THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHREYER HONORS COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING THE ATHLEISURE TIPPING POINT: AN ANALYSIS OF THE MESSAGE, MESSENGERS, AND CONTEXT OF THE MOVEMENT ALLISON EDWARDS SPRING 2020 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree in Marketing with honors in Marketing Reviewed and approved* by the following: Matt M. Checchio Instructor of Marketing Thesis Supervisor Jennifer Chang Coupland Professor of Marketing Honors Adviser * Electronic approvals are on file. i ABSTRACT Athleisure is the new normal in American fashion. Observing the adoption of this phenomenon calls in to question: How has the athleisure styling of athletic clothing reached such a point of prominence in American women’s fashion and culture? This thesis seeks to answer that question by analyzing the “Stickiness Factor” of athleisure, the power of its messengers, and its surrounding context. The researcher forms three hypotheses for this analysis. First, the three-dimensional benefit of performance, comfort, and fashion is athleisure’s “Stickiness Factor.” By investigating the emergence of activewear as sportswear, she concludes that the benefits of athleisure are derived from technological advancements in fabrics, changes in lifestyles, and increased personal visibility through developments in media. She segments customers by their preferences for these benefits as they pertain to the customer’s activewear usage occasions and purpose. Second, social media has heightened the power of messengers as they become digital influencers. The researcher outlines observations of the ability of digital influencers to adopt characteristics of multiple types of messengers through the medium of social media. Finally, diversified messaging and product offerings in the activewear market has provided an optimal environment for athleisure adoption. The researcher establishes diversification of positioning in the activewear market by cross-examining six brands’ communications and product offerings. She also provides classifications for positioning in the activewear market during the athleisure adoption period. The researcher suggests the malleability of athleisure’s equity through adapting messaging, messengers, and context. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... v Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 2 The Stickiness Factor .................................................................................. 5 Chapter 3 The Law of the Few .................................................................................... 21 Chapter 4 The Power of Context ................................................................................. 34 Overview of Brands ......................................................................................................... 34 Adidas ...................................................................................................................... 34 Nike ………………………………………………………………………………..36 Under Armour .......................................................................................................... 38 Lululemon ................................................................................................................ 40 Fabletics ................................................................................................................... 41 Outdoor Voices ........................................................................................................ 44 Analysis of Brand Product Offerings vs Messaging ........................................................ 46 Chapter 5 Conclusion ................................................................................................... 52 Movement Equity............................................................................................................. 52 Future Growth, Maturity, or Decline of Athleisure ......................................................... 54 Appendix A Brand Product Offering and Messaging ................................................. 60 Brand Active Product Offering and Active Messaging ........................................... 60 Brand Leisure Product Offering and Leisure Messaging......................................... 60 Appendix B Brand Positioning by Product Offering and Messaging ......................... 61 Appendix C Brand Product Offering vs Messaging Matrix ....................................... 62 Brand Active Product Offering vs Active Messaging ............................................. 62 Brand Leisure Product Offering vs Leisure Messaging ........................................... 62 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................ 64 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Vogue Cover 1927 .................................................................................................... 8 Figure 2 Scoot Suit .................................................................................................................. 9 Figure 3 Mod Pant ................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 4 Paris Hilton in Juicy Couture .................................................................................... 13 Figure 5 Stella McCarthy Pre-Fall 2016 Ready-to-Wear ........................................................ 16 Figure 6 Burberry Spring 2017 Ready-to-Wear ...................................................................... 16 Figure 7 FILA Spring 2020 Ready-to-Wear ............................................................................ 17 Figure 8 Gomez Taylor Swift Post .......................................................................................... 25 Figure 9 Gomez TIME Cover Post .......................................................................................... 26 Figure 10 Gomez Elle Fanning Post ........................................................................................ 26 Figure 11 Gomez Timothée Chalomet Post ............................................................................. 27 Figure 12 OV Workout Dress Event Post ................................................................................ 29 Figure 13 OV Brandi Bombard Post ....................................................................................... 30 Figure 14 OV Crubox Post ...................................................................................................... 30 Figure 15 Outerwear ................................................................................................................ 48 Figure 16 Impractical Detailing, Loose Fit .............................................................................. 49 Figure 17 Impractical Detailing, Revealing ............................................................................. 49 Figure 18 Impractical Detailing, Uncomfortable Aesthetic Addition ..................................... 50 Figure 19 Athleisure Equity Conceptual Framework .............................................................. 53 Figure 20 Adoption Life Cycle ................................................................................................ 54 Figure 21 Adoption Classification ........................................................................................... 55 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The community that builds me allowed me to build this. My academic supporters, family, and friends generate better versions of me daily. The version that enjoys her curiosity had a lot of fun building this thesis. Professor Coupland empowered me to invest in the success of this project and in doing so caused me to think critically about how to invest my time always. Thank you. Professor Checchio was a dedicated sounding board throughout the duration of this project. I am so grateful to have had someone on my team to encourage wider perspectives, validate each new idea, and get excited when it all comes together. His guidance so consistently expanded my vision of what this project could be, and now is. Thank you. My parents have gifted me with boundless opportunities. Mom showed me how to have fight, and Dad read books with titles like ‘How to Raise Confident Girls.’ They created a stable place for me to explore freedom, be curious, and discover beautiful things. I am so thankful to you both for gifting me with the building blocks of who I am and the opportunity that is my Penn State community. Thank you. 1 Chapter 1 Introduction Athleisure is the new normal in American fashion. Both women and men are wearing activewear styles as a part of their everyday attire. Leggings, joggers, sweatshirts, and branded hoodies are reaching far beyond the confinement of the gym. Activewear is defined simply as “clothing designed for wear while playing golf or tennis, hiking, bicycling, jogging, etc.” (Activewear). Sportswear, however, is defined as “men's or women's clothing consisting of separate pieces, as jackets, trousers, sweaters, skirts, and shirts, that are casually styled and can be worn singly or in various combinations for business and informal activity” (Sportswear). Each of these words describe a type of clothing; sportswear is a term