Robyn Donnelly Phase 5 Advertising Strategic Planning Spring 2014
Agenda • • • • • •
The Problem The Target Why it’s a Problem Solution Key Message Execution – Channels – Print Ads – Social Media Mapping
Lululemon’s founding focus on women and yoga, continues to dominate their brand identity while attempting to expand into the men’s fitness apparel market.
The Problem: Female Oriented Brand Identity
The target for the men’s wear line is the active male pursuing his career, fitness, life and happiness with strength, courage and determination.
Demographics Men 22-45 College Educated HI of $40,000+
Psychographics Practices healthy lifestyle Enjoys being part of a community Trend Setters - Style Conscious Tech Savvy Adventure Seeker/Risk Taker/Explorer Driven & Ambitious
Lululemon wants a part of the men’s fitness apparel market, but it’s roots in yoga apparel for women have imprinted a lasting female brand perception; reinventing itself for a male audience will be a tough challenge.
MENSWEAR IS THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPANSION (1) PLANS TO START OPENING MEN’S STAND ALONE STORES IN 2016 (2) YOGA IS FOR WOMEN “20.4 million Americans practice yoga, with 82.2 percent being women and 17.8 being men” (4)
MOST BRANDS THAT START OUT AS WOMEN’S FAIL IN REACHING OUT TO MEN (2) “Men will not want to get caught dead going into a store called ‘lululemon’” (3)
Lululemon needs to be more accessible to men and builde awareness for the new line by convincing them that they provide a superior product which meets their needs without making them look or feel like a lady.
BRAND PERCEPTION "There is no sense of a man in current stores whatsoever, which is a huge turn-o, you have to go through the neon women's clothing to get to the men's section. There is no reason for men to go in stores right now."
LACK OF MALE EMPLOYEES "It's seen as a very pro-female brand and that is intimidating to men."
FEMININE NAME & LOGO "The name needs to be shortened, and the logo is an even bigger problem."
MEN DON’T WORRY ABOUT LOOKING GOOD AT THE GYM "Most men are happy to wear a t-shirt and pair of old shorts to the gym."
ONLY KNOW HOW TO MARKET TO WOMEN "Nike and Under Armour have been using professional athletes to market to men for years and have a lot of that market."
Quotes from Brian Sozzi, chief equities strategist at Belus Capital and a contributor to Men's Health. (1)
The solution is to create a new men’s ‘cult’ure through trial development in their existing male markets, removing the fem vibe, highlighting their unique selling point and getting involved in men’s fitness communities.
BUILD PILOT STORES IN KEY AREAS Look to online sales for geographic locations of where men’s clothing is currently selling, hire a predominantly male athletic staff.
CREATE MASCULINE NAME & LOGO Alpha male logo with name such as Lumen: luminous flux or luminous power is the measure of the power of light.
HIGHLIGHT PROPRIETARY ANTI-STINK FABRIC
Lululemon has signed an exclusive deal with x-static, an anti-stink fabric manufacturer.
GET IN ON THE “GUY TALK”
Get conversations started on social platforms used by men.
The key message “Be Great.” relates back to Lululemon’s mission of “elevating everyone to greatness” but also addresses the major differences in personal confidence levels between men and women.
Advertisements will show new men’s line logo, duel messages of challenges and inspiration with #nosweatlife promoting the new anti-sweat x-static fabric technology.
“Man up” the proven successful Lulu grassroots marketing strategy by having men’s stores serve as information hubs, a website not be buried with women’s product, pro athletes seen wearing the products at pro events to build awareness.
CREATE MALE-CENTRIC EXPERIENCE IN STORES
Resource for biking clubs, running clubs, triathlon training clubs, events, group sports, indoor basketball hoop.
NAVIGATABLE WEBSITE FOR MEN
Must make it easier for men to find their content and products. Adventure. Gear. Life. Blog: Provide pro athlete videos, healthy pre/post workout meals, fitness tips, lifestyle articles and inspirational videos.
SEO FOR MENS WORKOUT GEAR, MENS BLOG
Google “Lululemon Men’s Blog” doesn’t come up first. Google “Adventure Gear Life” doesn’t come up at all.
BRAND AMBASSADORS
Get on the course, court, field: Pro athlete sponsorship, local fitness guru’s and bloggers as brand ambassadors.
PRINT ADS IN MEN’S HEALTH & LIFESTYLE PUBLICATIONS Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Esquire, Runner’s World, Men’s Fitness, Details, etc.
SPORTS EVENT SPONSORHIP
Sponsor men’s sporting events with outdoor ads and product placement (ie. Golfing, Tennis, Baseball, Basketball, etc.
A focus on local with social media, events and an app are a prime opportunity to get men involved with the brand and their community by offering them benefits they can’t get from competitors.
SOCIAL MEDIA Fabceook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, tumblr, and where the brand users take it organically (no pinterest!)
EVENTS Organization of bike races and marathons, group work outs
THE APP Store locations, store events, brand events, men’s fitness class finder, social posting board to create groups for pick up games
The social media strategy will be highly interconnected with a focus on inspiring, educating and challenging male consumers within their own distinct communities.
Social Media has a Defined Voice, Connects and is Transparent
Thank You
References 1. 2.
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Lutz, Ashley. “6 Reasons Men Don’t Want to Wear Lululemon,” Business Insider, June 13, 2013. http://www.businessinsider.com/lululemon-opening-mens-stores-2013-6#ixzz31FIxTIMe Rupp, Lindsay, “Lululemon Plans Men’s Stores by 2016 in Bid to Maintain Growth”, Bloomberg News, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-13/lululemon-plans-men-s-stores-by-2016-in-bid-to-maintaingrowth.html\ Baker, Michael, “You Want Me To Wear What?”, The Sydney Morning Herald, http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/managing/you-want-me-to-wear-what-20130625-2otih.html “Lululemon Reaches Out to Men, but Will Guys Buy $100 yoga pants?”, NY Daily News, July 8, 2013. http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/lululemon-reaches-new-customer-base-men-article1.1393066 H. Andrew Schwartz, Johannes C. Eichstaedt, Margaret L. Kern, Lukasz Dziurzynski, Stephanie M. Ramones, Megha Agrawal, Achal Shah, Michal Kosinski, David Stillwell, Martin E. P. Seligman, Lyle H. Ungar, “Personality, Gender, and Age in the Language of Social Media: The Open-Vocabulary Approach”, plosone.org, http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0073791#s4