You may have noticed a new product name on one of our classic Pinterest tools lately.
Don’t worry, you’re not seeing things – Tailwind Tribes has become Tailwind Communities!
Here’s some backstory in a June 2020 letter from our Founder Danny:
A Letter From Our CEO
In 2017, we introduced a product called Tailwind Tribes. At the time, we thought the term “tribe” represented the community atmosphere of the product and seemed like an appropriate name on the surface.
We were wrong to do so.
“Tribe” is a term many Native nations hold in esteem with deep meaning and connection, but the term also has a challenging past.
For Native and Indigenous peoples, the use of the word “tribe” is racially charged (read: “European colonists…used the word ‘tribal’ synonymously with ‘savage’ or ‘primitive’”).
Over time, we started to get a few messages stating concern over the use of the word “tribes.” But there weren’t many messages…so, we noted the concern and kept on our present course. One day, if we kept hearing from enough people who were upset about it, we’d make a change.
But that’s the problem when it comes to discrimination and racism. If you rely on the majority perspective to guide the proper action, you’re going to end up being in the wrong an awful lot. Because the majority isn’t the group at risk of being oppressed.
And we fell into that trap. Our privilege was on display.
In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, our team started having a lot more honest discussions about racism and how we can work intentionally to become more anti-racist. Inclusion has always been one of our core values, but this moment in history showed that we needed to push beyond Inclusion to be the type of company we want to be.
One such discussion focused on the name “Tribes.” Could we feel right about offering a product with a name that isn’t only not Inclusive, but downright offensive to some of our members?
Our answer was “no.” So, we’re committing to changing the Tailwind Tribes name and branding by the end of the year. We don’t want to keep adding to the trivialization of the word “tribe,” nor propagate its hurtful connotations to Native communities.
We’re working through the plan and will seek feedback as we choose a new name, especially from members who have expressed concern or are impacted more personally by this decision. Once we have a new name, it’ll take some time to implement the changes in our marketing materials and software, but we expect to complete the transition by the end of the year.
We promise to continue to listen and learn so we can do better. Thanks for being patient with us. We hear you — and we promise to keep doing just that.
Kindly,
Danny Maloney
CEO & Co-Founder
Tailwind
Introducing Tailwind Communities
After months of careful planning, discussion, and seeking input every step of the way, we’re pleased to introduce you to Tailwind Communities!
Tailwind Communities is a tool that enables you to connect and grow with other Pinterest creators just like you!
Connect with Pinterest creators, get inspired by fresh ideas, and build relationships with members in more than 20,000 Communities.
With our Community tool, you’ll be able to share your Pinterest content to a Community, and other Community members will view, schedule and share your content to their audiences.
This helps build is so helpful because not only are you sharing your own content, but you are leveraging the collectively large audience of your peers.
Here is how it works:
Let’s say that you have created a Community with a few of your friends (we would call this a Community Lead).
While you are creating and scheduling Pins, you’ll be able to hand-pick content you would like to share with your Community Members.
Since other Community Members are doing the same, you end up with a pool of content by people you know and trust—helping you share new, inspiring content. You can also assign Community Admins to help invite and manage your Community.
Although collaborating, networking, and sharing content is not a new strategy, Communities makes it easier for anyone to build relationships and develop a healthy marketing strategy on Pinterest.
If you are a current Tailwind member and would like to use Communities, please reach out to us to learn more. If you are a current Communities member who would like to invite someone to a Community, head over to this article on “How to add Members to a Community“.
Happy Pinning! We’re so glad you’re a part of our Community!
: Related Reading: How to Start, Grow and Maintain an Active Tailwind Community
