Lifestyle Branding: From Mundane to Must-Have

Take a moment to think of your favorite brands. When you have a few in mind, try to pinpoint what they all have in common. Is it a color scheme, funny commercials, or a specific product you love?  Odds are, they’re lifestyle brands.

There’s one clear reason why troves of people gravitate towards lifestyle brands: they cater towards the consumers’ sense of identity.

There’s one clear reason why troves of people gravitate towards lifestyle brands: they cater towards the consumers’ sense of identity. In many global societies, especially in the West, there is a strong emphasis on the notion of the  “self”. Because of this, there is also an absurdly strong emphasis on self-expression in western cultures.  It’s how we find our place in the world  and how we connect with like-minded individuals. We are able to communicate so much about ourselves through something as little as the logo on our shoes. From edgy Docs to community-conscious Toms, or luxury Louboutins to action-oriented Nikes. That is lifestyle branding. 

Successful lifestyle brands are able to effectively embody the very things that we consider to be key representations of our own identity.

These brands have all successfully asserted their identity in a way that compels people to feel connected through their own shared identity.  Most of us feel a significant tie to at least one of the brands we support, because it in turn supports us in our quest of self-expression. Successful lifestyle brands are able to effectively embody the very things that we consider to be key representations of our own identity. That includes values, interests, goals, opinions, and motivations. 

Studies show that emotions both  strongly influence purchase decisions and dramatically increase the odds of consumers recommending the brand to others.

Lifestyle marketing is highly effective because it understands that emotions are what drive most consumers. We’re human after all, and the heart wants what the heart wants. Studies show that emotions both  strongly influence purchase decisions and dramatically increase the odds of consumers recommending the brand to others. People with an emotional connection to a brand will likely recommend the company at a rate of 71%, instead of the average 45%. Plus, they have a whopping 306% higher lifetime value. 

Brands that are able to achieve customer loyalty are almost always the most successful.

This goes to show that tugging at the heartstrings of your customers spikes both loyalty and advocacy. Brands that are able to achieve customer loyalty are almost always the most successful. Consider, for example, Apple. Have you ever met someone who has one Apple product, and one  Samsung product? Highly unlikely. Apple has a way of converting first-time customers into unwavering lifetime users, as if by magic. In this case, magic is just good marketing — marketing that is informed by the deep understanding of what drives human behavior. Once an Apple customer, always an Apple customer. At least, that’s what their loyalty rates of over 90% say. Compared to their competitors, Apple averages 45% higher on the loyalty scale. 

Lifestyle branding doesn’t necessarily require breaking the mold with your product, but rather breaking the mold with your representation of that product. Turning the mundane into something exciting simply through framing. 

Away Luggage is a great example of a lifestyle brand (that I happen to love). They took a boring necessity and transformed it into an object of desire. Away is the new must-have, and not because consumers actually must have it, but because their emotions tell them they must. Most Away customers are less drawn to the idea of a new carry-on, and more to the promise of the message that an investment piece of luggage sends to the world. They want to represent their sophisticated travel-loving side, and are willing to invest in this extension of their identity. Consumers not only resonate with the modern style of the bag, but the actual functionality. According to Co-Founder Jen Rubio, the Away “community has come to associate Away with better travel, not just better luggage.” And that is lifestyle branding doing what it does best. The product is far from revolutionary, and frankly doesn’t make much sense when you think about it. I mean, who wants to have the same suitcase as everyone else when it comes time for baggage claim? Apparently, more people than you’d think, myself included, and that’s thanks to good marketing. 

Another one of my all-time favorite lifestyle brands is Allbirds. Little more than a simplistic, eco-friendly sneaker, Allbirds has managed to break boundaries by utilizing strategic marketing. They sold a million sneakers during their first two years in business, and have since come to be valued at $1.7 billion. For a company that launched in 2016, into a well-established market with competitors like Nike and Adidas, that’s pretty impressive. Part of Allbirds’ success was the fact that they did the opposite of their competitors by not showcasing a logo on their products. In fact, the simplistic lack of a logo became their trademark. I love this brand not only because it's a great product, but also because their eco-friendly mission resonates with my own personal values; values that I feel are part of my identity. Plus, I admire Allbirds for their genius marketing tactics, which I find inspirational as a marketing professional. I’m a testament to the fact that successful lifestyle marketing leads to both customer retention and increased referrals. I can’t even count the number of people who I’ve convinced to buy a pair of Allbirds, and they’re all just as pleased with them as I am. 

Building a compelling brand story is essential, because people are looking to buy the whole experience, the lifestyle, not just a mere product. Products are replaceable, but the lifestyle is engrained in the very core of their being.

If you’re looking to utilize lifestyle marketing for your business, the first thing you should do is define your target audience. Really get to know who you’re selling to, and try to understand what drives them. When you know and understand their values, aspirations, and opinions, you can begin to emulate those things in your brand story. The more specific, the better — how else will you stand out among your competitors? Building a compelling brand story is essential, because people are looking to buy the whole experience, the lifestyle, not just a mere product. Products are replaceable, but the lifestyle is engrained in the very core of their being. Ask yourself: how does your product allow them to achieve that lifestyle? Why do they need it? If you don’t believe that they need your product, then neither will they. Your goal should be to take a piece of your customers identity and sell it to them in a way that reinforces their sense of self. Without a strong sense of self, consumers feel a lack of belonging. Show them how they belong to your community with great customer service, personalized email campaigns and social content, and exclusive offers. 

Lifestyle marketing is one of the most effective ways to position your brand in the market. This is because, when done well, it allows your brand to become intertwined with the consumer's very identity - thus becoming an invaluable necessity.