Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of marketing is studying lifestyle brands, lifestyle marketing, and consumer behavior. After taking a consumer behavior course, I felt I was one step closer to finding my desired career path. Lifestyle marketing is something I find truly fascinating – targeting consumers based on their interests, attitudes, values, and beliefs. This is such a simple concept, but also a genius one.
A great example of a lifestyle brand is Bethenny Frankel’s Skinnygirl Empire. First, let’s start with Bethenny Frankel. Is there anything she can’t do? Absolutely not and she’s continued to prove this time and time again from every new season of her hit Bravo TV series to every new product launch in her empire – cocktails, weight-loss programs, body shapewear, and a multitude of beauty products. And of course, she juggles work with family life and motherhood. I could gush about Bethenny Frankel, her many accomplishments, and how she personally inspires me, but I’ll save that for another post.
A great example of a lifestyle brand is Bethenny Frankel’s Skinnygirl Empire. First, let’s start with Bethenny Frankel. Is there anything she can’t do? Absolutely not and she’s continued to prove this time and time again from every new season of her hit Bravo TV series to every new product launch in her empire – cocktails, weight-loss programs, body shapewear, and a multitude of beauty products. And of course, she juggles work with family life and motherhood. I could gush about Bethenny Frankel, her many accomplishments, and how she personally inspires me, but I’ll save that for another post.
My point is to discuss how Bethenny Frankel’s brand and the Skinnygirl brand represent the epitome of a lifestyle brand and lifestyle marketing. I even argue that Bethenny and Skinnygirl are so closely intertwined, almost interchangeable, because Bethenny is Skinnygirl and vice versa. Skinnygirl appeals to a very specific demographic, though I believe that this demographic is expanding because of her celebrity status and popularity. I found two articles – What is a Skinnygirl and 30 Days to a Skinnygirl Lifestyle: Are You Ready to Get the Results You Crave? - on the Skinnygirl Daily website, which is their own description and interpretation of Skinnygirl and her lifestyle. I want to expand on this interpretation through the lens of a 20 year old with an amateur marketing perspective.
The healthy lifestyle theme can be found throughout the entire Skinnygirl website, which is key to their success. This message is consistent with their Mission Statement and is reinforced in every aspect of the site. When I think Skinnygirl, I picture a woman in her late 20s or early 30s - young urban professional, successful, works hard but still finds time to go out with her girlfriends, and of course she is up to date on fashion trends and beauty secrets. The Skinnygirl consumer is the ultimate Millennial woman (which is further explained in my post, Social Media and the End of Gender, and supplementary links). This demographic epitomizes the Skinnygirl brand, but this is also expanding to women in their early 20s who also fall into this Millennial segment. Part of this expanding age group can be attributed to Bethenny’s influence in the media. My friends and I are huge fans of Bethenny Ever After and as college students we are naturally also lovers of the Skinnygirl cocktail family. Part of the appeal of the Skinnygirl brand is that it not only creates, but also supplements an already existing lifestyle. Skinnygirl is relevant to every aspect of the Millennial woman’s life, from what she wears, what she eats, what she drinks, and even what she reads. Marketing is about creating needs and lifestyle marketing is about taking that one step further and fitting into the consumer’s everyday life, fitting into their lifestyle. The Millennial woman’s life fits around the product while the product is meant to be flawlessly integrated into the consumer’s life – Skinnygirl products aren’t forced into her life and as a lifestyle brand, it just fits into it.
The healthy lifestyle theme can be found throughout the entire Skinnygirl website, which is key to their success. This message is consistent with their Mission Statement and is reinforced in every aspect of the site. When I think Skinnygirl, I picture a woman in her late 20s or early 30s - young urban professional, successful, works hard but still finds time to go out with her girlfriends, and of course she is up to date on fashion trends and beauty secrets. The Skinnygirl consumer is the ultimate Millennial woman (which is further explained in my post, Social Media and the End of Gender, and supplementary links). This demographic epitomizes the Skinnygirl brand, but this is also expanding to women in their early 20s who also fall into this Millennial segment. Part of this expanding age group can be attributed to Bethenny’s influence in the media. My friends and I are huge fans of Bethenny Ever After and as college students we are naturally also lovers of the Skinnygirl cocktail family. Part of the appeal of the Skinnygirl brand is that it not only creates, but also supplements an already existing lifestyle. Skinnygirl is relevant to every aspect of the Millennial woman’s life, from what she wears, what she eats, what she drinks, and even what she reads. Marketing is about creating needs and lifestyle marketing is about taking that one step further and fitting into the consumer’s everyday life, fitting into their lifestyle. The Millennial woman’s life fits around the product while the product is meant to be flawlessly integrated into the consumer’s life – Skinnygirl products aren’t forced into her life and as a lifestyle brand, it just fits into it.
This is the beauty and essence of lifestyle brands and lifestyle marketing: it is what it is. In a way, a consumer of the Skinnygirl brand doesn’t have to be convinced of anything because this brand is something that naturally fits into her life. But regardless of whether a brand is promoting a healthy lifestyle as in the case of Skinnygirl, an athletic lifestyle as in the case of Nike, or a yoga lifestyle as in the case of Lululemon, lifestyle brands are successful because they fit seamlessly into lives without feeling bombarded or persuaded by marketing tactics. These brands create cultures and these cultures create cult-like followings, brand loyalty, even brand love.
Related Links:
http://www.bethenny.com/
http://www.skinnygirldaily.com/
Another great post about lifestyle brands and overall great blog about branding and social media marketing :)
http://fansofbrands.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/lululemon-the-lifestyle-brand/
http://www.bethenny.com/
http://www.skinnygirldaily.com/
Another great post about lifestyle brands and overall great blog about branding and social media marketing :)
http://fansofbrands.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/lululemon-the-lifestyle-brand/
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