What does Nike sell? Shoes, sporting gear?
It actually sells a lot more than that. Nike sells the idea of being fit, being on top of your game, the joy of discipline and the attitude of never giving up. This is part of the lifestyle marketing strategy of Nike, originally an American multinational footwear manufacturing company.
Having worked with lifestyle brands in India ranging from fashion, fitness and food, the team at Flora Fountain, a social media marketing agency in Ahmedabad, has come up with the definitive guide to developing an effective lifestyle marketing strategy.
But, how do we define a lifestyle?
The way we live? Yes, exactly that.
Alright, let’s break it down.
Lifestyle is the interests, opinions and behaviours of an individual, group, or culture. And it grows and thrives when it influences the people around them.
Okay, let us take an example of ‘lifestyle’, that is closer to home. Remember when all of us wore baggy jeans, inspired by global hip-hop stars who looked fly dressed in baggy jeans, from grocery runs to red carpets?
This was after all the hip hop lifestyle.
Where does lifestyle marketing come in?
Lifestyle marketing is a strategy that combines elements of traditional marketing and consumer psychology to create a unique connection between the brand and the consumer. When done right, lifestyle marketing can be incredibly effective as it allows the company to create an emotional connection with their target market. But it is important to approach it the right way.
Brands like Levi’s and Woodland cashed on the hip hop trend in the early 90s, and well into the mid-2000s, because they saw the opportunity and marketed a hip-hop lifestyle to their target audience.
Why should brands consider lifestyle marketing?
Lifestyle marketing is the practice of creating a brand identity around the lifestyle of the customer base. It’s a powerful way of connecting with customers on a deeper level. With the right approach and strategy, lifestyle marketing can be a powerful tool for connecting with customers and achieving success.
How to create a lifestyle marketing strategy?
Don’t try to sell to everyone
You need to understand who your target market is and what type of lifestyle they lead. Knowing this will help you craft content that speaks to them and resonates with their interests and values. You should also consider the type of lifestyle marketing medium you want to use, whether it’s blogging, social media, video or other forms of marketing.
Engage with your audience
Social media is a good place to promote your products and engage with customers. Figure out where your audience spends its time socially and optimize your content for those channels to engage with your audience. You can join conversations related to your industry and address concerns through conversations. Taking it further, you can create relevant, mobile-friendly marketing to post on social media channels. That includes making specific ads for social media, as well as, boosting posts for increased visibility.
Develop trust
The goal is to develop a relationship of trust with your target audience, so it’s vital to maintain the same brand voice and story across these channels, as on your website. You want to maintain brand consistency so people going to your website will seamlessly make the transition, instead of being confused if the aesthetic styles don’t match.
Showcase your products, EVERYWHERE
Using your website and social media to post online demonstration videos allows you to showcase how your brand fits into the consumer lifestyle while making it more easily accessible to people as they’re researching products.
Use your website or social media platforms like YouTube to place videos that explain who you are and how to use your product. An informative YouTube ad can familiarise your audience with your facility and give information on how to make a purchase.
This ad by IKEA on YouTube was a smart way to promote the idea of buying DIY furniture
You can take this a lot further by posting videos about your company culture, highlighting products, expertise and even your team members. That will communicate a wholesome, authentic culture behind your products.
Millennial audiences alone report spending an average of 7.2 hours online daily. If your marketing speaks to them, demonstrating your products online is one of the best ways to get their attention.
How can Flora Fountain help you grow your lifestyle branding
Becoming a lifestyle brand may be something you do consciously or unconsciously. But lifestyle marketing is a conscious choice that you need to make early on. The process can take years of careful cultivation, authenticity, transparency, and some very intentional marketing choices.
After all, the lifestyle you’re trying to sell needs to be embedded throughout your whole identity. Take a look at the various types of lifestyle marketing activities Flora Fountain has done for our brands as their branding partners, digital strategists and ecommerce website development company.
For these brands, we have achieved an enviable following through effective social media marketing, research-oriented branding activities and robust ecommerce website development to tell their story to sell their product.
Ready to get started? Drop a hello on hello@florafountain.com.
Vasim Samadji is a partner at Flora Fountain, where he leads the Business and Marketing Strategy divisions. He is a seasoned professional with an MBA in marketing and over a decade of experience working with multiple MNCs. Vasim is a firm believer in the power of creation and he is...
