Happy Thursday Novel community!

We're back in your inbox again. This week, we’re dropping a new brand spotlight series, BOLD.

Approximately once a month, we’ll take a look at a different ecommerce brand, their digital footprint, and break down some of the winning approaches that separate them from the pack. We’ll look at their social, e-commerce site, and their brand in general in an effort to provide some helpful tips and tricks that any brand can leverage to build, engage, and convert their audience.The first BOLD brand? Read on to find out 👀

Cheers,

Jon

The Ascent of Activewear

Across the last decade or so, the average person has upgraded their workout gear from old tee shirts to moisture-wicking, blended-fabric, high-performance clothing and accessories. As a result, activewear has exploded in popularity. A space that was once dominated by retail giants is now much more competitive, with the infusion of compelling, niche brands that focus on the different athlete inside all of us.

Look no further than these activewear brands, all valued north of $1 billiion.

• Lululemon burst onto the scene as a lux brand, blending casual and active styles, spearheading the athleisure movement.

• Gymshark has carved out a sector of dedicated gym goers and fitness fanatics.

• Vuori has become a west coast staple, leaning heavily into their SoCal roots and sensibilities.

While these companies are crushing it, today we’re zeroing in on a different brand.

Go to any upscale coffee shop or 6am yoga session and we can guarantee you’ll spot some of their signature leggings or tops.

Say hello 👋 to one of the hottest brands of 2022: Alo Yoga 🔥

BOLD Spotlight: Alo Yoga

The Numbers

• Website: https://www.aloyoga.com/

• Platform: Shopify

• Shopify Rank: 29

• Alexa Rank: 663

• IG Followers: 2,965,598

• TikTok followers: 292,700

Brand Breakdown

Alo’s success is an extension of a thoughtfully crafted brand and purpose.

Dedicated to yoga and yogis all around the world, they have laid out a brand experience that is, at its core, authentic. Whether you're on TikTok looking at their social content, browsing product on the website, or opening up their app for an evening meditation session, Alo's intentions and purpose are consistent and clear.

They live it, too. Check out this snippet from their website:

While it’s hard to quantify the value of culture, it’s undoubtedly a cornerstone to Alo's success.

Content

Another pillar of any hot brand is their social strategy. Alo is no different. The brand accounts are active and strategic: while Instagram is leveraged to propel the culture and brand forward, TikTok is stacked with UGC from customers and influencers alike.

We’ve spoken about the power of UGC video in the past. Essentially a personal recommendation in video form, it’s THE best way to build brand authenticity and customer relatability. An incredible 97% of Gen-Z shoppers use social media as their top source of shopping inspiration.

If you’re looking for your own social inspiration, look no further than Alo.

Website

To be successful as an ecommerce brand, you need to move serious product. While having physical locations certainly help, a strong online store experience is crucial to reaching a broader audience and meeting them on the go, wherever they are. Let’s take a look at some of the website strategies that are powering Alo’s success:

Social Proof & Trust Symbols

Last week we talked about the importance of leveraging trust symbols and social proof to improve conversion. Alo has a handful of great examples:

• Alo on Insta: highlights their great, relatable UGC. Push the needle

• Brand Purpose: part of every product page, these symbols resonate with Alo’s audience and make them feel more confident in purchasing

• Model-selection: a pretty unique feature of Alo’s website allows shoppers to select a model that matches their body-type, which updates all the product imagery. This inclusive feature is a fantastic way to show how products translate across a wide audience.

• Reviews: the most straightforward way to communicate satisfaction? [check] Added bonus for allowing users to include their sizing so that potential customers can find reviews from other customers with similar body-types.

Upsells & Product Pathways

• Shop the Look: not only is this a great example of social proof, the product hotspots allow customers to navigate directly to the different items featured in each image.

• Shoppable Colorways: love a particular color? Instantly jump to pre-filtered collections, removing friction from the browsing experience.

Accessories suggested at checkout: a great way to increase cart value is to suggest product in the cart, at the point of checkout. Alo’s strategy of showing lower-cost items that might pair well with a more marquee product is a strong approach.

Perks on perks on perks

Alo makes sure every customer feels like they’re getting a special offer. Whether it’s free shipping, a free beach bag for purchases over $200, or a free 30 day trial of the app, Alo consistently provides loyalty building perks to their audience.

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