Surfs up for lululemon athletica Swimwear

lululemon athletica has always taken a holistic approach to marketing with its associates serving as its models and free yoga classes offered in its stores. lululemon athletica swimwear was a natural next step for the company and it was able to raise brand awareness through its partnership with professional surfer Malia Manuel on Facebook and Instagram.

lululemon athletica Swimwear Taps Brand Ambassador on Social Media

With 167,000 Instagram followers, Malia Manuel may not be an obvious choice of brand ambassador for a large retailer. Coach recently inked $10 million deal with Selena Gomez, whose audience is much larger. It doesn’t take big numbers to have a meaningful impact for a brand. Marketers can have success with brand ambassadors with 10,000 followers. These embedded placements are efficient ways to build awareness and reach target audiences at a discount.

Under Armour’s disappointing sales this past quarter were attributed to a lack of “athletic inspiration” according to CEO Kevin Plank. This means the lucrative, long-term deals with high-profile star athletes Tom Brady, Steph Curry and Jordan Spieth did not pay off at that cash register. Maybe a targeted approach with placements in images and videos created by authentic ambassadors with loyal followers would have been better for the brand.

What can marketers learn from lululemon athletica swimwear?

Established brands with recognizable logos often benefit from incidental placements on social media. Newer brands can take advantage of these placements by building relationships with potential ambassadors on social media. Social platforms offer unprecedented access to an ocean of willing models whose portfolios and demographic data are a good match. The recent emergence of the contact button on Instagram profiles can facilitate these inquiries. As a result, the playing field is becoming level for brands to reach new audiences. It will be up to them to choose ambassadors with authenticity.