Lululemon seems to be dealing with a lot of
negative PR this year. In March, the company received backlash because they
released yoga pants that were too sheer. In an interview for Bloomberg TV
Lululemon's founder, Chip Wilson, blamed women's bodies as the reason to why the yoga pants were so sheer when he stated "some
women's bodies don't actually work" for wearing Lululemon's yoga pants.
This past Friday Wilson released a video on the company's Facebook page
apologizing for what he said on Bloomberg TV.
In the video, Wilson never actually apologized
to all of the women he insulted, "I'm sad for the repercussions of my
actions. I'm sad for the people at Lululemon who I care so much about, that
have really had to face the brunt of my actions. I take responsibility for all
that has occurred and the impact it has had on you. I'm sorry to have put you
all through this...For all of you that have made Lululemon what it is today, I
ask you to stay in a conversation that is above the fray. I ask you to prove
that the culture you have built cannot be chipped away"-Chip Wilson.
Ragan.com posted an article about whether or not Lululemon's apology video was a good idea. Wilson had the right idea of publishing an
apology video right away to make up for his words that offended a large portion
of women. The video starts off well as Wilson fights back tears making him seem genuinely sorry for what he
said. However, the apology is to his employees and not to his customers.
This is what makes his apology video a disaster. Wilson makes it apparent that
he is sorry for his actions, but only because he was caught from the backlash
of the media and his customers.
Being in the public spotlight, it is extremely
important when choosing your choice of words. Don't say anything that you think
could be twisted or used against you. I'm sure Wilson's intention during the
interview was not to call women fat, but the impact of his choice of words made
people feel differently. It seemed as if he blamed women for the pants’
sheerness because some women can't fit into Lululemon's yoga pants due
to their size.
There is also no point in posting an apology
video to the public on Facebook when Wilson is only apologizing to his
employees. He could have easily emailed out an apology letter or email to his
employees. This video was poorly worded and could have used a lot of help
from a crisis manager. It would have been a more effective form of crisis
communication if he apologized towards the customers he insulted.
My advice for Lululemon is for the company to
release a public apology statement about what their founder said on Bloomberg
TV. I would then suggest that the company tries to find a new voice for the brand.
This can build a positive relationship between Lululemon and its customers. A
new voice for the company could perhaps be an athletic spokeswoman who is not
necessarily a rail thin, but instead has a muscular shape. This example shows
that Lululemon is making an active effort to include women of all sizes into
their campaigns and future branding.
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