How Lululemon is using Mirror to train for the future

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, check us out on Spotify and hear us on Stitcher. This is our RSS feed. Tell a friend! Like many retailers, Lululemon was forced to close stores during the pandemic. But the apparel brand, known for its high-end yogawear and accessories, was able to bolster its e-commerce sales and find new ways to connect with customers at a time when they were craving comfortable clothing and workout gear. “It’s been an opportunity for us to perhaps be having some honest conversations about where we were as a brand and where we want to go moving forward, all in this new environment,” says Nikki Neuburger, who joined the Canadian company as chief brand officer early this year. Speaking on Ad Age’s “Marketer’s Brief” podcast, Neuburger notes that Lululemon has been able to grow its brand based on two main trends—the acceleration in online shopping and the shift in behavior of people working from home and working out from home. Those trends are continuing even as stores reopen ahead of the holiday season. The company’s July acquisition of Mirror, the home connected-fitness startup, plays into that growth strategy. Lululemon recently began selling the Mirror product at 18 of its stores; Neuburger says by the spring that number will expand to over 100 locations. “We see a ton of potential in terms of what Mirror brings to Lululemon,” she says. “From a brand perspective, what this offers to guests is really a way for us to grow our community and be in connection and engaging with guests on a daily basis through a connected fitness platform.” Neuburger also discusses the brand’s recent appointment of a new creative agency of record in Droga5. The agency is expected to unveil a new brand platform early next year. “Lululemon is at an inflection point as a brand and as a business,” she says, noting goals to double both the menswear and digital businesses, and quadruple international business. “We want to develop a platform that is really going to position Lululemon as a brand for all genders, as a brand that is rooted in yoga and yoga philosophy, but has credibility and really amazing technical innovation and communities within running and training culture.” She noted plans to also expand beyond apparel into footwear. To hear more about what marketers are planning, please sign up for Ad Age’s virtual CMO conference on Dec. 8, where executives from brands including Lowe’s, Citi and Frito-Lay will discuss topics ranging from in-house agencies and media planning to how best to structure internal teams to deal with the changing consumer environment. Register here.

How Lululemon is using Mirror to train for the future

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