Concept of Lifestyle Merchandising

A lifestyle brand is a brand that attempts to embody the values, aspirations, interests, attitudes, or opinions of a group or a culture for marketing purposes. Lifestyle brands seek to inspire, guide, and motivate people, with the goal of their products contributing to the definition of the consumer’s way of life. As such, they are closely associated with the advertising and other promotions used to gain mind share in their target market. They often operate from an ideology, hoping to attract a relatively high number of people and ultimately become a recognised social phenomenon.

A lifestyle brand is an ideology created by a particular organisation’s brand. An organisation achieves a lifestyle brand by focusing on evoking an emotional connection with its customers, creating a desire for a consumer to be affiliated with a particular group or brand. Furthermore, the consumer will believe that their identity will be reinforced if they publicly associate themselves with a particular lifestyle brand, such as expression by using a brand on social media.

As individuals have different identities based on their personal experiences, choices or background (including social class, ethnicity or culture), an organisation must understand to whom it directs its brand. By operating off a lifestyle brand ideology, an organisation’s ultimate goal is to become a recognised social phenomenon.

Lifestyle brand marketing uses market research to segment target markets based on psychographics rather than demographics.

Factors that influence consumer decision process

It is evident that consumers in our modern world continually face multiple decisions with regard to product choice due to many competing products, such aspects as a products attributes have been shown to be involved in the consumer decision process. A number of factors can be identified that affect a consumer’s choice of product brand which influences their lifestyle. Consumers are known to choose a brand that is acceptable to their self-image that they are trying to portray. This has left companies having to re-establish and position their products to ensure they meet the lifestyle a consumer is trying to obtain. They have an opportunity to refine their target market which would limit competition due to a reduced number in consumers who would be attracted to their specific brand because of the way they might perceive their lifestyle.

Consumers have a tendency to evaluate product attributes as opposed to a case-by-case assessment. 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 identified as being intertwined in choice behaviour. These are 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. A consumer’s values, goals and vision for their life along with aesthetic style are all reflective of individual lifestyle.

Consumer self-expression

Consumers use brands to express their identity. The need for self-expression can be related to the need for acceptance within society and the societal view on brands and how different brands portray income or wealth. An advantage to lifestyle brands is that consumers can express their identity in a number of ways. This is a dominating factor that would lead on to the consumer adopting a certain lifestyle. Brands allow for customers to express themselves and portray their identity and lifestyle. Lifestyle brands in particular portray a type of meaning that allows a particular reference group to attach themselves based on their lifestyle, values or beliefs.

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 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. Consumers who purchase luxury brands tend to have a strong social function within their social class.

Retail brands

Lifestyle retail branding is the way in which retailers refine their products or services to interest lifestyles in specific market segments. Examples of lifestyle retail brands include Laura Ashley, GAP and Benneton. 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 amongst consumers. To achieve this, an organisation must use the following aspects of the lifestyle brand model.

Brand categorisation

This is defined as a consumer sorting products or brands into categories, based on their past experiences with that brand. It is used to avoid confusion, as consumers may be overwhelmed when comparing one product with an extensive range of other brands of the same product. Categorisation helps consumers evaluate the quality of the product. For example, a consumer may choose to purchase an Apple iPhone over a Huawei mobile phone, as they may believe that the iPhone has a better camera quality.

Brand affect

This aspect is defined as the effect or influence a brand may have upon an organisation and its consumers. 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 benefit. 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 (Wu, Klink & Guo, 2013). 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.