When you think about lifestyle brands, who comes to mind?
Patagonia? Subaru? Peloton? What about Red Bull, Lululemon, or Airstream?
All these brands have one thing in common. They go beyond selling their “product” to cultivating a feeling or sense of community that is reflective of the interests and attitudes of their customers.
But have you ever considered that institutions of higher ed are THE original lifestyle brands?
Both seek to build long-term relationships, differentiate themselves on their unique values, mission, and culture, and aim to create a sense of community and engagement.
Here are 5 ways you can think and act more like a lifestyle brand to drive satisfaction, affinity, loyalty, and the ultimate metric, “willingness to recommend:
Tip #1: Know Who You Are, Who You Serve
Invest the time and effort to really understand who you are, who you serve, and how you solve your customers’ problems better than the competition. Develop a strong brand platform and messaging strategy to communicate your unique positioning. Target students and stakeholders who are looking for and can see themselves in your community. Use storytelling to show what life is like in your tribe and the lifestyle they will lead being a part of it. Make sure to focus on emotional benefits.
Tip 2: Lean Into Culture and Values
Emphasize your unique culture as part of your brand identity. Understand and clarify how your mission and values contribute to your “Why”. This may require that you modernize your mission language, so it is relevant and valued by today’s students, employees, and alumni. Identify and promote key campus activities and traditions that are the embodiment of your mission. Do you have activities that promote a culture of innovation, diversity, or social responsibility? If not, create some. Whatever your culture, these types of engagements help attract students and stakeholders who share similar ideals.
Tip 3: Build A Community
Create a sense of belonging among students, employees, and alumni much like lifestyle brands seek to create a sense of belonging among their customers. Design opportunities for different stakeholders to connect. Host events, establish online communities, and provide opportunities for students and others to associate within the tribe in ways that are valued and strengthen the group bond. Do you have an annual service day where all members work together for a common cause? How can you build value within the community members through mentorships, career development, connections, and support? Make sure that the essence of your community stays true to the lifestyle your group seeks.
Tip 4: Personalize the Experience
Personalize your approach to meet the unique needs of your circle. Understand and prioritize the needs of students to create equity for your people, such as academic advising, career counseling and mental health and wellness services. What about unique clubs and associations, both academic and social? Ensure you allow for individual needs and creativity within your lifestyle brand. Showcase the uniqueness of your group and how these differences make for a richer community.
Tip 5: Listen and Adjust
Lifestyle brands invest heavily in understanding and gathering customer feedback to improve their products and services. This is one area, where higher ed can really take a lesson. We often focus on the top of the funnel in terms of prospect research and insights, but once a student enrolls and graduates the responsibility for who is following the customer experience gets very fuzzy. Identify and properly resource marketing and insights teams with the ability to continually solicit feedback from students (and stakeholders), track outcomes and satisfaction, and use data analytics to make data-driven decisions on how to improve the lifestyle experience for all.
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