Nerd Alert: The Downsides of Being a 'Lifestyle Brand'
Update: 2025-10-16
Description
Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We’re breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use.
In this episode, Elena and Rob explore how lifestyle brands compete for limited consumer self-expression. Once people express themselves through one brand, their appetite for additional identity-driven brands declines.
Topics covered:
To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.
Resources:
Chernev, A., Hamilton, R., & Gal, D. (2011). Competing for consumer identity: Limits to self-expression and the perils of lifestyle branding. Journal of Marketing, 75(3), 66–82. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.75.3.66
Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
In this episode, Elena and Rob explore how lifestyle brands compete for limited consumer self-expression. Once people express themselves through one brand, their appetite for additional identity-driven brands declines.
Topics covered:
- [01:00 ] "Competing for Consumer Identity Limits to Self-Expression and the Perils of Lifestyle Branding"
- [02:00 ] Identity saturation and its effect on brand preference
- [03:00 ] Why thinking about favorite brands reduces enthusiasm for new ones
- [04:00 ] Symbolic versus functional brands
- [06:00 ] What happens when your unique brand becomes mainstream
- [07:00 ] Reversing identity saturation through uniqueness threats
To learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast or subscribe to our newsletter at marketingarchitects.com/newsletter.
Resources:
Chernev, A., Hamilton, R., & Gal, D. (2011). Competing for consumer identity: Limits to self-expression and the perils of lifestyle branding. Journal of Marketing, 75(3), 66–82. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.75.3.66
Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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