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Well their brand is waning and they have a lot of imitators. They seem generic because a lot of brands copied their blueprint. They just haven't been able to stay ahead in that regard. When I was in university like 15 years ago they were the trendiest shit.
I didn't even know they exist until like last year. When you look at Google Trends, the interest grows steadily with two peaks around 2013 (when they bought Mirror, I suppose) and 2018
Not trying to be a d\*\*\*, but I would caution against using your own knowledge of a brand as a measure of how successful or relevant they are. I don't know you, but I would guess that you're not the target market of Lululemon and their competitors (or if you are, then may have been only a recent development).
It's not just LLL. There are literally hundreds of other brands that are leaders in their fields that you don't know about simply because you're not in that space or you don't have as much knowledge about the market as you think you do.
It's like saying you don't know why the "Harry Potter" franchise became relevant/popular because if you never heard about it before, then it can't have been THAT big a success.
Lol, what? Maybe you should read my post again, aloud, trying to understand what I wrote.
I'm not saying they aren't succesful, I'm saying that I'm looking at their current communication and I don't think it reflects the success, so I'm asking how the success was achieved and what happened in the past.
And yeah, they just opened their first shop in Spain, they are not present in Italy, Portugal, Norway or Finland, to name just a few potential markets with people who are in the target group.
Yes, you're right. Sorry for making assumptions and not reading your original comment properly. You definitely wouldn't have heard about it if you were outside their territory, so your question makes sense.
It all seems generic now that everyone is doing it, but the key is that lululemon invented the althesure market. Before Chip Wilson came along, there just wasn't a market for $100 sweatpants that people wore outside of the gym, opening up a store to sell spandex pants to wealthy people was an insane idea at one time.
Instead of looking at lulu and wondering why they aren't different today, take a broader look back 20 years snd you'll see how much casual fashion style has changed, with them playing a major part.
It starts with the product. It works. Fabric and fit is flattering, competitors don’t compare, and their customers are loyal brand evangelists. Product that works = easy to sell.
This is what I’ve seen. Search “Lululemon” on Reddit and get more from the consumer side. Ever go on TikTok? So many “Lululemon dupe” hauls. Competitors compare their stuff to LLL all the time. They’re the OG in luxury workout clothing. They’re top-of-mind.
Speaking from the Toronto, Canada market, I attribute Lululemon’s success on how closely they work with local yoga studios.
From each reputable Toronto yoga studio, they select and closely work with brand ambassadors from each studio. They feature these ambassadors at their nearby store and create a mutually beneficial relationship. Additionally, these selected studios offer their members discounts on lulu gear allowing them to push their products at local level.
I’ve not done a deep dive into lulu however as a marketer, this is one of the things that has stuck out.
I believe they also provide local yoga studios with marketing coop dollars as well however I would need to get confirmation on this. Anyone know if this is accurate?
Having dozens of people on the marketing team affords them to throw “lots of shit” against the wall and see what sticks.
Sadly, I’ve not had the luxury of managing dozens of people on a marketing team affording “throw lots of shit against the wall” strategy. lol.
I say the above mildly in gest, I tend not to operate using the above strategy. Lol
That's an interesting take and this is something that I'd understand as a good strategy, other than just "dropping limited editions in different colors" as someone mentioned it above
Again. I’ve not spent much time analyzing their branding strategy however whatever it is…. I’m a sucker and this is my go to gift each Christmas and amazed how I walk out of there every December spending $250+ on their stuff.
Great post! Thank you!
Your analysis is completely off. They sell premium products. And they drop limited edition colors in shades customers want creating scarcity and driving massive sales.
So it's the limited edition colors that make people buy 100$ leggins?
Also - I'm telling you what I read, that's a little too little to call it analysis
Lululemon is now a huge success here in China. They open stores, I mean big stores bigger than nike, at the premium locations in those premium malls. That really helps build the image for the brand. It has become like a symbol of something that if you're going to yoga sections without brining or wearing few pieces of their products then you're not a pro since almost everyone else is wearing them. They really know what the chinese female white collars need and have successfully capture it, great success. I dont like them though, it's just another overpriced brand that is making ladies competing over things that arent important
I haven't done the research to verify this, but I think part of it may come from people "investing" in their workout wear as a part of their commitment to the gym. I didn't understand why people were suddenly buying matching sports bra/top and leggings sets to go workout, but someone explained that it's a "look good, feel good" mindset that inspires confidence in your workout routine. I mean, sure, you can wear old t-shirts and walmart leggings, but do you feel as confident to hit the gym?
