People Rebrand Too: And Why it Matters to Your Brand
Revive. Revamp. Reinvent.
These are just a few of the words I've been hearing a lot lately. But not from marketers or businesses as you may expect. Rather, consumers are reinventing themselves. And as they experiment, change and grow, they turn to brands to help them. So it got me thinking: what constitutes a reinvention? Is it a new haircut, or a new career in an exotic country? Well, as it turns out, there are a myriad of ways people reinvent themselves.
In August 2014, Ipsos Reid turned to over 1,300 Canadians to get a glimpse of personal reinvention. An understanding of how consumers have, and expect to reinvent, will play a big role in helping companies adapt to new market trends and develop marketing initiatives.
Self-reinvention isn't easy
The first thing we discovered is that reinvention isn't as easy as some may think. In fact, 80% of Canadians tell us that it's a difficult or impossible thing to do. What is somewhat surprising though is that even with that said, lots of people have, or will, reinvent themselves. Almost four-in-ten (37%) Canadians indicate that they have reinvented themselves at some point during their lives, and another three-in-ten (32%) are thinking about reinventing a part of their life in the future. And 13% of those who have already reinvented themselves are going to do it again.
We analyzed twenty different ways in which Canadians reinvent themselves and categorized them into four groups: minor physical changes, shaping work and personal life, growing and experiencing, and for want of a better term drastic life changes. Let's take a closer look at each category to get a better look at what constitutes personal reinvention.
It can be a minor change
According to our research, revamping one's image and living a healthy life are high on the reinvention agenda for a large number of Canadians. For companies that connect to physical fitness and athletic clothing, consider this: getting into shape is the single largest issue among physical changes, with 45% of Canadians mentioning it. Our study also revealed that 38% have been, or will be losing weight in an effort to reinvent themselves, and another 32% make reference to changing their look in some way (for instance, their hair or makeup). Similarly, a fifth of those surveyed consider a wardrobe change as a vehicle to past or future reinvention.
Shaping work and personal life
Many Canadians are also placing a sharper focus on work and their personal life. Half of those surveyed (49%) say they want to take more control of their life as part of their reinvention. Almost four in ten (37%) Canadians told us they had, or plan to, land a new job. Clearly, there are opportunities for brands that help us with that decision and open the door to new opportunities. While 31% said that they have, or plan to part ways with someone in their life, 25% say that they are or have been looking for someone to share life with. And just 12% will give up, or take less control of their life.
They want to grow and experience
Four-in-ten (39%) Canadians talk about reinvention in terms of discovering or doing something new. Among others, this has clear implications for the travel and hospitality industry. While 30% talk about moving to another city, 25% think of reinvention in terms of becoming more involved in their community and politics. A fifth (21%) of Canadians think of reinvention as practicing a new area of spirituality. Perhaps that's yoga for some, or religion for others.
It may be more drastic for some
To some, reinvention means something more substantial. 13% tell us that they think of reinvention in terms of moving to another country. 11% think of it in terms of getting a tattoo or piercing. Another 6% think of reinvention in terms of changing their name. For 4% of Canadians, reinvention is about having cosmetic surgery or body enhancement, and for just 1%, it's about changing their gender.
Putting it all together
It's also worth going a step further and examining generational differences at the category level. It appears that Generation X tends to be more focused on making changes to their looks and to shaping their lives, while Boomers and the Silent Generation are looking to experience new things and grow as people. The likelihood of making drastic life changes is clearly related to age: the younger you are, the more likely you are to make a drastic life change. Certainly, there are many angles to personal reinvention. And no matter what industry you're in, there are takeaways for us all. Personal reinvention is an expression of the fact that people expect to change depending on their stage of life and they want, or rather, they expect, brands to deliver on this. So where do you start? Simply put, be aligned with the consumer and continually stay connected to their shifting needs and desires.
