Think about the brands you truly love. Chances are, they feel more like friends than companies. They share your vibe, your values, and maybe even the kind of social media content you’d post yourself. That’s the secret sauce behind lifestyle marketing; it makes people feel seen and understood.
Customers today want more than a sales pitch. They’re looking for brands that fit naturally into their lives. How do you become this brand? By reflecting what your customers care about.
In this lifestyle marketing guide, we discuss seven strategies that will help you connect with customers authentically. You’ll also find examples from brands that’ve aced building a community around their business.
Lifestyle marketing is a form of marketing that connects with people on a personal level. Instead of merely promoting a product or service, it aims to adjust the brand to someone’s life, making it feel like a natural fit.
This approach emerged when consumers became more selective and resistant to traditional advertising.
According to the Harvard Business Review, consumers “report a negative brand association with digital advertising clutter that prevents them from reading an article, watching a video, or browsing a website.”
With endless choices available, people now crave more meaningful connections with brands that reflect their way of life.
Traditional marketing methods often focus on highlighting a product's features and benefits. It’s the classic “buy this because it’s great” approach. Lifestyle marketing, on the other hand, goes deeper. It says, “We get you. We’re part of your world.”
Consumers today want to see themselves in the brands they support, and lifestyle marketing gives them precisely that.
In the context of marketing, lifestyle refers to the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, and even economic levels that together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group.
When brands talk about lifestyle, they focus on creating an identity that resonates with the lifestyle preferences of their target audience.
This means understanding not just what their customers need but also things like:
Traditionally, marketing tells you why a product is the best choice based on its specifications. Lifestyle marketing, on the flip side, shows you how the product fits into your life and complements your values.
When done right, it creates a sense of belonging to the brand. As a result, customers feel like they are part of a community that shares their interests.
Lifestyle marketing works best when every touchpoint reflects the world your audience lives in. There’s no single playbook. But we’re sharing some strategies that can help you set the baseline.
Once you’ve perfected these, you can then go on to personalize marketing approaches based on what your customers prefer.
Demographics are just the starting point. To create lifestyle marketing that sticks, you need to understand your audience’s daily rhythms, passions, and motivations. Maybe consider using social media insights and surveys to paint a clear picture of who they are.
Say, for instance, you’re a fitness brand. Merely knowing your audience is into fitness isn’t enough. You need to find out whether they prefer running, yoga, or weight lifting.
These details will help you write messages that truly resonate with them.
For example, Nike doesn’t just target ‘’people who like sports.’’ The brand studies how athletes train, recover, and stay motivated. Then, it tailors its messages to those emotional moments of grit and achievement, such as in the ‘’So Win’’ campaign. That’s what makes their campaigns feel universally inspiring.
Next comes lifestyle market segmentation. Consider breaking down your audience into different groups based on their lifestyle and preferences.
It goes without saying that not everyone will have the same interests or needs, so segmentation lets you tailor your messages more precisely.
A fashion brand might segment its audience into:
Each group will respond to different messaging and product offerings.
Your products or services should feel like a natural part of your audience’s daily life, not something they have to adjust to. That often means refining your offerings to match each segment’s unique routines and priorities.
Take Starbucks, for example. The brand curates experiences for different lifestyles. These include early risers needing a quick pick-me-up to remote workers looking for a cozy workspace.
Each product and service fits seamlessly into how its customers actually live. For example, they’ve created a protein coffee for their nutrition-conscious audience segment. On Instagram, they even got a dietician to review the coffee to show that even experts are lauding their product. What better social proof could a brand need?
Emotions sell. People remember how a brand makes them feel long after they forget the details of a product. That’s why storytelling is a powerful tool in lifestyle marketing.
Consider Airbnb as an example of lifestyle marketing in the travel and hospitality space. Rather than focusing on room features or prices, the brand shares traveler stories. These are solo adventurers finding connection abroad to families rediscovering togetherness on vacation. These narratives make the brand feel human and relatable, while subtly highlighting what Airbnb offers.
When your audience can see themselves in your stories, they’re not just buying something, but joining a lifestyle they want to live.
To reach your audience effectively, you need to be present on the platforms they use the most. If, for instance, they spend more time on Instagram, you need to create high-quality photos and reels that highlight how your product fits into their lifestyle.
Consider partnering with influencers who reflect the values of your audience. Research highlights that 37% of consumers trust social media influencers more than brands. This means you’re more likely to sell by collaborating with influencers in your industry.
People remember how ads made them feel. That’s why lifestyle marketing works best when you create experiences that pull customers in rather than talk at them.
Coca-Cola’s ‘’Share a Coke’’ campaign is an excellent example here. Sure, the company sold sodas, but it also created moments.
People hunted for their names on bottles, shared them with friends, and posted on social media. The campaign turned a simple drink into a shared emotional experience.
Try hosting challenges, pop-up events, or virtual experiences that invite people to interact with your brand in a fun, personal way. Make them a part of your story. It will make them want to stick around longer.
The strongest brands belong, and they do so by turning their audiences into communities that connect over shared beliefs and goals.
Look at Glossier. They didn’t grow through fancy ads but through loyal fans who believed in ‘’beauty for real people.’’ Their customers are brand advocates who share honest reviews and makeup tips online.
