If you’ve been on the quest to grow your lifestyle brand. Then this is just the blog you’ve been searching for.

In a world obsessed with maintaining a picture-perfect lifestyle. How do you stand out as a brand in the lifestyle industry? We’re here to tell all!

Lifestyle branding is an immensely popular marketing phenomenon in today’s marketplace. Brands everywhere aim to contextualise their product or service offerings. Very often doing so by creating a vision of the lifestyle they want to provide with their offerings. Or painting a picture of how their products or services can enrich their consumers’ current lifestyle.

It truly is the buzzword of the decade when it comes to marketing. Consumers everywhere flock to the latest product or service which promises them happier, healthier and more full-filled lifestyles. Whether that’s a fitness device, a healthy food alternative or a pair of trainers.

Incorporating lifestyle into branding can be hugely beneficial for a brand to leverage in marketing strategy. Most especially if your brand is itself a ‘lifestyle brand.’ Meaning that you align your product or service offerings with the values, interests and aspirations of a certain group of people.

But how to we put this knowledge into practice. It’s the burning question on every marketer’s lips. How do we grow our brand? How do we ensure that our products and/or service is the go-to brand in our respective industry?

For lifestyle brands, there’s a few key ways to do exactly that. Allow us to delve into these with you!

Logo & Packaging

Presentation is paramount in lifestyle branding. More often than not, lifestyle brands are built upon a specific aesthetic. Some of the most prolific lifestyle brands – Nike, Apple, Vans, Burt’s Bees – all offer their consumers a specific image. An image of a lifestyle which their audience’s ultimately want to achieve. It is this aspirational quality of these iconic lifestyle brands that have helped establish them as the market leaders they are today.

It’s important to consider that often the first association consumers hold for a brand is their logo. An effective logo can be hugely powerful. Quickly becoming synonymous with a particular brand. Therefore, holding all the brand associations and identity in one symbol.

How do you create an effective logo?

Take, for example, Nike. The Nike tick is one of the most powerful brand symbols in marketing. The wearers of Nike merchandise embody all of the associations tied to this iconic tick. Instantly communicating to others that they are on-trend, active, youthful go-getters. Highlighting that the logo alone has huge bearing in establishing associations between a brand and lifestyle. Solidifying the logo as a true brand asset.

It’s vital that your lifestyle brand’s logo design is carefully considered. Is it modern? Is it easily identifiable? Is it functional? Would it appeal to your target audience? Will it stand the test of time? Is it easily identifiable?

Learn more about our graphic design services.

What about packaging?

A similar set of considerations to brand logo design must be applied to brand packaging. With the addition of packaging needing to be as functional as it is visually appealing.

Packaging can play a significant role in convincing a customer to choose your product over a competitor’s. In fact, packaging has even become somewhat of a pop cultural phenomenon with the ‘unboxing’ craze. A series which took place where people would quite literally film themselves opening up new product packaging. Consumers went crazy for this content. As ‘unboxing’ videos attracted millions of views a piece.

What’s more, when you take into account lifestyle brands like Apple. It’s fair to say that the Apple packaging is renowned across the world. From the slow opening boxes designed to build suspense to its crisp, contemporary presentation. Apple’s packaging has certainly contributed to their continuing domination of the personal technology market share.

Apple is the prime example to demonstrate the significance of packaging. It is not something to be underestimated when it comes to presenting your brand in the best way possible. As Apple’s packaging has assisted in setting them apart from the rest of the market.

Let’s talk about our Lifestyle Brand clients!

With the cases above in mind. Our clients Mobros Candles and Kennett sought to rejuvenate their brand with a new logo and packaging design. Both of these fantastic clients embraced a contemporary, minimalist but still highly impactful logo and packaging design.

Both Mobros Candles and Kennett understood the value of effective brand assets. Approaching us to produce logo and packaging designs which would attract their target audience. Take a peek for yourself!

Learn more about our logo & packaging design service.

Social Media Marketing

As we’ve discussed, when it comes to lifestyle branding. Image is everything. You need to present your brand and its respective products and/or services in the most attractive way possible. With the domination of social media, this has become a primary method of doing just that.

Social media platforms are a marketing haven for lifestyle brands. It’s a fantastic marketing tool when it comes to “selling the dream.” With lots of visual cues to highlight how your brand can assimilate and even enhance your followers’ lives. An effective social media marketing strategy can help propel your lifestyle brand’s market positioning. So long as your brand’s online content is targeted, relevant and aesthetically appealing. Great, consistent social media marketing content can be a key influencer in associating your brand with consumer’s lifestyle associations.

Discover what we can do for your social media marketing strategy.

Well, prove it!

A fantastic example of great lifestyle branding on social media is by Vans. They consistently publish a mix of branded, graphic, creative content with more relaxed, in-the-moment imagery.

Vans built their identity predominately around the urban skating lifestyle, culture and community. Continually publishing images of skaters as well as snowboarders, sportspeople and artists. This has unquestionably helped to push their brand image as one which advocates a creative, bold lifestyle featuring dynamic, edgy fashion. Firmly establishing themselves as one of the world’s primary lifestyle brands.

We like to think that Vans is thriving proof that an effective Digital Marketing Strategy is vital for brands today. With social media marketing being a very important aspect of the digital marketing toolbox.

Now, let’s talk about us!

For our lifestyle brand, Kennett, they wanted to continue to build a contemporary, accessible luxury brand. Kennett approached us to manage a social media campaign which would communicate the elegant lifestyle they wanted their followers to aspire towards.

Using a combination of photography shoots and graphics. We published varied content across the Kennett social media channels. This visually-driven content engaged with the lifestyle of Kennett‘s target audience. Offering them a means of acquiring the lifestyle they want through the Kennett brand.

Learn more about our product photography service.

Branding Guidelines For A Lifestyle Brand

A crucial element in establishing a cohesive brand identity is ensuring your presence across all your brand’s touch-points is visually aligned. Certifying that whenever a consumer comes into contact with your brand. The experience should be congruent and aligned.

From the brand’s visual assets to consumers’ interactions with brand employees. Each element should consistently drive the brand values and identity to everyone through all platforms.

So, how do we achieve brand congruency?

A great tool in achieving congruency in your brand’s communications is to develop and distribute brand guidelines. These guidelines provide clear instructions on how to communicate your brand effectively. Which can then be shared amongst any third-party retailers or promoters. Ensuring they know exactly how your brand should be presented.

What’s more, brand guidelines ensure that each client is able to distribute them to their internal team. Allowing all team members to acquire a firm grasp on where the brand stands with their communications. Including the style, tone of voice and target audience for these communications. A key marketing tool which can be somewhat overlooked. Yet it’s a marketing tool which can deliver untold benefits in terms of consistency and effectiveness.

If you’re part of a lifestyle brand which is in need of some rejuvenation to help it grow in 2019. Get in touch with the Strive Digital team today!