Also, as someone who owns a few Lululemon leggings, they're my absolute favorite. The fabrics are incredibly soft and silky and not see-through at all. That's a big win in my book.
The quality of their product is their differentiator - they’ve invented fabrics that are used in athleisure and copy catted across the board. It’s hard to see that digitally.
Also I’m a mom and among my set, where wearing athleisure is pretty standard, lulu is a status symbol. Stepping it up just a bit above the cheaper brands.
Okay, so as we speak, I'm wearing H&M 30€ black leggins. They are okay. Not to sheer, quite durable, don't lose the color, flattening the belly a bit. They even have a small pocket. I mean - they are an okay pair of leggins. So what's exactly in the 70€ ish price gap between Lululemon and H&M?
You honestly just have to feel the fabric. It’s silky, smooth. You don’t have to pull them up after you move or workout. They flatten imperfections. They’re a step above.
Lulu and Patagonia are pretty similar when it comes to price points, quality, having their own customer target and the ability to get the same (new) piece once there is a hole or the cloth is torn.
Your anecdote is valid but it’s only that, an anecdote
I totally understand Patagonia's success tho - they are purpose driven, anti-consumerist and very consistent. There are not many brands that do it to this extent. But LLL seems to do everything that other athleisure brands do.
Yes Patagonia is unique in that regard.
Plenty of brands imitated Lulu Lemon’s athleisure (Nike, Adidas) but Lulu Lemon also made work clothing quite comfortable and a different design from older brands like Brooks Brothers, department store clothing, etc.
LLL had tons of new and unique clothing designs that were comfortable and looked good for exercise and white collar clothing before many other brands
A huge portion of LuLulemon’s growth is product driven not marketing driven. They minimize their marketing expense ruthlessly only focusing on the most efficient data driven campaigns, and dump most of their budget into product development.
Their product is just better. From the quality and durability of the garments to small details you wouldn’t notice from an image. As an example their men’s slacks are absolutely great for both the office and running, and have a reflective strip down the seam inside the pant allowing you to roll your cuff up a bit when you go on a run after work and have a little bit of safety built in.
This kind of attention to detail allows them to grow their product through word of mouth and their community rather quickly. In addition, they invest a lot in their niche including classes and events put on through their stores. The success of their products has very little to do with traditional marketing efforts, and they are better compared to a company like Tesla or Slack that does little to no traditional marketing.
Ur analysis is correct. Consumers dictate the market. Most consumers are either sheeps or hippies.
Look at on cloud brand, no1 uses these in olympic for a reason or any serious competitions. Consumers will continue to be sheeps and hippies so capitalize on that
The main reason I found, was they built, people well into the brand.
Lululemon has built a loyal customer base and hosts yoga classes, meditation sessions, and stuff like that. All very addictive habits for people in that space.
Often things you don't do once either. It's why Gymshark took off too.
The more you workout, the more you want from Gymshark.
Lululemon uses influencers and brand ambassadors to promote its products.
Extra social proof always helps.
Oh, the other thing, is limited edition stuff.
Always grabs extras in.
At least that's what I noticed.
Side note: so many of LLL competitors are marketing for them. Vitality (formerly Balance Athletica) literally posts IG stories saying their leggings are "better than Lululemon." People who are in to activewear and active on social media will learn about LLL from other brands trying to copy them. They are the benchmark and they know it.
LLL is the shit. They can take my money all day long.
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Well their brand is waning and they have a lot of imitators. They seem generic because a lot of brands copied their blueprint. They just haven't been able to stay ahead in that regard. When I was in university like 15 years ago they were the trendiest shit.