You can start small, such as with a hashtag or a Facebook group. You can even use an interactive newsletter for this. Give people a space to talk, share, and be seen. As your audience feels like they’re a part of something bigger, your brand will naturally become a part of their daily life.
For example, James, the face behind Pistils & Pollen, came to us at INDIRAP to build a lifestyle community around plant parenthood. For that, he wanted to create a Master Class that his audience can join.
We helped him create these classes with a blend of education and video storytelling to make people feel part of something meaningful. It was a huge success for his brand.
Lifestyle marketing offers numerous benefits that can change how you connect with your audience. It helps:
Lifestyle marketing aims to sell a way of life that resonates deeply with their audience. Below, we’ll look at some lifestyle marketing examples from brands that have perfected this approach.
Founded as a high-society journal, Vogue soon became an iconic fashion brand and has influenced the fashion industry for over a century now.
It is known for its high-fashion photo shoots, luxury, and creativity. It’s as though the brand defines the world of style.
When it comes to lifestyle marketing, Vogue nails it seamlessly by infusing fashion and culture into its narrative. The brand magazines often highlight the stories of people who wear its clothes and the lifestyles they lead.
This makes the readers feel like they’re part of an exclusive, stylish fashion world.
Vogue’s September Issue is known for setting the fashion agenda for the year. It offers a glimpse into the lives of fashion icons, influencers, and artists.
Here’s a video from the September Issue featuring supermodels Noami Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, and Linda Evangelista.
Highlighting the stories of these influencers allows the brand to create a connection with viewers who aspire to live similarly glamorous lives.
Zomato, a food delivery service, has become a household name for food lovers. It offers a lifestyle to those who love exploring new cuisines and enjoying their favorite comfort foods at home.
This is often reflected in their marketing strategy, too. Zomato creates a sense of community among food lovers and its employees. In fact, Zomato’s smiling delivery boy once went viral.
The brand also shares witty memes on social media that resonate with its audience on a personal level.
To celebrate its 16th birthday, Zomato did something special that caught everyone’s attention. They launched an ad featuring a photo of the founder and CEO, Deepinder Goyal.
The message, written in Hindi, thanked customers for their support over the year: “On our 16th birthday, a big thanks to all of you for showering us with love.”
But the story doesn’t end here. To support the lifestyle of foodies, Zomato offered a six-month Gold membership for just INR Rs 30.
The membership comes with perks like free delivery from restaurants within 7km for orders above Rs 199 and discounts of 30% at a whopping 20,000 partner restaurants nationwide. Talk about meeting customer preferences!
Apple has redefined the way we interact with technology. Their secret sauce? Lifestyle marketing that makes users feel like they’re part of something bigger.
Apple sells a vision of a more connected and efficient life.
Take the “Shot on iPhone” campaign. It’s simply genius.
Instead of bragging about the iPhone’s camera, Apple showcases stunning videos and photos clicked by that camera. Along with highlighting the product’s capabilities, it makes viewers feel like they can capture incredible moments without investing in a high-quality DSLR.
And then there are Apple Stores. Ever walked into one? It’s an experience. These stores are designed as community hubs where people can come together, learn, and get inspired.
Plus, the minimalist design and friendly vibe make you feel like you’re part of a modern lifestyle.
Further, Apple’s events, like the annual WWDC, are another brilliant example. Millions tune in worldwide, eagerly anticipating what’s next.
The excitement is palpable, and the focus is always on how Apple’s products will enhance users’ lives.
This lifestyle marketing approach creates a deep emotional bond with customers who see Apple as an essential part of their daily lives. Apple, indeed, knows how to create a brand that is loved and revered.
As a brand that seeks to stand out, you need to think beyond the transactional and prioritize the emotional. You must understand the little things that make your customers tick.
Think about the joy of discovering a new hobby, the comfort of a favorite meal, or the thrill of a new adventure. These are the moments that matter and the moments where lifestyle marketing shines.
You don’t need to be the loudest in the market to succeed, but the one that truly speaks to customers' hearts. So, give lifestyle marketing a go and see your brand become an indispensable part of your customers’ lives. As a leading video production agency in Chicago, INDIRAP is here to help you out. Book a free, no-obligation Discovery Call with our experts to create an effective lifestyle marketing campaign.
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Lifestyle marketing is all about creating a connection between a brand and its customers. This often requires brands to align their products and services with the values of the customers. Overall, this form of marketing shows customers that the brand wants to enhance their lives instead of just selling a product.
Patagonia can be taken as an example of lifestyle marketing. Besides selling outdoor gear, they promote a love for adventure and environmental activism. Their marketing campaigns often highlight real-life sustainability stories, and customers with eco-conscious lifestyles resonate with them.
The lifestyle market refers to a segment of customers who prioritize brands that align with their personal values. These consumers look for products and services that add to their lives, whether it’s in travel, fitness, fashion, or wellness niches.
Apple is a prime example of a lifestyle brand. Though it primarily sells tech gadgets, the brand also promotes a sleek, modern lifestyle. Their products create a community of loyal users who see Apple as a part of their identity.
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