Corporate leaders discuss strategies for building lifestyle brands

Being considered a ‘lifestyle brand’ is what many companies strive for. Whether in the wellbeing and personal care, travel and leisure, food and beverage or beauty and fashion sector, being incorporated into people’s lifestyles is often the ultimate indication of a brand’s success.

Creative design and branding agency Pearlfisher has released a report called ‘The Life Mode Report,’ demonstrating how brands can turn challenges into solution by understanding key cultural, category and consumer insights and what they mean for the creation of the brands of the future.

Following the release of the report, Pearlfisher hosted a conference at the iconic Soho House, were leaders from Finisterre, Tribe and Bang & Olufsen shared their views.

The first session of the event looked into the ways people seek brands and products that will enhance and enable, not dictate, their daily life. Global head of creative at Bang & Olufsen, Jonathan Lowth explained the way in which the Danish company has built a brand that is innovative and has a made a name for itself so that when people see its brand on a piece of electronic equipment, they’re immediately assured of its quality and social clout.

Trying hard to be a ‘lifestyle brand,’ when you’re not, however, is a dangerous thing, as stressed not only by Lowth, but also by Sophie Maxwell, futures director at Pearlfisher, who mentioned the massive pushback companies such as Burger King and Listerine received after calling themselves ‘lifestyle brands.’ Despite this, “It’s much better to be polarising than to be forgotten,” Maxwell says.

Sport nutrition brand Tribe’s founder Tom Stancliffe discussed the ways in which consumers are looking for new ways to expand their worlds and experiences. As access has replaced the prestige of ownership, brands find themselves in a constant battle against time and accessibility. “We’ve spent of time building on our social media following, we are genuinely trying to create life-changing experiences,” Stancliffe said.

“Our mission is to reach our infinite potential and inspire people to be a better version of themselves,” Stancliffe added. Tribe soon realised that this task wasn’t something it could take up alone. “We learned about community and the power of people coming together,” Stancliffe said.

Stressing the importance of collective awareness even more, Tom Kay, founder of outdoor apparel company Finisterre highlighted the need for change as a means of leaving behind a legacy of which people will be proud; purpose was found as a definitive element for this. Kay pointed out that behind Finisterre, there was a clear brand purpose and ethos that guided the journey of the brand, “one of our goals was to bring wool manufacturing back to the UK,” he said. “Finisterre is built on the principles of longevity, of purpose, resilience and commitment.”

The ‘Life Mode Report’ is divided into three corresponding sections covering the main areas of change titled ‘Following to becoming,’ ‘Fixity to fluidity’ and ‘Consumer to citizen.’

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