Lifestyle. It’s a word I’ve grown to detest. Not because there is anything wrong with it…at least not from a linguistic standpoint. Not at all. According to the Oxford English Dictionary it means: ‘the way in which one lives’. Fair enough.
A slightly extended meaning of the word is: ‘a set of attitudes, habits, and possessions regarded as typical of a particular group or an individual’. Nothing to object against here either.
The problem I have with the word isn’t really the word itself. The problem I have with it lies in the associations that it triggers in my mind. These are, I have to assume, the result of numerous discussions with marketing directors and agency people alike. If you don’t work in marketing/advertising you may not have the vaguest idea what I’m talking about. [Consider yourself lucky] And even if you do, this may still be the case. So let me explain.
I’m totally and utterly fed up with marketers talking about lifestyle brands. Why? Because they have no idea what it means. And neither do I, frankly. Ask them to specify what the implications of ‘lifestyle’ are in terms of their advertising and brand communications and what you’ll get is a response full of fluffy drivel…if you’re lucky.
And if you were to call them on it in a meeting…hold them against the wall revealing you’ve got a baseball bat behind your back while coincidently whispering something innocent about kneecaps, what you’ll get out of them is that ‘lifestyle’ means nothing but advertising clichés; the very stuff that makes advertising indistinguishable from wallpaper. Actually, it’s what makes it wallpaper.
This kind of advertising is all predicated on the assumption that mirroring what the marketer superficially assumes to be ‘aspirational’ for his/her audience is going to generate brand growth. The reality is that this thinking and the advertising it leads to constitute the lowest common denominator in almost all consumer goods categories. And its remarkably uninspiring, not to mention undifferentiated.
So, what’s behind this nonsense? Is it lazyness or incapability or both? I’m not quite sure. But what I am sure about is that it points to a severe lack of understanding of what motivates human beings, such as you and me. I find this quite odd given we’re an industry that is highly reliant on this knowledge.
“We want to make it a lifestyle brand”. When a marketing director or agency person utters these words in an advertising context, it typically means there is no strategy, no substance, no real idea to build on. And what sends chills up my spine is that the phrase is often expressed with a sense of self-contentment as if this was breakthrough thinking.
If only the industry could realize that what people [brand audiences] fundamentally seek is a life rather than a lifestyle, a lot of brands would be rising to dizzy heights.
Charles Frith
June 3, 2008
Its an abbreviation for not absolutely necessary I thought. But then so are clean clothes if its a choice between that and a bottle of water! How are you. Long time no blog?
John
June 4, 2008
Most of us haven’t the vaguest idea what you’re talking about Fred, but well said.
fredrik sarnblad
June 4, 2008
Long time no blog indeed Charles [both in terms of reading other people’s blogs and writing on my own]. I’m good thanks, just been extremely busy lately.
Consider yourself lucky John. I think this ‘lifestyle’ obsession may be predominately an Asian thing. How are you guys doing by the way?
Rob
June 7, 2008
Hi Freddie – nice to have you back, been too long.
This ‘lifestyle’ obsession is not just an Asian thing – it’s global [though emphasis on ‘First World countries’] and with more and more brands focusing on selling ‘aspiration’ interms of “lifestyle enhancing material products” it’s only going to get worse, especially with so much job/life dissatisfaction going on.
The big question is which came first for some people – the disappointment of life or the pushing of ‘brand lifestyle promises’?
Rob
June 7, 2008
A good question to ask Marketing Directors who say they want to make their brand a ‘lifestyle’ one is “what is wrong with your life that your brand could make better?”
Too many people spout ‘buzz words’ without understanding what they really mean or the true implications of what they’re saying – because lets face it, a fucking whisky ain’t gonna make a suicidal bloke suddenly find happiness and positivity in all that is going on around them – well, not unless they’ve drunk 3 bottles of the shit 😉
Rob
June 10, 2008
You’ll be happy [or maybe not 😉 ] to know I’ve just written a piece about this issue in Media Mag and so I fully expect to be hunted down and killed by every beer, food and bank client in Asia for pissing on their ‘lifestyle obsessed’ parade!
fredrik sarnblad
June 11, 2008
Brilliant!
Angus
June 13, 2008
Fabulous post Fred, couldn’t agree more.
fredrik sarnblad
June 16, 2008
Cheers Angus. It’s an issue that needs to be addressed. It’s apparently not just another hang-up of mine. Ha!
Rob
June 18, 2008
Operation: Kill research that advocates this approach. DONE!
Marcus | Culturemaking
June 19, 2008
Nice post Fred. Perhaps some other important ingredients here are values, identity and ideology. I think of ‘lifestyle brands’ as those that come to speak for people’s identity and values; they come with ideology built in – as standard. Brand’s embedded within social class (e.g. preppyville), music (e.g. rock, hip hop), creativity (e.g. art & design) are indicative in this respect and probably explains why fashion and technology brands are often the key reference points.
Hey, I’m all for carving out your own lifestyle personally – or appropriating something original at least – but it’s difficult from a purely bank account perspective to criticise the success of brands like Ralph Lauren who sells a lifestyle with all the country club trimmings. I mean, the guy’s even managed to self a preppified version of the British aristocratic lifestyle BACK to the royal family themselves – WTF! 😉
I think a key problem is when other brands want to join the party who, often by way of their category, are not well positioned to sell a lifestyle and speak for people’s identity and values in the same way. Quite often then, they just end up looking try hard and silly.
fredrik sarnblad
June 20, 2008
Hi Marcus and thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. I know what you’re saying. I guess I both agree and disagree. The problem I have is that I don’t think that a clear sense of values, identity and ideology is conveyed in what marketing people normally refer to as lifestyle brands. Not always but typically, they don’t assign the meaning you do to the term ‘Lifestyle brands”. There’s no depth to the thinking. All it means is glossy shots of beautiful people surrounded by what’s assumed to be aspirational stuff.
Take RL as an example. Sure, it’s a hugely successful brand, but I doubt it’s their advertising has been the dominant factor in their success other than pure awareness. But I could be wrong. It happens. While the brand clearly reflects blue eyed America’s country club life, it informs me only superficially about specific brand values and ideology as the social class RL hitches itself to is such a broad composition of people (an entire social class). What does the brand really stand for? I appreciate that it’s meant to resonate with an audience that wants to belong to the RL way of life. But how differentiating is the brand/communication when competitors are using similar blue eyed models shot in almost identical contexts (the same social class)?
Rob
June 25, 2008
I’m with you Fred – too many people [and ad agencies] take credit for a brands success without realising or acknowledging the role the product, distribution, promotion, economic & competitive environment and culture [of both company and country] played in it’s achievements.
I’m not underestimating the power of advertising – especially interms of giving people a sense of ‘belonging’ in particular segment groups – but too many think 30″ of wallpaper and a few posters can make anything bad into something good – and whilst that may of been the case in the 50’s-80’s, with technology, people are more informed than ever before and can spot bullshit quicker/better regardless what the ads say.
Rob
August 6, 2008
As much as you say you don’t want this sort of lifestyle ad, I don’t want any more un-updated [is that even a word???] blog posts so get on with some writing please 🙂