Lululemon Defends its Reputation

Fast forward one day and Lululemon has recovered its stock price and refuted a media report that its VitaSea garments don’t contain the minerals, vitamins and amino acids they claim in their marketing materials.

Recovering from its initial lackluster response to the New York Times expose, the Vancouver yoga-inspired athletics wear firm came armed with independent testing.

In a news release, CEO Bob Meers says:

“Product quality and authenticity are of the utmost importance to lululemon. Integrity goes to the core of everything we do and is at the heart of our relationship with our guests. For this reason, we test our products for content using a leading testing facility. We absolutely stand behind our products, our processes and refute any claims in recent press reports to the contrary.”

Full points for avoiding bafflegab and buttressing the trust relationship with customers that is crucial for a high-end sports wear line. Image may not be everything in that business, but it’s hugely important.

The question of whether the Times acted responsibly by publishing a story based on a tip from a short seller wanting drive the stock price down is a fair one to ask. I’m not overly impressed with the New York Times’ lab testing methodology, but Lululemon had an opportunity to rebut the reporter’s claim about their products and either messed up, or their more effective comments were left out of the article.

The follow up public relations effort, complete with a good old-fashioned news release, did a good job of reassuring people about the company’s processes and products.

See also:

The Spin War to Protect China’s Brand; How to Alienate your Best Customers; and Apple’s Reputation Management.

Tags: lululemon, bob meers, new york times, retail, environmental, yoga, clothing, fashion, vancouver, research