Yoga Pants
Part of the hard work we do for clients is market research. We use a variety of tools and software systems to acquire info on people, places and things.
We have no shortage of data on you and what you buy and where you live and what you do. It’s quite scary in some respects. Have you Googled yourself lately? Chances are your social media profiles pop up in search results. Type in your address and you will probably see pictures of your home and other other details…how many beds and baths, for example. There are probably 3-4 websites that will even give you an estimate on what the house is worth.
In marketing we take all of this information and then try to glean some info about your behavior; what brand of milk you’re likely to buy or what sort of leisure activity you might be interested in. That is where the quantitative data has to be transformed into qualitative data.
Here’s an example. If I relied solely on quantitative data, I would tell you that the future of the Yoga business is merely so-so. In the US, the number of people doing yoga is roughly 16%. Despite a brief spike post-Covid, the amount of people doing yoga is the same as it was 6 years ago. Despite this, projections for yoga pants sales (athleisure wear) are expected to double in the next 8 years.
And here’s the conundrum. If less people are doing yoga, why are people buying more yoga pants? The answers are many and varied, because there is a lot more to yoga pants than yoga. Comfort is a trend in a post-covid world. Fashion is a contributing factor with more emphasis on form-fitting clothing. With more Americans working from home, it is also a matter of convenience. And socially, it has become more acceptable to wear athleisure wear to Starbucks and Kroger and out to the neighborhood restaurant.
Regardless of whether you love yoga pants or hate them, they’re a long term trend, not a temporary fad. The trick in our business is to figure out the difference between a fad and a trend.
And on a personal note, I love yoga pants. However, I’m not buying any.
MONDAY:
WHAT’S THE DAMAGE?
Monday was a whirlwind, as our team gathered at the Patrick Henry Building in Capital Square to help our clients from WRAP, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, officially launch the new Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, with a press conference featuring law enforcement and emergency medical professionals. It was a huge PR push with coverage throughout Virginia and our campaign hit computer screens and billboards that same day. We’re letting Virginians know that “drunk driving costs more than your drinks.” TV and Radio assets are being made shortly and the campaign will fully launch in the coming weeks. Check out whatsthedamage.org for some great info.
TUESDAY:
GIVE IT SOME ENERGY
Tuesday we kept the meetings rolling, when we got together with our clients, Virginia Energy Sense, to present new campaign concepts. You might recognize some familiar faces in this crowd, (we’ll give you a hint – a former Madison+Main-iac is included!). We know this new energy savings campaign will be downright electrifying. #punintended
WEDNESDAY:
CALL THE PRESS
Accounts Director Allison Nida represented the team today by attending a press conference held at CARITAS, with the Office of the Attorney General, highlighting the One Pill Can Kill campaign and honoring those who have been lost to the fentanyl crisis here in our Commonwealth. We are proud to be a part of this ongoing fight against opiates.
THURSDAY:
TOTALLY TWINNING
Listen, just like I know marketing trends a la the preamble, I clearly understand fashion trends. This week while attending a meeting with VP Leanne Pillow with folks from the The Virginia Home, we ended up making quite the statement in this accidental (almost) matching moment! #BoldPrintsWin #NotAfraidToWearFloral
FRIDAY:
LONG WEEK, LONG WEEKEND!
We’re looking forward to the long holiday weekend, and hope you are too! It’s been a busy few weeks for all of us around the office, so I greenlit a little extra love to be sent out for the Madison+Main team via Venmo to make sure they got to enjoy their time away from work and can come back recharged. Whatever you’re doing for the holiday, enjoy safely!
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE EVENTS
Julia Child: A Recipe for Life
Virginia Museum of History and Culture
Limited Time Exhibition through September 2, 2024
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Visitors will journey through Julia’s life, as she explored the world and discovered her sense of curiosity including the moment that ignited her love for French cuisine and inspired her career.
“I do Yoga to relieve stress… Just kidding, I drink wine in yoga pants.” – Anonymous