Assignment
Lululemon is struggling to change their positioning strategy focusing more on male customers. Traditionally the company is known for their women focused athletic-leisure products. Lululemon established segments to identify precise needs and desires of their customers and provide greater value than their competitors, to beat their expectations. Beyond the female market, Lululemon sees the possibility to expand their market by focusing more on the male segments, through repositioning their brand so that their products become more appealing to their male customers. Therefore, in order to increase sales, they initiated a new design round, creatign outerwear pieces that were novel and innovative and thus could support the requirements of various outdoor enthusiasts. For example, the Einn Shell and the Surge Thermo Vests are designed to work together, for people in really cold climates, or separately, for those in warmer areas. Each piece also allows wearers to increase or decrease the warmth provided by their gear with simple adjustments. The vest design puts more warmth at the chest but provides more breathability in the back, and a snap located right at the sternum level can be easily opened (if the wearer gets hot) or closed (once the cold start setting in). For segments of guys who sweat a lot, for example, such options can be invaluable.
Beyond the product itself, they need to focus on their strategic marketing tactics to make the product more resonating to their male customers' needs. A series of ads, under the "Strength to Be" campaign, encourages men to reconsider what it means to be strong by presenting diverse opinions from a range of people. The goal is to encourage men to move beyond simple notion of physical strength. According to one of the company's brand directors, Lululemon aims to "empower people to blaze their own trail, rather than conform to traditional stereotypes and archetypes." Nevertheless, in spite of increased sales of menswear, Lululemon recently closed its men's only stores in Toronto and New York City less than two years after opening. Brand awareness of Lululemon is low with men, but the company is not planning to abandon the segment.
Task
1. Do you believe the choice of the generic strategies Lululemon made can help them re-establish the brand with men and improve their brand awareness?
2. What are the strategic changes you think Lululemon needs to go through to make their products even more appealing?
3. Can it threaten Lululemon's female base if their products become more appealing to male customers?
4. How much do you think CSR acts can lead to more brand awareness? Bring an example to explain your reasoning.