Philosophy Of Lifestyle Branding

If companies wanted to be successful in the marketplace, then they needed to understand the idea that their true product was not their product, but a lifestyle and the meaning of life itself. This is lifestyle branding. This philosophy explains why we see products internationally and specifically marketed toward teens and young adults. Lifestyle branding is why we are hearing more and more of sweatshops, “McJobs”, and the quality of the product diminishing. Nearly every corporation in America has been McDonaldized: where companies sacrifice individualization in employees and quality products for cheap, mass-produced, assembly line production. The promise of choice seems to ironically create less choice. No logo is the spirit of anti-corporate resistance. The process of branding in its simplest form is

This psychology of brand tribes explains why consumers choose the more expensive name brand compared to the off-brand that could very well be the same product with the same experience. Coca-Cola sold the youth lifestyle of peace and acceptance in the 60s. Disney understood that they were selling the American dream and a place for families that was a real-life utopia. Ikea’s brand idea is democracy in that consumers can put together their own furniture. Starbucks has branded themselves as a community center. Most young consumers go to Starbucks to meet up with a friend or relative, do homework, and simply hang out and use the free, reliable wifi; the coffee is just a byproduct. Companies have furthered their success by paying celebrities to model their clothes until they are such a household name where they no longer need to advertise to achieve success. Companies like Coca-Cola don’t need to tell consumers about their refreshing soft drink for most people already know, instead, they market the experience and life-changing moment of drinking their