Over the course of the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to delve into the thoughts and beliefs of my peers surrounding the popular brand names that bombard us with various marketing tactics in our everyday lives. One argument that caught my eye was that of my classmate Rajanvir, who discussed the community based marketing approach that has led Lululemon Athletica to success.

In his article, Raj argues that Lululemon’s competitive advantage over its athletic wear competitors is largely due to the educational setting that it places it’s trend-seeking consumers in. Although I agree completely, I also question whether Lululemon’s success is largely due to it’s sly ability to cause consumers to realize a need that can only be satisfied with their product. Do consumers really need eighty dollar yoga pants? Do we really need the super short running shorts which could be substituted for a lower cost alternative by Adidas or Nike?

Theoretically, the answer is No. However, in the case of what consumers want, the answer is a definite YES. Lululemon taps into consumer’s ‘Esteem’ needs, making them realize that what they really need is to be regarded as an athletic, highly accomplished individual with a well balanced lifestyle. Thus, this inner need, combined with the fact that we live in a society which highly values progression and self growth, ultimately lead to a strong “want” where consumers are willing to pay a high price for goods that could technically be found elsewhere for less.

Lululemon has mastered the art of triggering a need within its target market, and subsequently being the best company in terms of fulfilling this need. Thus, I believe that the educational setting that Rajanvir mentioned, in combination with this subtle technique, has ultimately led to Lululemon’s success both on a local and international scale.

Raj’s blog can be found at https://blogs.ubc.ca/rajanvir/2012/01/16/hello-world/