In terms of brand awareness, becoming a “lifestyle brand” is more or less the holy grail. Lifestyle brands don’t need to sink loads of money into telling people they exist—they’re the brands everyone knows, and not only do audiences trust them, but they see the brand as a community, something to become a part of rather than just a business that sells widgets. Tesla. Nike. Apple. These are brands that people actively want to be associated with.

I took a look at a few examples of brands that managed to make that leap from clawing for attention to lifestyle status, to show the route a brand might take from here to there and why it’s worth the effort for a growing brand to make the attempt.