Overview
On April 7, Lululemon partnered with Tmall for a fifth consecutive year to celebrate its Super Brand Day, a one-day brand-specific sales event that offers special promotions and exclusive perks. Spotlighting its iconic Align collection, the athletic apparel brand presented a pop-up space named “Align Movement Theater” in Chengdu.
Featuring brand ambassadors Cici Wang and Amber Liu, as well as three Gen Z musicians from music label 88rising, the event delivered a vibrant and immersive theatrical experience for guests, including lifestyle KOLs and media. The event was also livestreamed on the brand’s Tmall flagship store.
Gen Z singers Veegee and Cacien performed at Lululemon’s Chengdu event. Photo: Lululemon
Netizens’ Reaction
The event video received over 524,000 views on Weibo within five days thanks to the two brand ambassadors, who have over 12.8 million followers in total. The campaign hashtag “Get into it” — the slogan for the Align collection — racked up over 38.5 million views within a week, and generated a large number of organic posts and comments on Weibo. In particular, the interactive stage setting and the performances by three Gen Z singers earned positive feedback from online viewers.
Verdict
Lululemon recorded strong financial results in the fourth quarter of 2022, with the company’s net revenue increasing 30 percent to $2.8 billion. Under its Power of Three x2 growth plan, the company aims to double 2021’s net revenue of $6.25 billion to $12.5 billion by 2026. The key pillars of the plan are product innovation, guest experience, and market expansion. In China, the sportswear disruptor also follows the guidance of this plan.
Lululemon has amassed a solid following among Chinese fitness lovers through digital penetration on Tmall and offline footprints across top-tier cities. Though leggings are its hero products, the brand has been putting effort into building its credibility across various categories, leading to the launch of its first footwear collection last year.
Lululemon is considered one of the three must-have brands for middle-aged women in China (known as “中年妇女三宝”), signaling that its key demographic is mature women with solid financial power. However, with the successful launch of its Tmall Super Brand Day, the Canadian retailer also shows its increasing focus on courting the mainland’s younger generation of consumers. From the party vibe of the event to the strong lineup of musicians, the label knows how to steal the show.
