Let’s Talk Lifestyle
Let’s Talk Lifestyle
Specifically - lifestyle brands, and how by selling an identity over a product or service, they sweep us up and make us feel a part of something bigger.
Oh, “lifestyle” – the branding buzzword du jour. What, on earth, do you mean? And how can we, as hospitality strategists, learn your ethereal ways?
Starting from the top: good branding makes you feel something – but a lifestyle brand makes you feel part of something. How? By appealing to shared values, interests, preferences, habits, styles, and point of views. By standing for something. Lifestyle brands forego traditional marketing tactics, and instead focus on representing the interests and attitudes held by the real people who use them. Think: Patagonia, Apple, Outdoor Voices, etc.
Pulling this off requires focus. Pick a lane! We notice a few identities that lifestyle brands across all sectors commonly latch onto – things like sustainability/green living, or wellness & beauty, or arts & culture, or nostalgia, or community connectivity. It’s all about communicating a way of life, either real or aspirational.
Lifestyle brands don’t just sell a product or service. They sell an identity.
So what’s lifestyle hospitality?
Lifestyle hotels and hospitality brands are increasingly popular, but they’re really difficult to define. The great Sharan Pasricha, Ennismore founder and CEO, has said on the topic:
“Lifestyle’ has become a bit of a buzzword, like ‘boutique hotels’ once was. To me, it means honing in on brand experiences and curating how brands make you feel… and crafting spaces that make you feel at home and welcomed – places you actually want to hang out in.”
To achieve that magical balance, lifestyle hospitality brands think, design, source, and work independently – using more local or boutique agency partners, materials vendors, and craftsmen compared to mainstream brands.
What’s next for lifestyle?
Hot take: we think there’s actually the most untapped opportunity to bring lifestyle branding into select service hotels. It’s “easier” to make an incredible lifestyle identity come to life across a sprawling luxury property, but much harder with limited space, ops capabilities, and budget. Moxy, Indigo, and similar brands are working hard to crack this code, and we love working with them to bring the next generation of lifestyle to life. It’s a bit oxymoronic to try to design lifestyle at scale – but we’re up for the challenge.
