A Wider Perspective

After spending last night researching for my marketing project, I was reinforced that Lululemon has indeed built a culture and signature for its brand. Lululemon is more than the omega signed brand that sells perhaps the most comfortable and stretchy groove pants. It embraces and sells a culture, a lifestyle that almost everyone wants to be a part of. The brand gives off an image of a hip, healthy and athletic west-coaster. It doesn’t matter whether the consumer of these groove pants is a 20 year old yoga instructor in Kitstilano or a single mother of two. At the end of the day, sporting pants with that logo will make the individual feel urban and fit – an image that our society praises, an image that everyone tries to emulate.
So how does all this tie into Sociology? Sociology is built around two strong theories – socialization and the need to belong. In sense, sociologists believe that all humans start off as a clean slate. But as they grow and develop, they are “drawn on” by society, and through that, humans build their personality and characteristics. Further, all humans have a need to belong – a desire to be accepted, to feel part of a social group. They will act a certain way, talk a certain way, and dress a certain way. But how do we, as humans, know what is socially acceptable? Through marketing! Through channels such as the media and advertisements, we are able to gauge what will make us popular. If the marketing tactics for a certain brand or image is strong enough, it will be socially accepted. Thus, the majority of us humans with a need to belong will purchase anything (clothes, jewelry, underwear, etc.) to fit in and be socially “cool”.