There’s an upward trend in
downward dogs in the Queen City.
“It’s probably been our
busiest January on record,” said Bodhi Tree Yoga studio co-director, Sarah
Garden.
Bodhi Tree is going into
their ninth year. Each year, Garden says their classes have become more popular
– in fact, yoga in general, is more popular these days. However, there’s a possibility the new Lululemon
store might be one reason for the increased interest this January.
“I would say there’s
certainly a buzz since they opened their doors and actually before they opened
their doors, there was a lot of buzz about when they were going to open,”
Garden said.
Can a company which
designs clothing for a certain activity, actually stir up interest in people
taking up that activity?
Pam Eberle, a Lululemon
shopper, would say yes. “With all of their posts on Instagram and their
inspirational stuff, it’s actually kind of neat and I do really, really want to
try it – and hot yoga I’ve heard is really, really good,” she said.
Get daily National news
Dwight Heinrichs, marketing
strategist and professor at the University of Regina says that makes sense. “This
is what premium brands do really well and they really draw out that emotional
connection and passion. So whether it’s Harley Davidson, or whether it’s Apple,
or Lululemon – they all really have that same effect on consumers.”
Heinrichs says it’s a
point of association, which draws people into the culture a product is
promoting. He says you might draw a similar link in Saskatchewan Roughriders gear making people even bigger fans. As well, a smaller city, like Regina, might
be more impacted, he says, by brands coming out of larger centres.
“We want to feel like we
are cultured and happening in the way a Vancouver or a Toronto resident might.”
Successful brands make a
connection between their product and a lifestyle. New yoga pants might create a
desire to rediscover your zen like a jersey might inspire you to see more home
games – or like how a local brewpub can get the whole province talking about a
drink they’d never heard of.
That’s the case when it
comes to Bushwakker’s blackberry mead becoming a holiday favourite.
“When we first released
that product nobody knew what it was or were interested at all and now it’s a Regina
phenomenon,” says Grant Frew, a manager at Bushwakker Brewpub.
He notes the steady
increase in the business over the last two decades can be attributed to Reginans’
connection to the company and the community ties Bushwakker forges.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.