Why the Yogis Buy Lululemon

Breathe. Stretch. Longevity. Joy.

Yoga. An exercise activity that has been rapidly growing for the past few years, has helped those that partake in the activity relieve stress, build core strength, and feel more in tune with their mind and body. More and more yoga studios in my local community like CorePower Yoga, The House of Yogi, and Radiance Yoga are popping up like ads while browsing through the Huffington Post,

While the title may seem to focus in on what yogis do in their routine for a better life, it's not exactly what I'm talking about here. Over the past decade, Lululemon Athletica has taken the world by storm, and through the community of yoga enthusiast, it has created a cult-like following in its respective market—athleisure wear. But, what is "athleisure wear?"

"Athleisure is bigger than a trend, as evidenced by the people who wear yoga pants anywhere."

Athleisure is a trend in fashion in which clothing designed for workouts and other athletic activities is worn in other settings, such as at the workplace, school, or at other casual or social occasions. Lululemon has pioneered this trend and continues to lead the market in athleisure wear. With yoga pants costing an average of $100 a pair, its premium quality proves its worth with fabrics that breathe, stretch, are durable, and bring joy to its consumers as it adds definition and tonality in a woman's figure.

I recently had the chance to visit a Lululemon store with my significant other, where she tried on one of its most popular yoga pants, the "All The Right Places Pant." She stepped out of the fitting room, and we instantly became believers. Without a doubt, Lululemon had a great product.

The fashion trend has spread amongst many other brands like Nike, Under Armour, and Victoria's Secret, all attempting to climb the athleisure ladder. Can these companies knock Lululemon off the top of the totem pole?

Beauty, Self-Esteem & How The Industry Influences It

Let Me Start By Saying...

We are all beautiful. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise and that's the truth. Unfortunately, due to the social construct we live in, we don't entirely believe this and that's not by choice. Ever since we've been introduced to media, the industry has ingrained an "ideal" look for the man or woman where men have to be men— strong, muscular, burly; And women have to be gorgeous— skinny, toned, attractive.

"No matter what we do,

No matter what we say,

We're the song inside the tune

Full of beautiful mistakes."
—Christina Aguilera

Believe it or not, it's in our nature to think this way. We are exposed to so many glorified ads in magazines, television, movies, etc., that display these "beautiful" people and trigger a process of social comparison, where someone tries to evaluate their actual self and compare it to these models/actors/actresses/symbols and think that that is their ideal self. Frighteningly, it doesn't just pertain to the measurement of wealth in beauty either; it can be the degree of social wealth, financial wealth or of relationships, too.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

A perfect example on the effects of social comparison is in the movie, 'The Joneses.' The Joneses family take this form of advertising to quite an extreme, but the impact of their status to others is represented perfectly on how the beauty industry influences our self-esteem. If you've yet to see this film, I'd give it a try and see how you feel about the power of the industry's influence has on you.

Pumpkin Spice Smells So, So Nice: How We Influence Consumers Through Perception

Do you smell the pumpkin spice? Doesn't it just remind you of Thanksgiving? No? Or, does it remind you of Halloween? Believe it or not, there's probably someone out there ordering their Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks right now, giddy at the thought of Christmas! We have taken these smells (or any other senses) and associated it with something of our own, and that is how we perceive them. Advertisers know this, and guess what? They're using them to their benefit!

It's a new era in advertising called, 'Sensory Marketing,' where companies think carefully about the impact of sensations on our product experiences, and fixate that experience to that product. Advertisers will expose the message they want us to receive, and attempt to grab our attention with sight, sound, smells, taste, and(or) textures. How we interpret that message, well... That's the tricky part.

"Life has different definition in the eyes of different people..."

The Red Pill Or The Blue Pill?

Today, we are slowly digesting the world of augmented and virtual reality, where we integrate our real world into a digital one. Advertisers have only been able to reach us with sight and sound in the comfort of our own homes through televisions and computer screens. When we completely transition into this realm, advertisers will be able to make stronger connections with our emotions, tapping into our wants and desires with technology such as haptic feedback for touch and little boxes that produce aromas for a sense of smell.

It may be a while until advertisers get to connect to everyone in their own homes, but with attractions such as movies and theme parks giving a taste of this experience, it's only a matter of time until the market opens up the opportunity to do so. Facebook has recently introduced the Oculus Quest; an inexpensive option for an at-home virtual reality experience that may soon bridge this gap. It looks fun and may look silly, but its a digital wave you definitely don't want to miss.