You’ve developed a great product or service line. Now what? How do you kick things up a notch and start following in the footsteps of some of the most beloved lifestyle brands in the world. (Think Nike, Starbucks, or Rolex, as examples.)
Lifestyle brands evolve in a way that goes beyond the products and services they sell. They capture the values, beliefs, aspirations and attitudes of their customers, their specific goal group. The better of them actually build a “subculture” around their brand and make it a part of the consumer’s lifestyle.
There are many sales-oriented corporations where that’s the end of the story: have stuff, sell stuff, make money. But some entrepreneurs want something deeper. They want to make a real impact on their customers, and even the world. That’s where lifestyle brands go beyond “stuff” and tap into our lifestyles; that’s the difference between a brand and a brand.
Key Ingredients of a Lifestyle Brand
A lifestyle brand exists for reasons beyond sales. Its goal is to offer customers a successful lifestyle and leads by example.
It creates a movement toward a certain way of being and it hits the heart of our cultural need to do that. And to do that, a brand has to live up to its words.
Lifestyle brands need to have a soul! They need to have a life and energy of their very own. You can think of “birthing” your lifestyle brand like a baby: you conjure up its soul and inject it with an unchanging set of core principles. you build its traits and instill a certain tone of voice. you help it speak and interact; you support it in developing and maintaining relationships. With the right guidance, it should navigate life with its own unique and admirable style.
If you give your lifestyle brand that level of affection and soul, it should change into magnetic. People will listen when it talks and follow when it leads.
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Lifestyle Brand Guide
Give your brand a face
Describe life without your lifestyle brand. What are its pain points? What solutions does your lifestyle brand offer?
Define your market, then imagine yourself riding with them for three days as a stowaway. Write down what they do, how they feel and when, what they like. Understand their lifestyle so you possibly can change into a part of their culture.
Define your brand’s mission and vision. What will it achieve for the individual and the community? What are the brand’s core principles and values?
Defining these principles and values gives your brand a backbone, shapes its purpose, ensures its integrity when making decisions, and reinforces its message. You’ll start to see how personality (branding), purpose and motivation (planning), and positioning and direction (strategic marketing) are formed.
Identify three primary colours that represent and communicate your brand’s core values. Then design a logo with those colours and principles to give a face to the soul you’ve created. Consider how your target market will react to it, how they are going to interact with it, and how they are going to evaluate it in their day by day lives. Assess whether the logo exudes a tone and energy that not only conveys its unique personality, but also connects with the culture of your goal market (those people you’ve been leading for three days!).
Give your brand a voice
How your brand “speaks” depends on the personality and principles you place into it. These aspects will determine whether it is compassionate, funny, intelligent, brave, etc. They may even assist you determine which messaging channels are aligned with audience expectations (i.e. static, dynamic, video, print, social media, etc.).
Be aware of your brand voice, because consumers are much more savvy today. They can instinctively recognize when many lifestyle brands are lying to them, and conversely, they know when they are hearing the truth. Alignment between your brand’s soul and how it speaks has the potential to create differentiation in the marketplace, amplify its messages, and cut through today’s marketing noise.
Define your signature. Whether you select to use it or not, it distills the brand’s intent and tone into a bite. What is the brand proposing to do, and with what personality?
Copy, copy, headlines, words, and language all have energy. The way you speak, the words you select, and the tone of voice you utilize with family and friends are all thoughtfully used to communicate effectively. Do the same with your lifestyle brand. Once you’ve established the tone of your brand identity, make sure the copy and any colloquialisms are consistent with your personality. Consumers won’t follow a two-faced leader.
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Choose your brand’s activities
What your brand does and how it engages its market ought to be in line with the mission and style. Choose activities that may thoughtfully strengthen and expand the relationship you have with your goal consumer.
Create the right combination of owned (website, newsletter), paid (promoting), and earned (word of mouth) attention. Choose channels properly that support your organization’s personality and best connect with your market.
A successful lifestyle brand will pave the way, so be wary of classy marketing tactics that might not be right for you. A tactic that may go for one company may not work for one other. What works is a fastidiously crafted mixture of activities that together carry your brand’s unique personality. Consistency in branding strengthens brand relationships.
Choose your folks properly
Your brand could be damaged by association alone! However, good opportunities also can come from who you are associated with, so select properly who your brand collaborates with and connects with. Instilling values and principles and defining your brand mission will assist you Explore multiple marketing options and discover ideal partners and influencers.
Quality relationships are key to the most successful lifestyle brands. It’s no different than when you were in school: you were judged by the company you kept. You made friends who identified with you and deepened relationships that brought you mutual joy.
Research corporations that operate in your market culture and assess potential networking opportunities. These partnerships might help further strengthen your brand.
Instill a healthy dose of self-esteem in him
A lifestyle brand must consider in its own inherent value.. There shall be pressures to change and adapt your brand, but the more committed it is to its core principles, the stronger its identity and resistance to social pressure shall be. Following trends and tactics can make consumers think your brand could also be indecisive—a costly risk for you!
By following your heart and creating a brand with soul, you possibly can integrate your brand into your community. Maintain your lifestyle brand as a useful, reliable, responsible and consistent brand in your community and you’ll build trust that may result in customers for life.
In conclusion, building a lifestyle brand identity is a strategic approach that might help a company stand out from its competitors and build a deep connection with its audience.
Marketing a lifestyle brand is about so much greater than just selling; it’s about standing in your truth and, in doing so, attracting the right tribes to stand with you. Be true to them, and they’ll be true to you—and your brand will thrive!
As discussed in this text, a lifestyle brand strategy involves identifying your target market, defining your brand persona, and building a brand story that resonates with your customers’ values and aspirations. It also requires consistent brand messaging across all channels and touchpoints, from social media to packaging and product design.
By successfully creating a lifestyle brand, entrepreneurs can harness the power of emotional connections and loyalty that may drive long-term success and sustainability. By following the steps outlined in this text, entrepreneurs can begin building their lifestyle brand and achieving their business goals.