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In an age where data-enabled digital marketing has become a science, one would think consumer understanding would be measurable and predictable.
But it’s not that simple.
Take the music industry, for example. From the iPod to Spotify, the industry’s 21st-century story was digitalization. Today, virtually every song ever made is available online for free. But the 2010s saw an analog zombie rise from the grave: vinyl.
In 2023, vinyl records outsold CDs for the first time since 1997 and sold $1.2 billion worth of copies across the nation. This transformation took industry leaders by surprise. United Records had to scramble to revamp its production lines to meet consumer demand, and most of the machines they’re using are 50-60 years old.
The vinyl revival is an excellent case study of consumer unpredictability.
In one way or another, consumers always surprise us. Of course, only a handful of people crave vinyl’s deep authentic sound. Other consumers like to thrift at stores like Poshmark and Depop in an era of fast fashion. Some munch on Magic Spoon’s keto cereal despite health concerns causing cereal to drop in popularity.
These consumers are the most valuable to capture because they go against the grain. If they were just like everybody else, they’d simply demand the best product for the lowest price. But because their purchasing decisions are linked to their identities, they are willing to spend more and spend throughout all your brand’s offerings.
Informed by Brynna Mann’s research, the Managing Director of Strategic Growth & Innovation at Cherry Bekaert, this article will walk through the most essential steps in building an identity-oriented brand. We will review the importance of aspiration, authenticity, anticipating needs and the final secret for creating an irresistible brand at the end of the article.
Related: A Loyal Brand Attracts Loyal People
Part 1: Dolls and motorcycles, models for aspiration
What do American Girl and Harley-Davidson have in common?
At first, it might seem like nothing. American Girl makes for bright little girls, while Harley-Davidson builds motorbikes for rugged men. But that is precisely what they have in common: their consciously defined target demographic.
Without a defined identity, it is impossible to become a lifestyle brand. This identity must seek to connect a group that was never connected before. It must be aspirational but attainable. It must embody a whole personality that consumers can relate to and, therefore, want to subscribe to. It must create a “club” that consumers desperately want to be a part of. And once they’re in, they’re in for life.
American Girl’s aspirational brand identity is empowerment. Their website promises that they can help “every girl can find inspiration to be her best, to grow a strong mind and spirit.” Through their dolls, books, and online games, American Girl cultivates a cast of characters who encourage girls to grow into confident young women who have the freedom to joyfully discover themselves.
This strong brand identity has attracted generations of young women to American Girl’s brand. Today, mothers are passing the dolls they grew up with to their daughters. Families go on pilgrimages to the handful of experiential, immersive stores scattered across the nation. There, they pay for new hairdos and mini pastries for their dolls.
Harley-Davidson’s aspirational brand identity also empowers. It’s about freedom and rebellion. Simultaneously, the brand promotes a sense of brotherhood among owners. By buying one of their motorcycles, you are initiated into a group of outsiders who cherish the timeless virtues of good craftmanship and rugged individuality.
The strength of Harley-Davidson’s identity has also attracted a multi-generational customer base. Today, the brand is so valuable that it generates income without being on a motorcycle. 5% of the company’s revenue comes from licensing its logo to everything from Christmas ornaments to video games. There are Harley-Davidson owner’s clubs all over the world, and people trek to Milwaukee just to tour their factory at their headquarters.
Related: A Face Behind the Brand: How to Humanize Your Business for Maximum Growth
Part 2: Authentic ice cream
Of course, you cannot just snap your fingers and create a brand identity that is as magnetic as American Girl or Harley-Davidson. Strong brands are the product of an arduous journey of trial and error, and the critical first step on that journey is authenticity.
Cultivating authenticity might seem paradoxical. After all, the quickest way to seem inauthentic is trying to fake authenticity. Undoubtedly, many brands have fallen for this trap. They mimic a social trend everyone thinks is funny or post a wishy-washy statement on a social issue everyone is outraged at. Why do these gestures often seem out of touch? Because they’re trying to appeal to everybody.
The first step in building authenticity is accepting that you’re not going to please everyone. In fact, you don’t want to please everyone. Remember, you want to target consumers in your area who want to go against the grain.
What would American Girl be if it made dolls for everybody? What would Harley-Davidson be like if it sold itself as a generic motorbike brand? For one thing, they wouldn’t be the sorts of brands people get on a plane to be more in touch with.
Ben and Jerry’s is an excellent example of a brand that’s not afraid to be itself. Throughout its existence, Ben and Jerry’s has advocated for issues its leadership holds dear. From subjects ranging from racial justice to same-sex marriage, for over 40 years, they have not been shy about saying what they think is right.
Discussing controversial subjects might seem disastrous, but it has strengthened Ben and Jerry’s identity. When Unilever acquired the brand in 2000, it encouraged them to continue making social advocacy a part of their brand identity because they understood it was a cornerstone of their brand. Some people might not like it, but they can’t deny it’s Ben and Jerry’s.
Related: How Do You Build Brand Loyalty?
Part 3: Converting newcomers to fanatics
Building a brand for a smaller niche audience might feel counterintuitive. Aren’t you repelling potential customers? In some cases, perhaps you are. However, you also encourage the customers who get your brand to spend more.
Relevance in every part of the customer’s journey is the cornerstone of a lifestyle brand that ties everything together. A brand that can give its tribe what it wants before it even needs it is one that will be showered in cash by loyal legions of consumers. This means being conscious about what attracts and retains customers and always being willing to innovate to cater to the particular needs of your target group.
Nespresso is a great brand example of a product that plugs itself into someone’s life. For a Nespresso fan, the day hasn’t started until they’ve plugged a pod into their machine. But to be a truly loyal Nespresso drinker, you need to invest in their infrastructure, a machine and a bunch of pods. This is a hard sell for someone who hasn’t tasted it before.
That’s why Nespresso has a plan to seduce new customers. At Nespresso stores, which are places in downtowns and shopping centers, people walking by might stop in and take a sip. If they like it, they will go on Nespresso’s website and see that they offer gift cards for first and second-time coffee orders, which pushes a new customer into purchasing.
Before long, the Nespresso neophyte has bought two different machines. Nespresso keeps these consumers loyal by releasing new, interesting flavors.
Even if your brand has a strong lifestyle proposition, people will never be able to incorporate it into their lives without a plan for capturing new customers. Nespresso’s model demonstrates an effective way of attracting and retaining your customer base.
Every industry has a set of consumers with whom a strong lifestyle brand can unite. But because each group is heterogeneous, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The insights from this article will light the way on your journey to becoming a lifestyle brand, but there’s no easy way to skip to the end.
Now is your chance to set out and discover that final secret: the unique identity your brand brings to the world.
