Lululemon
Australia Research Essay
Raissa Almira
University of Melbourne,
Australia
Email: raissa.almira2606@gmail.com
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KEYWORDS
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ABSTRACT
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Research Essay, Communications, Marketing
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This research
critically evaluates Lululemon Australia's Integrated Marketing
Communications (IMC) strategy, specifically focusing on its footwear
category. Despite Lululemon's established success in yoga wear, the footwear
segment lacks a cohesive IMC approach, evident from its absence in
promotional efforts and launch initiatives. The analysis draws on the framework,
emphasizing the importance of consistent messaging and comprehensive audience
coverage. It highlights discrepancies in targeting and communication alignment,
noting a predominant female-centric focus contrary to the intended unisex
audience. Overall, the assessment underscores the necessity for Lululemon AU
to strengthen its IMC strategy for footwear to effectively resonate with and
engage its diverse target demographic.
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DOI:
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Corresponding
Author: Raissa
Almira *
Email:
raissa.almira2606@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION
Integrated
Marketing Communications (IMC) is widely recognized as a critical factor in the
success of various brand communication strategies globally (Keller, 2016). This essay seeks to assess the
current IMC strategy of Lululemon, a company specializing in "technical
athletic apparel for yoga, running, training, and other active pursuits" (Stauffer, n.d.), with a specific focus on its
operations in Australia (lululemon AU) and specifically within the footwear
category as outlined in the client brief (lululemon AU 2023). Based on my
findings, I argue that Lululemon AU has yet to implement a cohesive IMC approach
to effectively coordinate and unify its communications efforts (Keller, 2016), particularly evident in the
absence of promotion or launch activities for the footwear in question.
At the heart of
integrated marketing communications (IMC) is the concept of strategically
planning and consistently delivering messages to a company's target audience to
achieve specific goals (Percy, 2014). This essay assesses Lululemon
AU's footwear category by applying three criteria from Keller's (2016) seven Cs: Coverage, Contribution, and
Commonality. The selection of these criteria is supported by their significance
in IMC, emphasizing the breadth of communication (293), the primary impacts of
messaging (293), and the alignment between audience and content across channels
(294) (Fill &
Turnbull, 2019). Despite Lululemon AU potentially employing an
IMC strategy for other product lines like yoga wear, the evaluation reveals
that their approach to footwear lacks integration, as indicated by the findings
of a media audit. Overall, improvements are needed across all three criteria
for Lululemon Australia's IMC strategy in the footwear category (Mozingo,
Eno, Mitchell, Morrissey, & Eshleman, 2024).
The potential
impact of communication strategies designed to influence perceptions and
contribute to the Lululemon AU footwear category (Keller, 2016) appears limited due to the
category's pending launch and promotional efforts. Additionally, the
effectiveness of these efforts may be influenced by the communication
strategies employed across other product categories within Lululemon AU (Keller, 2016). Notably, Lululemon is
predominantly recognized for its women's yoga apparel (Williams,
Fulton, Vaughn, & Spiegel, 2024), which contrasts with its
intended brand positioning as outlined in client briefs (Stauffer, n.d.); a cursory Google image
search corroborates this (Figure 6). The objective of Lululemon AU's footwear
category is to gain traction among male consumers (Stauffer, n.d.). Currently, however, the
communication impact it generates is largely oriented towards women (Keller, 2016), potentially affecting how the
intended audience perceives it. once the footwear launches, which is unisex,
not only women (Stauffer, n.d.).
Figure.
lululemon Google search image. (Source: Google)
Currently, the
communication efforts for the Lululemon AU footwear category are not generating
any noticeable impact, according to Keller (Keller, 2016). However, if the goal is to
maintain low awareness of this category, then Lululemon AU is succeeding in
that aspect (Baalbaki,
Gilliard, & Hoffman, 2019). As a result, the Commonality (Keller, 2016) for Lululemon AU's footwear
category is currently non-existent. In contrast, Lululemon AU's communication
strategies in other categories are robust and yield similar effects (Keller, 2016). Figures 1 to 6 illustrate that
across PESO media channels, there is consistent use of visual themes and
messaging, which aids consumers in accurately processing and remembering
information about the Lululemon brand (Keller, 2016). This consistency ensures that
consumers perceive Lululemon consistently across all communication channels (Percy, 2014). Notably, Lululemon is strongly
associated with an active, women-centric lifestyle, which may complicate
efforts to promote the footwear category aimed at both genders (Stauffer, n.d.). The research fails to clearly
articulate the objectives, benefits, and implications, although these aspects
can be inferred from the discussion.
