Lifestyle brand

Lifestyle brands operate from the idea that each individual has an identity based on their choices, experiences, and background (e.g., ethnicity, social class, subculture, nationality, etc.). Lifestyle brands evoke emotional connections between a consumer and that consumer's desire to affiliate him or herself with a group. Lifestyle brands are one of the possible ways of consumer self-expression: customers believe that their identity will be reinforced or supplemented if they publicly associate themselves with a lifestyle brand or other symbol-intensive brands. Factors that influence the consumer decision process Consumers continually face multiple decisions with regard to product choice due to many competing products. Aspects such as a product's attributes have been shown to be involved in the consumer decision process. There is the need for brands to be understood and how they can be influential with regard to consumer's decision making considerations. Three processes are intertwined in choice behaviour: psychological, sociological, and economic processes. Within these three processes lifestyle of the consumer also becomes intertwined with consumers tending to choose a brand they feel is congruent with their self-image, their identity – who they feel they are and what they connect with the most. P Vyncke suggests that a consumer's values, goals, and vision for their life, along with aesthetic style all reflect individual lifestyle. Consumer self-expression Consumers use brands to express their identity. Perceived brand value If a consumer loves fashion this will have a positive effect on his/her willingness to pay for a luxury, top-end brand. In order for a lifestyle brand to be successful and dominate market share it needs to enhance customers experiences and provide more than just a product. Consumers are more willing and likely to purchase a brand that establishes itself as to value and satisfaction. Brand value is defined as comparing focal brands with unbranded products that have had the same level or same ways of marketing to consumers, as well as adopting the same product attributes. Luxury brands are extending their perceived value beyond tangible goods by incorporating curated cafe and dining experiences into their portfolios as part of the luxury experience. Luxury brands target those that have an extreme lifestyle. Price is never a factor. Three categories are identified as measuring brand value: brand loyalty, perceived value and brand awareness/association. Consumers associate themselves with luxury fashion brands to portray their lifestyle and separate them from the rest. Social value is an aspect that relates to consumers' desire to obtain luxury brands that they hope will offer them a symbolic part of a group or culture. There are emotional factors that are connected to the consumption of a luxury brand: for example those that bring pleasure or excitement. Examples of lifestyle retail brands include the now defunct Laura Ashley, GAP and Benetton. These retailers offer a distinct and recognised set of values to consumers. Over time, a number of retailers have come up with their own brand strategies and are now seen as lifestyle retail brands because they are targeting consumers who adopt their brand to align themselves with a lifestyle they want to obtain. == Psychology ==

It is important for an organisation to understand its brand's role among consumers. To achieve this, an organisation must use the following aspects of the lifestyle brand model. Categorisation helps consumers evaluate the quality of the product. For example, Whole Foods can affect a consumer by going the extra mile to offer organic foods products that suit that particular consumer's needs. Brand personality This is when a brand encompasses a consistent set of traits in which the consumer can relate. For example, Crossfit is a lifestyle brand which encompasses the idea of pushing yourself for your fitness. This idea is consistent on a global level. Through this lifestyle, consumers or participants have the opportunity to feel a part of a group of healthy, motivated fitness fanatics. Brand symbolism This is defined as the strong symbolism that a brand transmits to its consumers, which is adopted for its social benefits. It allows consumers to feel as though they can express themselves through a form of identity, whilst being provided with a sense of belonging to a group. For example, Tiffany & Co. are a jewellery brand which offer affordable and expensive, high-quality jewellery products. When a person sees a consumer wearing its product in public, that person may aim to own a piece of Tiffany & Co. jewellery themselves, with the aim to seek social benefits or fit into a particular group. Brand attachment Attachment is brought about when people form an emotional connection between themselves and a brand. For example, Coca-Cola uses advertisements to portray its happy lifestyle to consumers. These advertisements are used to form an emotional connection with the audience. Through the use of the "Open happiness" slogan, consumers may believe that by purchasing and consuming a Coca-Cola drink, they will feel like they are happy and having fun. ==Examples==

While some lifestyle brands purposely reference existing groups or cultures, others create a disruption within the status quo and propose an innovative viewpoint on the world. The driving force may be the product, the shopping experience, the service, the communication or a combination of these elements. These are often result from visionary goals of the CEO or founder. Early on, Apple's founder Steve Jobs sought to integrate the company's innovations into the industries of music, entertainment, and telecommunications. In 2002, he gifted each 7th- and 8th-grader in the state of Maine with a laptop, in an effort to show that it wasn't "about the technology, it's about what people can do with it." Social or personal image is also a reference point for some lifestyle brands. In the 1990s, Abercrombie & Fitch successfully resuscitated a 1950s ideal —the white, masculine "beefcake"— during a time of political correctness and rejection of 1950s orthodoxy, creating a lifestyle brand based on a preppy, young, Ivy-League lifestyle. Their retail outlets reflect this lifestyle through their luxurious store environment, attractive store associates (models), and their black and white photographs featuring young people "living the Abercrombie & Fitch lifestyle". In doing so, Abercrombie & Fitch has created an outlet for those who lead, or wish to lead or wish to dream about leading this lifestyle. Companies like home furnishing associate themselves with the term "lifestyle branding" when they are developing their brand portfolio. A furniture company is likely to align new product lines with lifestyle collections that are associated with fashion icons, celebrities and well-known interior designers. For consumers this is reassuring and entices them to purchase home furnishings to be like these iconic influencers. Furniture companies have said that it helps them connect with those consumers who associate other categories with these celebrities. It is their way of tapping into new markets that have not yet been reached. Companies that have celebrity names associated with them provides a certain degree of guarantee to the brand. A company called Doman Home Furnishings launched a campaign about food and kitchen products to enhance its brand as a lifestyle choice. ==Symbol-intensive brand==

A symbol-intensive brand is a brand adopted not only for its functional benefits, but above all, for the strong symbolism and significance that it is able to transmit, allowing a consumer to express his or her identity, to signal status or manifest a sense of belonging to a group. Businesses might be based on three different types of knowledge: analytical; synthetic or symbolic. Creative or cultural businesses, such as entertainment, publishing, design, or fashion, draw heavily on a symbolic knowledge base. They serve important symbolic functions such as capturing, refracting, and legitimating social knowledge and values. The essence of a brand or a product in these industries resides in its meaning for the consumer rather than in its function. A symbol-intensive brand is a brand adopted not only for its functional benefits, but above all, for the strong symbolism and significance that it is able to transmit, allowing a consumer to express his or her identity, to signal status or manifest a sense of belonging to a group. The symbol-intensive brand definition was introduced by Stefania Saviolo and Antonio Marazza in the book Lifestyle Brands – A Guide to Inspirational Marketing. Analyzing a brand's choices in terms of competitive scope (number of targets and categories served) and type of benefits provided to the customer, five classes of Symbol-intensive brands are identified: • Authority brands • Solution brands • Icon brands • Cult brands • Lifestyle brands Symbol-intensive brands are able to maintain a relationship with their clients that goes beyond the usual brand loyalty. Clients tend to become ambassadors, fans, champions, that find the brand fundamental or irreplaceable in their lives. Researchers have noted superior economic and financial performances in brands capable of engaging people or influencing a social context proposing an original point of view. == See also ==