“I think I started this whole category of lifestyle,” Martha Stewart told Bloomberg TV last week when asked about Gwyneth Paltrow’s successful Goop.com. Stewart might have a claim to the throne, but the list of celebrities cashing in on their cachet, like those below, is ever-growing. Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively recently announced plans for a lifestyle brand, and Kanye West has said he wants to be the next Ralph Lauren.
What Is a “Lifestyle Brand”?
“A lifestyle brand is a variety of objects that are surrounding a particular cultural way of living a modern life … Nike is not a lifestyle brand, although the ‘just do it’ mentality can be seen as one. But you wouldn’t buy a Nike sofa.” —Dr. Tom Guarriello, Truetalk consulting
The Proto-Lifestyle Brand: Betty Crocker
The First Lady of Food was the invention of marketers, but the success of the brand proved that if Americans could relate to the person on the package, they were more likely to buy. By 1945, Mrs. Crocker was voted the second-most-recognizable American woman, just behind Eleanor Roosevelt.
Initial Claim to Fame:
Actor:
Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, Suzanne Somers, Jaclyn Smith
Model:
Cindy Crawford, Kathy Ireland, Heidi Klum
Reality TV:
Nicole Richie, Bethenny Frankel
Music:
Christina Aguilera, 50 Cent, Sean Combs
Self-made:
Martha Stewart, Sandra Lee
How to Live Like …
• Gwyneth Paltrow: Green, chic mom.
Stella McCartney, wool jumpsuit, $1,240.
“Another understated and classic staple for the wardrobe.” —goop.com
• Jane Fonda: Healthy living for the baby-boomer set.
• Kathy Ireland: Basic solutions for busy women.
$2,000,000,000 revenue of Kathy Ireland Worldwide
• 50 Cent: Sensitive gangster.
The Multi-Platform Moguls:
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