Fabletics - Get Your Best Butt Ever

Figure 1: Kate Hudson Yoga, 2019

Fabletics was cofounded by actress Kate Hudson in 2013. The focus of this blog post will be on their 2019 TV advertisement Get Your Best Butt Ever.This promotional tool will be discussed in relation to the AIDA model, which describes the cognitive stages that the consumer goes through in purchasing a product. The purpose of this promotion is to build awareness of Fabletics, improve the rating of the brand against competitors and encourage purchase.

The television advert must communicate a complex message in just thirty seconds, using the senses of sight from the visuals of women wearing the products and sound from Kate Hudson's voice over (Palmer, 2004, p.421). The message conveyed is that Fabletics products have everything the customer and consumer is looking for, in terms of the total product concept, its affordability and accessibility.

AIDA model

AIDA is a "hierarchy of effects" model that proposes a sequence of cognitive responses from the customer, that highlights how communication stimulates a "conditioned" response (Palmer, 2004, p.422) The sound of the whistle blowing and words “get your butt in the game in Fabletics”gains initial awareness of the brand. These stimuli work to grab the customers attention, because people associate these signals with alarm.

Figure 2: Fabletics advert 2019

The second and third stages aim to create a liking, understanding and desire towards the product. Fabletics uses the words “leggings that look as good as they feel…perform as well as they fit… for every shape and size… for every workout and activity” (Fabletics YouTube, 2019), which provides the customer with the information they require to make a subsequent purchase decision. This is enhanced by the endorsement of Kate Hudson, who is directly associating her fit, stylish and glamorous image with the brand, generating desire. These middle stages of the advert carefully communicate the benefits the consumer receives from the products, not just their features. This is ultimately “identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably” (Chartered Institute of Marketing, 2015).

Figure 3: Fabletics sales promotion, 2017

Sales Promotion

To achieve an action, sales promotion is incorporated into the advert, with of a limited time offer “2 for $24”. According to Kotler and Armstrong, sales promotion is an effective short-term tool to increase sales and respond to market pressure (2016, p.519). Since the athleisure market is crowded, customers have less brand loyalty and are prepared to switch brands for the best offer (Palmer, 2004, p.474). This therefore, enables customers to purchase similar products to athleisure pioneers, Lululemon, at an affordable price. Fabletics have clearly considered their audience here, as this promotion appeals to millennial working women, perhaps single, not earning a great discretionary income, but who have an interest in fitness and looking good. Sales promotion is also more efficient and effective within a digital advertising campaign like this, as it has a large reach (Posner, 2012, p.183).

Company culture

Fabletics culture is orientated around customer satisfaction, stating that "Our Mission = Our Members". They place a heavy focus on customer reviews, boasting a 91% of satisfied VIP members (Fabletics, 2019). Online product reviews are a popular way to provide trusted product information that can lead to sales. This is particularly effective among millennials who routinely look to peers for approval (Taken-Smith, 2014, p.492).

Figure 4: Fabletics customer reviews, 2019

Competitors

Alternatively, competitors like Lululemon, communicate value through a “cult” following. This is achieved through the use of fitness ambassadors, PR activities like partnering with local fitness classes and the customer experience, that work to increase word-of-mouth marketing (Hum, 2015). This links to their brand image which is more high-end than Fabletics. They are in the growth stage of the product life cycle, whereas Fabletics is in its early stages, where advertising is more effective in building awareness (Palmer, 2004, p.428).

As described by the AIDA model, Fabletics' 2019 T.V advert has built awareness for their products and helped them to stand out against competitors. This has been facilitated by the endorsement of their founder, Kate Hudson, and appeal of a sales promotion. Overall, it is a simple and effective, promotional campaign. However, the narrative could be interpreted as too simplistic, outdated and lacking the personalised, brand community that market competitors have used successfully.

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References

Books:

Jackson. L, (2002). The Sixties Decade of Design Revolution. Published by Phaidon Press, London

Kotler, P., Armstrong, G. (2016) Principles of Marketing. Sixteenth Edition

Palmer, A. (2004) Introduction to marketing: theory and practice. Oxford

Posner, H. (2012) Marketing Fashion. Second Edition

Online:

Armstrong, P. (2016). Forbes. How Kate Hudson's Fabletics Is Taking On Amazon [Online]. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/paularmstrongtech/2016/11/16/how-kate-hudsons-fabletics-is-taking-on-amazon/#5b4875f011a1 [accessed 13/12/2019]

Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) (2019), A brief summary of marketing and how it works. [online]. Available from: https://www.cim.co.uk/media/4772/7ps.pdf [accessed 13/12/2019]

Fabletics (2019). Available from: https://www.fabletics.com/our-brand.htm [accessed 13/12/2019]

O’Connor, 2016. Forbes. Fabletics, Kate Hudson's Controversial Athleisure Brand, Plans To Open 100 Stores. [online]. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2016/02/12/fabletics-kate-hudsons-controversial-athleisure-brand-plans-to-open-100-stores/#2fdf8ac54492[accessed 12/11/2019]

Taken Smith, K. 2011. Digitial Marketing startegies that Millennials find appealing, motivating, or just annoying. Journal of Startegic Marketing. 19(6), pp.489-499. [Online]. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0965254X.2011.581383 [accessed 12/12/2019]

Wertz, D. (2017). Huffpost. Why Successful Brands Like Fabletics Leverage the Power of the Crowd. [Online]. Available from: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-successful-brands-like-fabletics-leverage-the-power_b_5984e8fae4b00833d1de27f8 [accessed 13/12/2019]

Young, K. (2013). Telegraph. Fabletics: Kate Hudson's new workout gear. [Online]. Available from: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG10382700/Fabletics-Kate-Hudsons-new-workout-gear.html [accessed 13/12/2019]

Videos:

Fabletics, YouTube (2019). [online] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9hCvfxlETA [accessed 13/12/2019]

List of figures

Figure 1: Kate Hudson yoga pants, Fabletics (2019). Available from: https://style.fabletics.com/dms9542/ [accessed 14/12/2019]

Figure 2: Fabletics advert, ispotTV (2019). Available from: https://www.ispot.tv/ad/IpFV/fabletics-com-every-workout [accessed 14/12/2019]

Figure 3: Fabletics sales promotion, Hello Subscription (2017). Available from: https://hellosubscription.com/2017/01/new-fabletics-deal-2-pairs-leggings-24/ [accessed 14/12/2019]

Figure 4: Fabletics customer satisfaction, Fabletics (2019). Available from: https://www.fabletics.com/our-brand.htm [accessed 14/12/2019]