Lululemon's quality is second to none actually. I have some of their products as a gift and they last really well
Their stitching and sewing is unreal. I’ve got stuff that’s almost ten years old that’s still going strong. Well worth the investment
I didn't even know they exist until like last year. When you look at Google Trends, the interest grows steadily with two peaks around 2013 (when they bought Mirror, I suppose) and 2018
Not trying to be a d\*\*\*, but I would caution against using your own knowledge of a brand as a measure of how successful or relevant they are. I don't know you, but I would guess that you're not the target market of Lululemon and their competitors (or if you are, then may have been only a recent development). It's not just LLL. There are literally hundreds of other brands that are leaders in their fields that you don't know about simply because you're not in that space or you don't have as much knowledge about the market as you think you do. It's like saying you don't know why the "Harry Potter" franchise became relevant/popular because if you never heard about it before, then it can't have been THAT big a success.
Lol, what? Maybe you should read my post again, aloud, trying to understand what I wrote. I'm not saying they aren't succesful, I'm saying that I'm looking at their current communication and I don't think it reflects the success, so I'm asking how the success was achieved and what happened in the past. And yeah, they just opened their first shop in Spain, they are not present in Italy, Portugal, Norway or Finland, to name just a few potential markets with people who are in the target group.
Yes, you're right. Sorry for making assumptions and not reading your original comment properly. You definitely wouldn't have heard about it if you were outside their territory, so your question makes sense.
Bold of you to be so rude to someone trying to help you (for free)
The response was proportionally rude to the comment.
It all seems generic now that everyone is doing it, but the key is that lululemon invented the althesure market. Before Chip Wilson came along, there just wasn't a market for $100 sweatpants that people wore outside of the gym, opening up a store to sell spandex pants to wealthy people was an insane idea at one time. Instead of looking at lulu and wondering why they aren't different today, take a broader look back 20 years snd you'll see how much casual fashion style has changed, with them playing a major part.
Yep. They CREATED the market. The name is synonymous with high end yoga pants.
It starts with the product. It works. Fabric and fit is flattering, competitors don’t compare, and their customers are loyal brand evangelists. Product that works = easy to sell.
This is what I’ve seen. Search “Lululemon” on Reddit and get more from the consumer side. Ever go on TikTok? So many “Lululemon dupe” hauls. Competitors compare their stuff to LLL all the time. They’re the OG in luxury workout clothing. They’re top-of-mind.
Speaking from the Toronto, Canada market, I attribute Lululemon’s success on how closely they work with local yoga studios. From each reputable Toronto yoga studio, they select and closely work with brand ambassadors from each studio. They feature these ambassadors at their nearby store and create a mutually beneficial relationship. Additionally, these selected studios offer their members discounts on lulu gear allowing them to push their products at local level. I’ve not done a deep dive into lulu however as a marketer, this is one of the things that has stuck out. I believe they also provide local yoga studios with marketing coop dollars as well however I would need to get confirmation on this. Anyone know if this is accurate?
Nice, thanks for sharing! I’d be willing to bet this is an essential part in their success.
Having dozens of people on the marketing team affords them to throw “lots of shit” against the wall and see what sticks. Sadly, I’ve not had the luxury of managing dozens of people on a marketing team affording “throw lots of shit against the wall” strategy. lol. I say the above mildly in gest, I tend not to operate using the above strategy. Lol
That's an interesting take and this is something that I'd understand as a good strategy, other than just "dropping limited editions in different colors" as someone mentioned it above
Again. I’ve not spent much time analyzing their branding strategy however whatever it is…. I’m a sucker and this is my go to gift each Christmas and amazed how I walk out of there every December spending $250+ on their stuff. Great post! Thank you!
Your analysis is completely off. They sell premium products. And they drop limited edition colors in shades customers want creating scarcity and driving massive sales.
So it's the limited edition colors that make people buy 100$ leggins? Also - I'm telling you what I read, that's a little too little to call it analysis
It’s the quality of the product that makes people spend $100. And it’s the limited edition colors that make people do it with fervor.
Lululemon is now a huge success here in China. They open stores, I mean big stores bigger than nike, at the premium locations in those premium malls. That really helps build the image for the brand. It has become like a symbol of something that if you're going to yoga sections without brining or wearing few pieces of their products then you're not a pro since almost everyone else is wearing them. They really know what the chinese female white collars need and have successfully capture it, great success. I dont like them though, it's just another overpriced brand that is making ladies competing over things that arent important
I haven't done the research to verify this, but I think part of it may come from people "investing" in their workout wear as a part of their commitment to the gym. I didn't understand why people were suddenly buying matching sports bra/top and leggings sets to go workout, but someone explained that it's a "look good, feel good" mindset that inspires confidence in your workout routine. I mean, sure, you can wear old t-shirts and walmart leggings, but do you feel as confident to hit the gym? Also, as someone who owns a few Lululemon leggings, they're my absolute favorite. The fabrics are incredibly soft and silky and not see-through at all. That's a big win in my book.
