a lot of people coming in now who recognise me from TikTok and Instagram. They feel like they know me and because of that it's easy for me to talk to them.
"The customer probably feels the same. If I'm in a store and I've seen a face before, it's a great conversation starter. Our social media strategy has helped us massively with customer interaction."
This human-centred approach is a stark change from Tribal Society's earlier approach to social media, which Adam described as "boring". He explained: "There was just a load of static images on Instagram and the product was getting rammed down your throat.
"People don't want to see that. It's social media, not your website. They want to see the social side of the business, the interaction.
He added: "I'm a consumer myself, I'm nosy! I want to see the people behind the brand."
It's a strategy that would have rarely been done ten years ago, he goes onto explain. Whereas Tribal Society once relied on expensive Google adverts and high-end equipment, they are now thriving with simply their smart phones and ad-hoc set-ups.
Parasociality - where people develop close connections with people unaware of their existence - has increased in the last 10 years. This is due to the explosion in influencers and digital creators, whom their audiences respect and trust more than traditional adverts when a product is being sold.
Increasing their sales goes towards Tribal Society's core aim: providing "luxury denim & clothing at affordable prices". This is the USP that Adam has created.
"When we first started out, even though we knew denim had a massive industry in luxury clothes and fast fashion, we wanted to find that middle market where it was an affordable price, but a luxury jean."
He argued that buying jeans through conventional means is difficult due to the differences in size and quality between different brands. Tribal Society, on the other hand, offers the best of both worlds.
Furthermore, they offer a 12 month warranty. This means that any rips or tears in your jeans will be fixed by Tribal Society themselves, instead of forcing consumers to go to an expensive tailor.
He claims that they have "really cracked that industry", adding: "because we're in that middle market, we offer a lot more value". This is what Adam himself wanted as a consumer, and he's now turned a frustration into his own business.
He credits the rest of the team though, emphasising the collective effort. Like Adam, they have also been featured on the brand's social media feeds to further that connection with customers.
The middle market approach is reflected in Tribal Society's location in the Metquarter. Once seen as home to exclusively high-end brands such as Cricket and Hugo Boss, shops like Adam represent a new type of store in the shopping centre.
Adam said: "It's changed over the last 10 to 15 years. You've got more independent stores now. Our customers have noticed too that it's not just high-end fashion. It's been a great building block for us."
Opposite the gorgeous flower display, their shop is a great place to be, with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a fully working Street Fighter arcade game.
When asked what advice he would give to young people thinking of starting their own business, 'value' is his key word. He explains: "Add more value and become more important."
This can be summarised as identifying what you're good at, see what's missing from that area and find out how you add value to that area. Though he admits he fell into this line of work, he had always enjoyed fashion and wanted to look good even when he was at school.
He gives the example of Mo Salah at Liverpool. "He's on a lot of money," he admits, "but it's because he's putting bums on seats, he's adding value to Liverpool Football Club."
Focussing on what your expertise is key, he adds. "It would be pointless for me to do girl's fashion, because I wouldn't know how to add more value and become more important."
It's this this philosophy that has driven Adam to create and grow a truly unique brand. They will be opening a shop in Chester soon, and plan to expand across the country and internationally.
However, he credits his customers the most for his success, who have created that connection with him. "I want to thank everyone who's been involved and shopped with us. If anyone's got suggestions on what we should do, please let me know."
Without social media, maybe a brand like his wouldn't have found such a unique market.
You can visit Tribal Society in the Metquarter. Their TikTok can be be found here.
Share a Random Act of Kindness and celebrate Merseyside's warm heart
Life through a new lens. We are Curiously. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
READ NEXT:
