Lululemon, Lululemon, Lululemon!!!  There I said it!!  In the last few weeks it seems that every time I get into a conversation about marketing and social media the words “Lululemon – their message is tight!” comes out of my mouth.  Let me explain.

I knew of Lululemon, but they didn’t really hit on my radar until I did some research for my Inner Girl Athlete and Under Armour post.  In that post, if you recall, I mentioned how Under Armour had a position open for a Women’s Marketing Manager and that I had applied for the position (still no word there).  In doing my homework I researched other women’s athletic apparel makers, including Title Nine and Lululemon.  I also started following their Twitter feeds and became a fan on Facebook.  Not only did Lululemon blow me away, but I’m quickly becoming a super fan when I’ve never spent a dime with them or own a single piece of their apparel!!

When it comes to having a clear vision of who they are and how to communicate that vision with their “guests” they have it nailed!  A quick visit to their website and you will find the words – goals, outgoing, upbeat, energetic and fun – permeate the site.  Here’s the really cool thing – had I only ever gone to their Facebook fan page, blog or Twitter feed I still would have received that message.

Their message isn’t just about putting out the word but actively living the lifestyle they preach.  Lululemon runs challenges that they not only promote but actively engage in as well.  For the month of February they ran “A Challenge a Day”.  A couple of my favorite challenges were #21 – leave a positive message in a public place and #22 – hold downward dog for 5 minutes.  They posted the challenge with images of themselves participating in the challenge.  Fans then participated by commenting on how they met the challenge.  The challenges spread Lululemon’s overall message in a fun, upbeat way.

Here is how Lululemon knocks the socks off with their Social Media efforts.  They very, very actively listen and take part in the conversation people are having about them.  They are constantly looking for feedback on their products.  You can give your input in several different ways – a form off their website, an in store form or comments on their Facebook fan page.  And I know they are listening.   Look at their fan page, someone from Lululemon almost always comments on the customer feedback.  They let the commenter know they will pass the word on to the designers, etc…  Usually Whitney does the honors.  I love that I know Whitney is taking care of me should I have an issue.  I now no longer feel like one of many but like I have a personal connection – an inside line so to speak.  Mind you I’ve never met Whitney but I know she hears me.

Lastly, in terms of using Social Media in a way that I love, Lululemon posts on their fan page new products.  I know many people do that, but here is where Lululemon stands out – they attach a small story to it.  They give you a review – what the product is – ie rain jacket etc.., an image of a real person (usually someone in their office) with the person’s measurements so you can envision how it fits on you and then they tell you why they made it.  I love knowing their thoughts behind the piece – it lets me feel like I have a peek into the inner works of the company – I then can feel like I own a piece of the process – especially if some part of the new design came from feedback I gave them! (check it out here)

There are so many other ways that Lululemon makes a complete circle with their message and I urge you to check out their site, blog and facebook fan page to make the connections for yourself.  Now I’m off to find one of their retail stores to experience the message in real time!

Recently, I started working out with Paulie, a top-notch trainer.  At the end of the first session, I went over with him what I wanted and what I was expecting to get out of the next 15 weeks. I left feeling really positive about everything.  As I was driving away it struck me.  I had just had a one-way conversation.  Not once did I ask Paulie what he expected of me.  Right there, I had a major epiphany!!

Back in my days of coaching rowing, how much more effective of a coach would I have been if I told my athletes, up front, exactly what I expected of them!  I knew my adult athletes wanted to learn and some of them would eventually want to try racing.  What I didn’t articulate was what my desire for them was.  I moved ahead with my coaching techniques and plans.  Never having had this important conversation about what our expectations of each other were.  How much easier would my coaching job have been if I had only had this conversation at the very first training session??

This led me to thinking about how I interact with my clients.  I realized, when working with clients, I too was like Paulie. I have never clearly, in detail, stated what my expectations were.  Based on my presentation and previous work I assumed they were understood.  With each new job, I have in my head how I want a project to go – scheduling, process and outcome. My clients often have their own expectations and it’s my job to draw it out from them.  We often have a basic discussion and both sides walk away assuming our expectations are the same.  This is where problems can arise.  When expectations don’t match, frustrations and tension in the working relationship start to crop up.  It was a duh moment for me – if I sit down and have a detailed discussion with my clients, about both of our expectations – from the very beginning, not only will we have a great working relationship but better work will also be created!

Moving forward, I plan on having this detailed discussion with each new project, regardless of whether I working with a new client or not.  Are you clearly stating your expectations?