With the lifestyle market becoming increasingly saturated, it’s vital that businesses distinguish themselves and capture the attention of their target audiences. The emphasis in this day and age is on ‘showing’ rather than ‘telling’; bringing your brand to life through riveting campaigns first and foremost.
This is where a lifestyle PR agency steps in to help brands stand out from the crowd. In this blog post, we’ll explore the concept of lifestyle brands, the importance of creating engaging experiences, and how a trusted agency can elevate your brand’s presence – both online and through legacy media.
Understanding lifestyle brands
Lifestyle brands go beyond just selling products or services; they encompass a broader identity and ideology that resonates with a specific target audience. You may have heard the phrase ‘people don’t buy products, they buy lifestyles’ – this is the directive that every lifestyle brand should strive for.
In a nutshell, they embody a set of values, aspirations, and interests relevant to their audiences, providing consumers with a sense of belonging and self-expression through their products or services. Whether it’s fitness, fashion, food or travel, lifestyle brands tap into the passions and desires of their consumers, forging an emotional connection that extends beyond mere consumption. Most often, this is achieved through seamless, captivating PR campaigns.
Creating engaging experiences
In an era where consumers are increasingly seeking experiences rather than just products, lifestyle brands have a unique opportunity to engage and captivate their audiences. By creating immersive experiences through engaging PR campaigns, these brands can foster deeper connections with their consumers, allowing them to become active participants in the brand story.
This element of ‘coming along for the ride’ is vital to the modern consumer. We’re seeing it with platforms like TikTok, where users not only consume their favourite brands’ media but actively participate in it as well.
Examples of lifestyle PR campaigns
In the spirit of showing rather than telling, let’s take a look at some examples of successful campaigns to give you a better idea of how PR can elevate your lifestyle brand.
Roast: getting young professionals into the ‘lunchtime roast’
Our work with London-based restaurant Roast demonstrated the power of tapping into that idea of bettering consumers’ lives through a familiar product.
The key here was creating a fresh spin on the traditional English roast by making it appealing to younger, cosmopolitan audiences, as well as making it a weekday option rather than the familiar Sunday-only treat.
To do this, we conceptualised the roast burger: a foodie’s dream housing all the familiar staples of the Sunday roast, presented in the tried-and-tested format of a burger.
The simple act of adding this to Roast’s menu alongside some strategic PR outreach to notable outlets got them coverage in publications such as Good Housekeeping and the Evening Standard, and made them a desirable lunchtime destination for young professionals. This campaign showcases the power PR has when paired with the existing know-how of a brand, and how they can become a lifestyle icon by thinking outside of the box.
Read the full Roast case study >
Visit Cornwall: promoting the seaside county as an out-of-season destination
Few things can have a direct impact on our lifestyles like a good holiday – so why wait for the manic holiday season to visit a popular destination?
With Visit Cornwall, we aimed to highlight the hidden gems and killer deals that are best experienced during Cornwall’s ‘off-season’. The goal? Promoting it as the perfect spot for a break, all year round.
Our highlights led to coverage in the Guardian, The Sun, The Daily Star and a plethora of other publications, showing that demand was sky-high – people just needed a trustworthy tip-off!
Read the full Visit Cornwall case study >
Measuring the impact of lifestyle PR
Beyond events, digital platforms can be leveraged to create engaging experiences for lifestyle brands. Captivating influencer collaborations, strategic social media campaigns, and thought-provoking content creation as part of an overarching PR and comms strategy makes it possible to connect with your target audience in an authentic, impactful way.
By partnering with a lifestyle PR agency like Wild Card, brands gain access to a wealth of expertise and resources that can make a significant difference in their journey to stand out. Our team understands the unique challenges and opportunities that lifestyle brands face and we are dedicated to developing tailored strategies that elevate brand visibility, drive engagement, and foster brand loyalty.
Kickstart an iconic lifestyle PR campaign with Wild Card
If you’re looking to gain exposure and leave a lasting impression, get in touch with our lifestyle PR experts today. Together, we can capture your brand’s vision and help you bring it to life.