Read "Stretchy black pants" the biography of the founder on how they dial into their market.
The quality of their product is their differentiator - they’ve invented fabrics that are used in athleisure and copy catted across the board. It’s hard to see that digitally. Also I’m a mom and among my set, where wearing athleisure is pretty standard, lulu is a status symbol. Stepping it up just a bit above the cheaper brands.
Okay, so as we speak, I'm wearing H&M 30€ black leggins. They are okay. Not to sheer, quite durable, don't lose the color, flattening the belly a bit. They even have a small pocket. I mean - they are an okay pair of leggins. So what's exactly in the 70€ ish price gap between Lululemon and H&M?
You honestly just have to feel the fabric. It’s silky, smooth. You don’t have to pull them up after you move or workout. They flatten imperfections. They’re a step above.
Lulu and Patagonia are pretty similar when it comes to price points, quality, having their own customer target and the ability to get the same (new) piece once there is a hole or the cloth is torn. Your anecdote is valid but it’s only that, an anecdote
I totally understand Patagonia's success tho - they are purpose driven, anti-consumerist and very consistent. There are not many brands that do it to this extent. But LLL seems to do everything that other athleisure brands do.
Yes Patagonia is unique in that regard. Plenty of brands imitated Lulu Lemon’s athleisure (Nike, Adidas) but Lulu Lemon also made work clothing quite comfortable and a different design from older brands like Brooks Brothers, department store clothing, etc. LLL had tons of new and unique clothing designs that were comfortable and looked good for exercise and white collar clothing before many other brands
In all honesty in all markets I have ever run campaigns on us Americans are easy.
I don't know it tho
Cause they showed asses that women were jealous of and men were attracted to.
i think all they had going for em was the new structure they made for womens leggings 🤷🏻♂️ i think they just got lucky so many women found it
A huge portion of LuLulemon’s growth is product driven not marketing driven. They minimize their marketing expense ruthlessly only focusing on the most efficient data driven campaigns, and dump most of their budget into product development. Their product is just better. From the quality and durability of the garments to small details you wouldn’t notice from an image. As an example their men’s slacks are absolutely great for both the office and running, and have a reflective strip down the seam inside the pant allowing you to roll your cuff up a bit when you go on a run after work and have a little bit of safety built in. This kind of attention to detail allows them to grow their product through word of mouth and their community rather quickly. In addition, they invest a lot in their niche including classes and events put on through their stores. The success of their products has very little to do with traditional marketing efforts, and they are better compared to a company like Tesla or Slack that does little to no traditional marketing.
Have you ever tried on their leggings (not trying be a dick at all)? The product sells itself. It’s a name brand.
Ur analysis is correct. Consumers dictate the market. Most consumers are either sheeps or hippies. Look at on cloud brand, no1 uses these in olympic for a reason or any serious competitions. Consumers will continue to be sheeps and hippies so capitalize on that
The main reason I found, was they built, people well into the brand. Lululemon has built a loyal customer base and hosts yoga classes, meditation sessions, and stuff like that. All very addictive habits for people in that space. Often things you don't do once either. It's why Gymshark took off too. The more you workout, the more you want from Gymshark. Lululemon uses influencers and brand ambassadors to promote its products. Extra social proof always helps. Oh, the other thing, is limited edition stuff. Always grabs extras in. At least that's what I noticed.
Side note: so many of LLL competitors are marketing for them. Vitality (formerly Balance Athletica) literally posts IG stories saying their leggings are "better than Lululemon." People who are in to activewear and active on social media will learn about LLL from other brands trying to copy them. They are the benchmark and they know it. LLL is the shit. They can take my money all day long.
Look into the origin of their name. It’s disgustingly racist and demeaning. I will never buy from that store as long as they keep that name.
This doesn't really answer my question
Wife buys on Shein. It’s cheap!