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trader joes cracking the code of lifestyle brands

trader joes cracking the code of lifestyle brands

In a recent edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, we encountered a clever story examining the "unique" dating practices of a group of educated, single professionals. Frustrated with the bar scene and tired of being, well, single, these people formed a social group - a community - based on a unique common interest. In this case the interest wasn't mountain climbing, backpacking, sailing or wine tasting. No, the common interest that united this group of singles was their fondness for Trader Joe's. That's right, these singles gathered to celebrate their mutual interest in, of all things, a grocery store while scouting for potential mates. As one of the participants of the group (Trade Joe's Love!) suggests:

"It's mostly like a different bracket of society at Trader Joe's. And I often find myself pondering the domestic microbrews section and realizing I'm inadvertently checking out the hot guy next to me."
While this scenario may strike many - including the article's author - as peculiar or unconventional, if you ask me it makes total sense. Think about it, there are very few, if any, activities that will occupy more of your time with a potential mate, partner or spouse than eating will.

But to get to the larger point, however inadvertently, this example happens to nail the essence of a lifestyle brand. This is a retail brand, after all, whose expression is so clearly understood by those in its immediate community that it can be used as a foundation for romantic attraction and courtship. Like our jobs, our clothes, our vocabulary and our appearance, Trader Joe's communicates to others a heck of a lot about the kind of person we are. As another participant noted:

"There's this kind of feeling when you go there that your partaking in a sort of secret club. Like you and the folks that run the store are kind of winking at each other, showing off little treasures found off the beaten path."
In my mind, that's what the best lifestyle brands manage to convey - membership in a very special, meaningful club. And quite honestly, even though many of the folks I encounter claim to be in the lifestyle brand business, I can think of very few brands with the sort of true lifestyle resonance that Trader Joe's has managed to generate.

Perhaps I'm naive, but I find it a bit of a stretch to believe there is an army of singles scoping me out as I quietly eat my Chicken Cesar Wrap from Panerra while stuck in the United terminal at O'Hare. And while many in the CPG industries strive to achieve lifestyle brand status, how many CPG products truly signify membership in an exclusive club?

In fact, the Trader Joe's example serves as the perfect benchmark for all earnest brand managers interested in crafting lifestyle brands. Ask yourself, "Is mine the sort of brand whose meaning is so powerful, fundamental and relevant that consumers can (and will) use my brand as a basis for romantic attraction?"

Until your answer is an unequivocal "yes," you've got your work cut out for you.





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George Ludwig
George Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website

Kim Castle
With nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website


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