Mean something

Gone are the days where you can get consumers to buy into your brand long-term just by showing them a funny ad, pulling a great PR stunt, or having your tweet go viral.

People are fast becoming more self-aware: they look after themselves better, eat clean, train dirty, prioritise, sacrifice, budget, experience, live, travel, learn... they want a full, meaningful existence.
They know what's important to them, so it's easy to block out the constant noise of brands who aren't relevant to their lifestyle. Too many brands complicate our lives and it can cause people to "shut down" in the face of too many options.

"Brits would not care if 94% of brands disappeared... and people believe only 3% of brands improve their quality of life."

- Havas Media: Meaningful Brands Index

So your brand jumps on relevant events - great! But is your brand actually relevant to consumers' lives? No? Then who gives a shit. You've risen awareness, but haven't given them a reason to buy your product forever and ever... which is the point, right?

Brands that stand out now, and the ones that have longevity, are the ones that continuously develop their products and brand; they notice the change in consumer's attitudes and needs, and adapt.

Here are several examples of brands who I think listen to consumer's lifestyle requirements.

Unilever

Unilever set out its 10 year Sustainable Living plan back in 2010, which included targets such as halving its environmental footprint and making 100% of its agricultural raw materials sustainably sourced. Sales from their environmentally friendly brands, Ben and Jerry's and Dove, accounted for half of company's growth last year.

Special K

Special K are moving away from their usual buxom brunette in a red bikini role model, and have introduced Tess Daly to their campaigns.

By using a "normal, working mum" who balances work and home life, they hope to appeal to a more modern female audience. Evolving from their previous 'diet and restriction' point of view, they're now promoting 'eating healthy for a healthy shape'.
They are also introducing 3 new products that reflect the current trends; protein, superfoods and vitamins.

Wholefoods

Big fan of these ads for Wholefoods who promote that eating home-grown, organic food can taste and make you feel good. A very aspirational approach, which fits well with people's increasingly holistic outlook on life.

This is what will make a brand stand out from the crowd - showing that you're listening by offering them something that fits with what they already want in life, rather than trying to convince them that they still need your old, outdated product which isn't relevant to them any more.

In the end, it comes down to earning consumers' trust. If you don't listen to them, why should they listen to you?