Image and Reality
October 1st, 2010 • marketing (296)
I’ve had lululemon on the brain for a while now. The company is the current focus of the trend analysis assignment for my Business Writing class, as well as the focus for my Marketing group.
The image
I found the following in the FAQ section of their website:
Who is your target market?
This one’s for all you students writing their research papers on us… hmm, target… what’s that? Well if you want us to spout that marketing jargon, we admit that we aim our clothing primarily at active women and men: individuals that work, play and share our vision of creating healthier, happier and more fun lives!
Very tongue-in-cheek. Marketing obviously plays a huge role in lululemon’s business strategy.
But nevermind that, what I find even more interesting here is who they’ve left out.
The reality
The NDP Group claims that only 63% of the yoga apparel sold in Canada during 2007 was worn for exercise. Compare that to 30% of lululemon’s apparel being used for yoga. Yes these statistics are old and not measuring precisely the same thing (exercise vs. yoga), but it illustrates the point I am trying to make: a lot of the people who shop at lululemon do not do so for participating in this active wellness airy-fairy lifestyle.
Obviously lululemon is aware and their marketing/creative team keeps them in mind when designing new products.
Not that they would admit it.
And they couldn’t. Why? No one would buy anything at that point.
For a lot of people I think lululemon is an indirect, aspirational reference group. You may not have the time or the resources to do yoga everyday and spend your days dancing, singing, traveling and flossing. You may desire that lifestyle, and so when you wear your lululemon pants you are that much closer to being a part of that group.
If they started admitting they cater to this audience though, they will lose the core: the direct social reference group. And without them, the indirect group is lost as well.
Image and reality.