METHODS
This research
will analyze a media audit conducted from February 2023 to August 2023,
focusing on paid, earned, shared, and owned media. It will utilize Keller's 7C
framework (Keller, 2016) to substantiate its arguments
and compare Lululemon AU across different categories. Furthermore, it will
delve into two communication challenges: brand awareness (Aaker, 2020) and brand positioning (Keller, 2016; Mammadova, 2023). Lastly, the
essay will examine Adidas Australia's integrated marketing communications (IMC)
strategy in the footwear sector to provide insights into addressing
communication issues related to Lululemon AU's footwear.
RESULTS and DISCUSSION
Based on the
assessment, this essay identifies two primary communication challenges facing
Lululemon Australia (Keane, 2022). First, there is an issue with
brand awareness. This involves ensuring that potential customers recognize
Lululemon as part of a specific product category (Aaker, 2020). Many consumers are unaware that
Lululemon offers more than just yoga products, including a footwear line not
yet available in Australia (Social
& Labour, 2022). Despite a media audit, there has been
little to no mention of the footwear line in the Australian market, which is
crucial for generating excitement and awareness (Aaker, 2020). According to Keller's
Customer-Based Brand Equity Pyramid (2001), the footwear category of Lululemon
AU currently occupies the lowest level, indicating a need for increased
awareness efforts. Achieving the highest level of "Brand Resonance," where
consumers deeply connect with the footwear products (Keller, 2016), appears challenging under
current circumstances. In conclusion, more attention must be devoted to raising
awareness of Lululemon's footwear offerings in Australia (Bu, 2023).
The second
issue lies in brand positioning. Currently, Lululemon AU is strongly associated
in consumers' minds as a women's yoga brand, evident from their integrated
marketing communications (IMC) channels (Kostelijk
& Alsem, 2020). However, Lululemon aims to change this
perception to establish credibility and be seen as a technical sports
performance brand for all genders, especially with the upcoming launch of
footwear (Stauffer, n.d.). This presents a challenge
because Lululemon has historically positioned itself primarily as a brand for
women (Brice,
Thorpe, Wheaton, & Longhurst, 2023). The IMC channels
reinforce this identity, predominantly featuring women's products over men's.
There exists a disconnect between Lululemon AU's intended brand identity,
defined by the company itself, and its brand image, which is how the target
audience perceives it (Kostelijk
& Alsem, 2020). This disconnect may undermine the
effectiveness of the communications efforts for the footwear launch (Godfrey,
Price, & Lusch, 2022).
Expanding on
the communication challenges faced by Lululemon Australia, this essay will now
analyze the communication approach utilized by one of its direct rivals, Adidas
Australia, particularly within its footwear segment. The comparison aims to
derive insights applicable to Lululemon AU, which has yet to introduce this
product category in Australia. Adidas AU has garnered significant media
coverage (Keller, 2016) across paid ,
earned, shared, and owned channels, effectively boosting product awareness (Keller, 2016) among a diverse audience,
evident in their unisex footwear collections.
Figure.
adidas AU Footwear paid media. (Source: Google)
Figure.
adidas AU Footwear earned media. (Source: The West Australian)
Figure
. adidas AU shared media. (Source: adidas AU Instagram)
Figure.
adidas AU-owned media. (Source: Adidas AU website)
Adidas AU
footwear stands out for its effective branding as a unisex product line,
avoiding favoritism towards any specific gender. This is evident in their
support for sports events of both genders, such as the Fifa Women's World Cup
(Figure 11). If Adidas AU were involved in a male-dominated event like the
World Cup (Figure 12), they would similarly promote equality. This balanced
exposure strategy, as noted by Keller (2016), contributes significantly to their
strong brand positioning (Kostelijk
& Alsem, 2020) as an athletic brand that caters to both
genders, akin to the goals of Lululemon AU.
Figure.
adidas AU Footwear on Fifa Women's World Cup. (Source: Adidas AU Instagram)
Figure.
adidas AU Footwear on World Cup. (Source: Adidas AU Instagram)
CONCLUSION
In summary,
lululemon AU footwear's integrated marketing communications (IMC) strategy does
not meet the standards of an effective approach. According to Keller (Keller, 2016), the brand lacks sufficient
Coverage, Contribution, and Commonality, hindering its ability to connect with
its audience, make an impact, and establish a shared identity. These
deficiencies are also apparent in communication issues such as low brand awareness
and positioning, which could present challenges upon entering the footwear
market. To overcome these challenges, lululemon AU footwear can draw lessons
from Adidas AU footwear, a direct competitor that has successfully built brand
awareness and secured a strong market position.
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