Crisis at Lulu

To deal with a crisis quickly is an important part of the job for any enterprise. The communication and responses in such circumstances should be driven by what the brand stands for. Authenticity is key in a world where mistakes are picked up fast and spread through social media.

In March 2013 Lululemon cam out with see-through pants, highlighting a little more than just the outer shape of female’s behinds. They issued a recall, promised to improve the product and place it quickly back on the shelves. There was also a press release and a fact sheet- an actually well handled crisis and response, until co-founder Chip Wilson explained the true party to be blamed for the transparency issues: women’s fat thighs.

Well….social media exploded, customers were alienated, Wilson took matters into his own hands and released a video on youtube. Everything from the handbook of how to do it wrong.