The athleisure fashion trend – that is, athletic-style clothing that blurs the lines between exercise, casual, and work clothing – is wildly popular and a growing billion-dollar industry. There are many brands that produce athleisure-style clothing, but few stand out as much as Alo Yoga, a Los Angeles based company that retains a high level of quality and standards, as well as authenticity and mindfulness.
In fact, that is exactly what their core values revolve around since they were founded in 2007 by Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge: mindfulness. They aim to “inspire wellness and create community” by bringing mindful practices from the yoga mat to the street.
Now with five brick-and-mortar stores, being sold in high end retail stores and the company’s e-commerce site, as well as two book releases and a YouTube channel, Alo Yoga is dominating the athleisure industry with seemingly little effort.
So how did the Queen of Athleisure come to rule the industry, seemingly overnight?
We’ve got some insight for you:
They Shook Up the Industry
Opting for more genuine and less traditional approach to marketing and social media, Alo Yoga is centered around spreading mindfulness and healthy practices by bringing more yoga into the world.
In an age where “mindfulness” is a household term and there’s an increasing environmental awareness, consumers are on the lookout for companies that support and embody their personal beliefs. Alo Yoga was able to seize these ideals and incorporate them in the company’s core values. They know their audience, and their target audience is conscious enough to choose products that fit their own personal values.
The corporate headquarters have installed solar for electricity and maintain an organic garden. They live and breathe yoga and mindfulness by providing yoga classes twice daily and a meditation room to their employees.
They have meetings outdoors by the fountains, invite pets into the office and they also implement a recycling program that reduces daily waste significantly to that of a small household. What makes them truly stand out is that they live and work by these ideals while still providing a high-quality, stylish product.
Smart Marketing and Social Media
The Alo Yoga social media channels do not have any photos of celebrities wearing their apparel and there are no celebrity endorsements. This is an uncommon social media strategy, especially considering the fact that celebrity endorsements are shown to boost sales.
Instead, Alo has over 4,000 yoga instructors and professionals in their Pro Program who regularly post and tag Alo on social media. These influencers reach out to their own audiences with the brand’s message, and in that process Alo gets access to thousands of photos and user-generated content that they can re-post on their own feed.
Utilizing social media influencers, including micro-influencers, lends the brand credibility and trust because normal people use and promote it.
If you head over to the Alo’s Instagram feed, you’ll see beautiful photos of real yogis doing actual yoga in jaw-dropping settings as well as parents doing yoga with their children in their own homes. The brand makes itself accessible and available to all people.
That’s not to say that Alo doesn’t take advantage of celebrities wearing their apparel. You can find photos of celebs such as Kendall Jenner and Taylor Swift on the website (not on Instagram) wearing Alo as they get coffee or go shopping, promoting the fashionability and the studio-to-street style of the products.
Building a strong following is crucial to success in the crowded athleisure market and e-commerce world, and Alo yoga seems to have it down.
Branding and Partnerships
Alo Yoga has a very distinct brand with recognizable patterns and a clear identity. Take, for instance, their “goddess” branding that not only graces the name of certain styles, but also hashtags such as #BeAGoddess. Other recognizable hashtags include #BloomForSpring, and #SpringGoddess.
Contests and challenges often run alongside the hashtags, imploring consumers to participate and post daily to have a chance of winning a feature on the Alo Instagram page, thereby increasing social media engagement and brand awareness significantly.
Partnering with other products that embody the same or similar core values has also helped expand the company’s reach. Skincare, haircare, nutrition, supplements and swimsuit companies have all participated in giveaways and contests alongside Alo. This not only brings awareness to the brand and extends outreach to the target audience: like-minded, mindful people who live conscious lifestyles.
Looking Toward the Future
Alo has made it their mission to make a positive impact on the world by giving back. Their Scholastic approved nonprofit program brings yoga and meditation to children by providing a free 12-week course. The company aims to instill positivity and give kids the skills to overcome obstacles and negativity.
The company also uses sustainable and cruelty-free production methods, opting not to use sweatshops and to have the most humane conditions possible for manufacturing. Every facility is overseen by an Alo employee and they have a platinum certification from Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP).
Following along the same lines that “conscious” and “mindful” people tend to look for a company that shares the same ideals, they are also more likely to invest in a company that gives back to communities.
What’s more is that according to a 2015 study, 73 percent of millennials are willing to spend more money on merchandise as long as it is coming from a company that is sustainable and centered upon wellness.
There’s Simply No Slowing Down…
The athleisure industry is not showing any sign of slowing down. In fact, the world has seen a 61 percent growth since 2007 and the industry has a projected 6.5 percent compound annual growth rate from 2018 to 2024.
From their nonprofit program, to their sustainable and cruelty-free manufacturing, to their high-quality textiles and performance, if Alo Yoga continues along the path of promoting wellness, mindfulness, sustainability, and activism, they will continue to don the crown of the athleisure industry.
