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  • Styled Athletics | Lululemon’s Secret? Bundles, Emotion & Last-Minute Shoppers

Styled Athletics | Lululemon’s Secret? Bundles, Emotion & Last-Minute Shoppers

Plus, Target’s All In Motion dress is winning over moms with functional design and a $35 price tag.

Welcome to Styled Athletics, your essential newsletter for marketers and eCommerce professionals in the athleisure industry.

Editor’s Pick ✨

ClickZ was on the ground at POSSIBLE Miami, and here were our top takeaways:

  1. More than ever, consumer discovery is shifting to "interest media" platforms (like TikTok, Snap & Pinterest). Gary Vaynerchuk highlighted this evolution from a "social media era" to interest media, emphasizing that brands must now prioritize creating relevant content aligned with user interests to capture attention at the crucial initial stages of the customer journey.

  2. Measuring the ROI of top-of-funnel engagement on "interest media" channels is becoming a crucial differentiator. Despite recognizing the importance of reaching consumers earlier, many brands struggle to effectively track how content on interest media channels translated to bottom-line results. Those adopting full-funnel measurement solutions increasingly hold a competitive advantage.

  3. Commerce is increasingly integrated into content (e.g., TikTok Shop) demanding strategies that blend engagement and direct purchase. The growing impact of viral content driving sales, particularly through platforms like TikTok Shop, highlights the need for brands to embrace shoppable content experiences to capitalize on this evolution.

Turning these insights into actionable strategies is essential. For a free resource on strategically investing in and measuring the performance of upper-funnel 'interest media' channels, check out Fospha's Growth Accelerator Guide here.

Sector Spotlight 🎥

LUXURY APPAREL MARKETING

Lululemon’s Mother’s Day campaign strategically capitalizes on emotional gifting cues by curating high-performing items in its "We Made Too Much" section—blending utility, style, and aspirational value. By bundling travel-ready athleisure and leveraging urgency through limited-time pricing, the brand reinforces loyalty and boosts AOV. For marketers, this campaign showcases the effectiveness of seasonal storytelling, inventory repackaging, and occasion-driven merchandising in driving targeted eCommerce engagement.

SPORTSWEAR CURATION

Nike’s latest capsule of 27 women’s workout staples—spanning technical leggings to supportive sports bras—demonstrates a cohesive blend of functionality and fashion. The brand integrates detailed fit guidance, layered price points, and authentic peer reviews to drive consumer confidence. For marketers, this campaign exemplifies the impact of leveraging social proof, granular product filtering, and review-centric merchandising to deepen engagement and streamline purchase journeys in the activewear category.

FINANCIAL FORECAST

Desjardins projects reduced earnings for Gildan Activewear, signaling potential profitability challenges and a shift in market confidence. Marketers should reassess campaign messaging and inventory planning to mitigate risk. Earnings volatility underscores the need for timely data-driven strategies.

BRAND EXPANSION

Gymshark’s New York pop-up and imminent flagship store debut mark its crucial expansion from digital-first eCommerce to omnichannel retail, combining immersive brand storytelling with community-centric events for deeper consumer engagement. Despite recent layoffs and profit declines, Gymshark’s experiential activations and influencer-driven campaigns demonstrate a data-informed commitment to building North American market share for marketing professionals seeking omnichannel case studies.

RETAIL PROMOTIONS

Old Navy’s one-day 50% off activewear promotion offers a sharp case study in value-driven marketing. For performance marketers, it underscores consumer responsiveness to time-limited discounts and the importance of pricing strategy in attracting budget-conscious shoppers. The campaign also provides a benchmark for how legacy retailers can retain relevance and compete in a saturated athleisure space by leveraging urgency and mass appeal.

APPAREL MARKETING INSIGHTS

Target’s All In Motion active dress has emerged as a high-performing product among time-strapped moms, combining built-in functionality (shorts and UPF 50 protection) with affordability and inclusive sizing. For apparel marketers, its success illustrates how accessible pricing, everyday versatility, and thoughtful design can drive high-volume eCommerce conversions and deepen brand affinity across lifestyle segments.

Influencer Corner 📣

Video ads aren’t just about audience. They’re about context and timing | ClickZ.com

At POSSIBLE 2025, Gary Mittman, CEO of KERV.ai, joined Anna Peggram to explain why shoppable video is finally getting real traction and what needs to change in how we measure engagement. Key takeaways:

1. Stop guessing attention. Track action: Clicks, scans, and interactions matter more than inferred “attention.” Measure what people do, not what you think they saw.

2. Context is the new creative: If someone just watched a cooking show, don’t serve them a generic ad. Use real-time content recognition to deliver something relevant and shoppable.

3. AI doesn’t need taxonomies: Most ad systems still use categories built for humans. KERV leverages AI to match creative to content without rigid labels and that’s what makes the experience seamless.

Visual Rules to make you stop scrolling. | Juan Campdera

Capture your audience's attention? Visual composition isn't just about making things look good, it's about guiding your audience through your message with purpose. These visual principles act as the foundation for powerful communication, helping you arrange elements in a way that’s eye-catching, aesthetic, and legible.

Performance Pulse 📈

INNOVATIVE CTV ADVERTISING

Google’s latest CTV ad updates significantly expand reach through new partnerships with Netflix, NBCUniversal, Disney, Tubi, Spotify, and Roblox, offering marketers broader audience access across high-engagement platforms. Enhanced AI-driven targeting and commerce integrations now enable precise campaign optimization and actionable sales insights. With CTV watch time and YouTube podcast views surging, these advances give marketers robust tools to efficiently engage audiences where they watch and shop.

INNOVATIVE MARKETING TECHNOLOGIES

Integrating APIs into email marketing enables seamless automation, advanced personalization, and real-time analytics, streamlining workflows and ensuring campaign relevance. Reliable APIs must offer scalability, security, data privacy, and minimal downtime, supporting marketers’ need for efficiency and regulatory compliance. These capabilities are essential for boosting audience engagement and maximizing ROI.

CONVERSION OPTIMIZATION

Bounce rate and exit rate are distinct metrics that reveal specific user behaviors: bounce rate measures single-page sessions with no interactions, while exit rate highlights where users leave during their journey. Marketers should segment these metrics by traffic source, page type, and device to identify friction and optimize funnel performance. Proper analysis in GA4 helps refine content alignment, page speed, and conversion paths for improved eCommerce and content site outcomes.

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