ABC Differentiates Lululemon

No matter the brand, no matter the category, there are two things that are very difficult to do in marketing:

- differentiate versus the competition

- appeal to a new target audience, outside of your core

And really, the only way to do the second one is to do the first one too.

The only way you can start to go after a new audience for your brand, particularly if it's vastly different than your core audience, is to come up with a way to differentiate the brand from what the audience is already buying.

You've got to get this new audience to buy into your brand, rather than the one they've grown accustomed to having in their life.

Which is exactly what Lululemon is trying to do with its line of products for men. Let's face it, Lululemon is kinda sorta maybe known as a women's brand. Actually, not even kinda sorta maybe...most consider it a women's brand despite the product line geared for men.

To compete against the likes of Nike and Under Armour, Lululemon had to offer something for men to get the brand in "his" consideration set.

Enter ABC as in Anti-Ball Crushing pants, designed to, well, do the obvious, which is obviously a particular need for this target market.

Catch this:

I'm still wanting for an explanation of the actual technology/construction that makes it all so ABC. I want details to be convinced, but evidently I'm in the minority here...they've been selling like hotcakes and in fact quarterly sales of the men's line is up 21%.

Guess they are onto something...differentiating versus their competition to hit a new market (men).

Have you tried? What's your experience? JIM