How To Build a Successful Lifestyle Brand: 3 Proven Tactics
Building a brand with a loyal following can be quite lucrative and personally-fulfilling
Creative lifestyle brands enjoy the loyalty and admiration of a devoted, committed, and motivated following. Build a well-known, well-defined brand and you will be able to effectively and profitably market various types of products and services to your target audience, at a premium.
Have you noticed, for example, that any, and I mean any item with the Starbucks logo on it gets sold at a much higher price than any other product in a comparable category? I once saw regular coffee mugs being sold at about a 10x premium simply because it had the coveted green Mermaid emblem on it.
Now, the preceding statement is not meant to be a dig at the famous Seattle coffee house chain, but merely an example of how building a successful Lifestyle brand, or any type of brand for that matter can lead to untold profits. There are many steps and ways to help build brand loyalty, this is true, but here are just three proven tactics to get you started.
1. Stand for something
I happen to think this is the number one thing to get correct right from the start. Determine what you want to be as a brand, what will you stand for, believe in, and fight for. Do this very early on and clearly communicate this to the world.
Associate your company with other well-known brands who have common values. If you have some cash, then put your money where your mouth is. Sponsor a few events in the name f your mission and try to do community outreach-type activities every chance you get.
I remember quite vividly, Outback Steak house feeding my entire apartment complex once, after a tragic loss of property due to a fire. The thing is, this particular location was right outside the gates of the complex, but I would only start going there for lunch after that event. I came to associate the brand with generosity and a genuine love for the community they served. And they fed us their best menu options too, I remember.
2. Inspire your audience
The success of your brand will depend on the level of devotion and commitment of your audience. Humans are wired to be mostly motivated by a sense of purpose and being part of something bigger than ourselves.
Position your entire company to be a source of positive, mission-based motivation every chance you get. Be the brand that inspires your audience to go beyond themselves and do for others.
Just like apple challenged us to "Think Different" in the late 90's, be the kind of brand that asks their audience to go beyond their own personal interests.
3. Be Consistent
Consistency is one of the most important elements of success with anything you do. In your personal life business etc. A brand is a promise of an experience and is directly connected to trust.
If you want to build a successful brand, first be clear on the brand personality. What are the ABC’s: attributes, behaviors and characteristics of the brand? Then ensure that every interaction a client has with the brand infuses those ABC’s into it. Consistency builds trust and solidifies the brand.