Lululemon is hard to miss. If you’ve ever attended a yoga class, you’ve seen their gear. Your over-energized gym instructor is likely sporting their logo. If you’ve watched college football, your team’s coach probably just struck a sponsorship deal with Lululemon. The brand has a simple logo, a cult-like following, and is widely considered a top company for brand ambassadors to work with. So, what makes this brand so lulu-lovely? What does it look like to be a Lululemon brand ambassador?
What is a Brand Ambassador?
Every company defines ‘brand ambassador‘ differently, but, essentially, that person signs up to represent a brand they love in exchange for perks. Some companies ask brand ambassadors to market to a specific demographic, such as university students or young professionals. Others look for ambassadors to maintain a vibrant social media presence. Across the board, companies require brand ambassadors to complete certain activities in exchange for benefits. Examples of brand ambassador activities include:
- Wearing or using merchandise/products
- Attending or supporting events
- Promoting products on social media
- Sharing reviews
For brands, there is massive competition for consumers’ attention, especially in today’s world of e-commerce and social commerce. Through social media, word-of-mouth marketing, events, etc., brand ambassadors can be a vital tool for conversion of sales and building brand equity.
It’s clear why brands want ambassadors, but what’s in it for the brand ambassadors? A common theme of brand ambassadors is genuine loyalty to a company. They believe strongly in the company’s mission, swear by its products, and/or enjoy the culture or community the company has created. Then, of course, there are the perks. Brands reward their ambassador in several ways: discounts, merchandise, and loyalty program points. A campus brand ambassador might work for a brand for extra cash and professional exposure.
If you want to learn more about how brands or companies can effectively leverage relationships with brand ambassadors, affiliates, and influencers, please check out BrandChamp.
About Lululemon
Lululemon is a Canadian athletic apparel company founded in 1998. Primarily known for high-quality yoga gear, Lululemon has grown into one of the world’s most popular and well-recognized athletic outfitters. At its inception, it focused solely on women’s yoga apparel. As demand and popularity grew, Lululemon expanded into menswear as well as other athletic niches such as running, cycling, training, and more. According to CNBC, the company expects to do between $9.44 and $9.51 billion in revenue sales by the end of 2023.
Lululemon’s popularity stems from its mission and culture just as much as its products. In an era of personal health awareness, body positivity, and emphasis on individual empowerment, Lululemon states its culture is about a “desire to empower people to reach their full potential through providing the right tools and resources and encouraging a culture of leadership, goal setting, and personal responsibility.” This attitude has paid off, bringing the brand to the top of consumer charts in their niche.
Collaborations and partnerships also contribute to Lululemon’s visibility. They successfully partnered with the Wilderness Collective on a collection of clothing for outdoor activities, like hiking or rock climbing. That’s just one example of their efforts to stay connected to their customers, their customers’ interests, and the current social climate.
Exploring Lululemon’s Ambassador Programs
Lululemon has four ways that people can support them: as a member of the Sweat Collective, an Affiliate, as a Creator, and as a member of their Ambassador Program.
Sweat Collective
The Sweat Collective, unsurprisingly, is for people in the fitness industry. Personal trainers, gym managers, athletes, coaches, and more receive 25% discounts, event invitations, and the ability to provide product input as part of their membership perks. To quality, you must provide proof of being an active, certified leader in your community. These fitness ambassadors are passionate about health and align perfectly with the brand’s mission.
Affiliates and Creators
That said, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to join the brand’s two other ambassador communities. The Affiliate Program caters to bloggers, editorial publications, and media professionals. The Creator Network welcomes social media content creators. In both cases, participants are rewarded for promoting Lululemon gear on social media with special promotions, event access and first dibs on new product drops.
Ambassadors
Lululemon’s Ambassador Program works differently. You don’t apply online. Rather, you visit your local store and connect on an in-person level. Who can apply? On the program’s webiste, they say, “If you embody the three pillars of what we call the sweatlife — sweat, grow, and connect — then we think you’re ambassador material.”
What are the benefits? Ambassadors physically rep the brand in their community, receiving developmental tools and experiences as well as getting to test new products before the general public.
In other words, there’s a program for everyone as long as you are a “sweater.” In this case, the brand means hustlers in general – people who work hard, whether as a business owner, a writer, a student, or whatever you may be. This inclusive model allows Lululemon to reach a wide audience and expand its product line.
Let’s talk to Lululemon!
We got to speak with a long-time Lululemon employee, Lindsey, from Columbus, OH, about her experience working with Lululemon, how her company utilizes brand ambassadors, and what someone interested in a position can expect.
Q: In a few words, how would you describe the culture at Lululemon?
Lindsey: “Sweaty, collective, developmental, strategic.”
Q: How does Lululemon benefit their Brand Ambassadors?
Lindsey: “They’re walking, visual and verbal advertisements of the company, how the clothing reacts in their specific realm of activity (think: this is the best pants for spinning because I’m a spin instructor, or these are the best bras for CrossFit because I’m a CrossFit coach or these XYZ are the best for long runs because I’m a marathon runner, etc.). Ambassadors get some pretty cool perks, including allowing friends to use an extended discount during holiday time, which drives traffic into doors, and that means more money for the store, more opportunity to capture emails, more chances to educate new people on the brand and product.”
Q: What does a typical day look like for a Lululemon Brand Ambassador?
Lindsey: “Ambassadors are movers or shakers in their community. They wake up and literally kick ass in whatever they do. Typically, they’re in the fitness industry, so they’re probably starting their morning with a large cup of coffee, headed to their studio of choice, ready to teach a class, train a client, or get their own workout. Lululemon values their ambassadors’ natural impact on the lives of people who surround them, and their willingness to create and support a community of people dedicated (or at least interested) in living a life in pursuit of sweaty moments.”
What can other ambassador programs learn from Lululemon?
Lululemon runs multiple programs. But so do a lot of brands. What can another company learn from Lululemon?
Well, two things stick out: exclusivity and support.
In this sense, the exclusivity factor is a positive one. Lululemon is looking for people who are the right fit, and they’ve built unique communities for people in multiple niches.
The company then gives support to each network of ambassadors. As their social media shows, Lululemon offers exposure and encouragement, but also gear, classes, and even business promotions for folks involved in their programs.
Other companies can look at this model and recognize the importance of the individual people it invests in to represent the brand. The success of Lululemon relies heavily on the people who love their products, and they invest heavily in those who most successfully represent the brand.
Is Lululemon’s brand ambassador program right for you?
Lululemon’s various ambassador programs all focus on the brand’s culture and community. And, while there is an emphasis on people thriving in the fitness industry, there are opportunities for all kinds of people to participate.
So, whether or not you’re in the fitness industry, if you want to join a community of “sweaters”, consider yourself a savvy social media user, and are passionate about the Lululemon brand, one of their ambassador programs could be an ideal fit.
To jumpstart your own ambassador marketing efforts, BrandChamp can help guide you through the process!
