Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Lifestyle Brand shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Lifestyle Brand offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Lifestyle Brand at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Lifestyle Brand? Wrong! If the Lifestyle Brand is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Lifestyle Brand then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Lifestyle Brand? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Lifestyle Brand and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Lifestyle Brand wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Lifestyle Brand then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Lifestyle Brand site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Lifestyle Brand, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Lifestyle Brand, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
A
lifestyle brand embodies the values and aspirations of a group or culture.
A successful lifestyle brand speaks to the core Identity (social science) of its customers. Individuals each have their own sense of self, based on their background (e.g. ethnicity, social class, subculture, nationality, etc.). A lifestyle brand provides a powerful supplement to this core identity, by allowing the individual to publicly associate themselves with the brand.
A prototypical lifestyle brand is Abercrombie & Fitch. A&F has created a lifestyle based on an upper class lifestyle. Their retail outlets reflect this lifestyle through their luxurious store environment, and black and white photographs of their attractive models. In doing so, Abercrombie & Fitch has created an implicit brand promise: if you buy our products, you too can aspire to this lifestyle.
Sources
Many lifestyle brands purposely reference existing groups or cultures.
One popular source for lifestyle brands is national identity.
Victoria's Secret purposely evoked the English upper class in its initial branding efforts, while
Louis Vuitton continues to draw on the opulent tradition of the French aristocracy.
Another source of lifestyle brands is
subcultures. Burton (Snowsports) has built its lifestyle brand by drawing on the snowboarding subculture and Quiksilver has done the same with the
surfing community.
Success
One key indication that a brand has become a lifestyle is when it successfully extends beyond its original product category. For example,
Nike, Inc. used to be a product-focused company focusing on making running shoes. But over time, the company and its logo has become associated with the athlete subculture. This has allowed Nike to expand into related athletic categories, such as sports equipment and apparel. Gaiam started out as a yoga company, but has had great success in developing a lifestyle brand, which has allowed them to move into other markets as varied as solar power and green building supplies.
It appears that for some companies, an important component of becoming a lifestyle brand is expanding their product line to their company name and image with several products associated with a group or culture. Examples include
Calvin Klein licensing its name to a perfume called CKOne, and Harley Davidson selling branded merchandise to its customers. By this measure, other successful lifestyle brands include
Caterpillar Inc.,
Deere & Company,
Abercrombie & Fitch Co., and Gucci.
Although lifestyle brands are relatively uncommon in the electronics and computer industries,
Apple Computer became a lifestyle brand after it expanded its market share into the music industry through its iPod digital music player. The iPod and the ubiquitous white headphones included are also deemed a fashion accessory by some and may be considered a status symbol, although this is somewhat debatable.
BMW is an automobile manufacturer that has been successful in becoming a lifestyle brand, branching out into the sports and fitness segment with bicycles, skateboards, apparel and various fashion accessories. BMW's subsidiary, MINI (BMW) has also integrated itself as a lifestyle brand in much the same way.
Luxury
Lifestyle brands have gained an increased share of luxury market. Luxury-based lifestyle brands allow consumers to buy products that they associate with a better, more luxurious life. It appears that luxury lifestyle brands such as Gucci, Armani, and Louis Vuitton have allowed these companies to expand well beyond their original markets of fashion or handbags.
Dangers
Many companies have unsuccessfully attempted to turn their brands into lifestyle brands. Certain brands appear to lack the cachet or excitement to make the transition. Both McDonalds and Microsoft have attempted to become lifestyle brands in the last decade, and had marginal success at best.
Starbucks has also struggled on this front, with failed or struggling attempts to expand into music, magazines, and merchandising.
See also
External links
- Not Every Brand is a Lifestyle Brand - BusinessWeek
- Luxury Products as Lifestyle Brands - Knowledge@Wharton
- BMW uses lifestyle products as a strategic differentiating factor in the automotive industry - Product Development and Management Association
A
lifestyle brand embodies the values and aspirations of a group or culture.
A successful lifestyle brand speaks to the core
Identity (social science) of its customers. Individuals each have their own sense of self, based on their background (e.g. ethnicity, social class, subculture, nationality, etc.). A lifestyle brand provides a powerful supplement to this core identity, by allowing the individual to publicly associate themselves with the brand.
A prototypical lifestyle brand is
Abercrombie & Fitch. A&F has created a lifestyle based on an upper class lifestyle. Their retail outlets reflect this lifestyle through their luxurious store environment, and black and white photographs of their attractive models. In doing so, Abercrombie & Fitch has created an implicit brand promise: if you buy our products, you too can aspire to this lifestyle.
Sources
Many lifestyle brands purposely reference existing groups or cultures.
One popular source for lifestyle brands is national identity. Victoria's Secret purposely evoked the English upper class in its initial branding efforts, while Louis Vuitton continues to draw on the opulent tradition of the French aristocracy.
Another source of lifestyle brands is subcultures. Burton (Snowsports) has built its lifestyle brand by drawing on the snowboarding subculture and Quiksilver has done the same with the surfing community.
Success
One key indication that a brand has become a lifestyle is when it successfully extends beyond its original product category. For example, Nike, Inc. used to be a product-focused company focusing on making running shoes. But over time, the company and its logo has become associated with the athlete subculture. This has allowed Nike to expand into related athletic categories, such as sports equipment and apparel. Gaiam started out as a yoga company, but has had great success in developing a lifestyle brand, which has allowed them to move into other markets as varied as solar power and green building supplies.
It appears that for some companies, an important component of becoming a lifestyle brand is expanding their product line to their company name and image with several products associated with a group or culture. Examples include Calvin Klein licensing its name to a perfume called CKOne, and Harley Davidson selling branded merchandise to its customers. By this measure, other successful lifestyle brands include Caterpillar Inc.,
Deere & Company, Abercrombie & Fitch Co., and
Gucci.
Although lifestyle brands are relatively uncommon in the electronics and computer industries,
Apple Computer became a lifestyle brand after it expanded its market share into the music industry through its iPod digital music player. The iPod and the ubiquitous white headphones included are also deemed a fashion accessory by some and may be considered a
status symbol, although this is somewhat debatable.
BMW is an automobile manufacturer that has been successful in becoming a lifestyle brand, branching out into the sports and fitness segment with bicycles, skateboards, apparel and various fashion accessories. BMW's subsidiary,
MINI (BMW) has also integrated itself as a lifestyle brand in much the same way.
Luxury
Lifestyle brands have gained an increased share of luxury market. Luxury-based lifestyle brands allow consumers to buy products that they associate with a better, more luxurious life. It appears that luxury lifestyle brands such as Gucci,
Armani, and
Louis Vuitton have allowed these companies to expand well beyond their original markets of fashion or handbags.
Dangers
Many companies have unsuccessfully attempted to turn their brands into lifestyle brands. Certain brands appear to lack the cachet or excitement to make the transition. Both McDonalds and
Microsoft have attempted to become lifestyle brands in the last decade, and had marginal success at best.
Starbucks has also struggled on this front, with failed or struggling attempts to expand into music, magazines, and merchandising.
See also
External links
- Not Every Brand is a Lifestyle Brand - BusinessWeek
- Luxury Products as Lifestyle Brands - Knowledge@Wharton
- BMW uses lifestyle products as a strategic differentiating factor in the automotive industry - Product Development and Management Association
