Today’s consumers are forcing brands to come to them by supporting their lifestyles and goals. That is a hard transition for many brands.
Post COVID, people are re-evaluating their identities, aspirations, and priorities. They are living life on their terms and creating their own definition of “success.” They are living well.
To resonate with consumers today, brands need to meet them “where they are” in their living well lifestyle. So how do they do that? By tossing the playbook they used to build their business and embracing the new rules that consumers are dictating.
Rule #1
Consumers want an emotional connection with everything that touches their lives and families.
Everything. We’re talking shampoo, breakfast cereal, car, hotel, lawn mower. You name it.
A product is not just a product; it is an extension of the user. It is who they are and what they stand for.
Before consumers make a purchase, they want to know:
- Does this brand reflect or fit seamlessly into my authentic lifestyle?
- How does this brand help me achieve my priorities?
- How does this brand support issues that matter to me?
Play: Find your customer’s identity and show your solidarity with their greatest needs and desires.
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Rule #2
Living well feels good.
People who live well are mentally healthy and happy. They live in alignment with their core values and take steps to get where they aspire to be.
Examples of living well include:
- An executive who books a week in the Seychelles after landing a huge account
- A mom who buys healthy snacks and organic crayons for her children
- An adventurer who straps on a backpack and dreams of their next adventure
Play: Show a clear line from your brand to their aspirations.
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Rule #3
Authenticity is king.
Theirs and yours.
Your brand must support and fit into their authentic lifestyle, and your messaging must be authentic to your brand. It’s no small feat but, done right, it is incredibly powerful.
Play: Do messaging right.
- Identify your target audience and their authentic goals / lifestyles
- Elevate your brand from being functional to supporting a higher purpose
- Shout that purpose from the rooftops
- Create messaging that connects your purpose to your clients’ lifestyle and definition of living well
Change is hard, but we are in this together. At The Olinger Group, we run all our market research insights through a “Living Well” lens so we can help brands help others live well.
What's your take on living well? We'd love to know. Feel free to comment below and don't forget to subscribe to our blog so you'll be notified each time we post.
