{"id":9048,"date":"2019-06-06T09:00:41","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T13:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.brainstation.io\/?p=9048"},"modified":"2021-01-28T17:26:38","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T22:26:38","slug":"using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon","title":{"rendered":"Using Data to Drive Community at lululemon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Meet Max Smillie, a recent alum of BrainStation\u2019s Data Analytics Certificate Course<\/a>. Shortly after finishing the course, Max was promoted to Regional Community Lead for lululemon. BrainStation sat down with Max to hear about his experience in the course, the role of data in retail, and how he plans to use data in his new role. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"lululemon
Photos: Jen Ng @jn.creative<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

BrainStation: You just started as the Regional Community Lead at lululemon, can you tell us about your role and what it entails?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smillie: At lululemon, we\u2019re making a concerted push to be a brand that\u2019s best in the world at events. With that goal, there are lots of large scale events happening, and so my role as the Regional Community Lead is to take on those big, head office-driven activations.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was your motivation behind taking the BrainStation Data Analytics Certificate Course?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The direction that we\u2019re going is to be a brand that ties metrics and KPIs back to community events. The head office is pushing us to be more data-driven, to show results for events that are being created. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I could see that there was a bit of a gap in training, so my thought was that I would get ahead of the curve and take some time to study data, how it\u2019s collected, how it can be displayed, and how data sets can be manipulated. This has been a great course to take and I think it definitely helped push me into the role I\u2019m in now.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you tell us about your experience at BrainStation? <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The highlight was definitely the people. I met some new people, the instructors are really down-to-earth, and it felt like a family. The people who are in the classes are all working to better themselves and are real go-getters, I think that\u2019s what makes the class so special.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you been implementing the skills you learned in the course into your new role? <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had a call with all the store managers and shared with them how we should be collecting data for all of our events. We do have tools to collect data, but I walked them all through how to do that so that we can start creating data sets for every event we do, and we can then store them and create year-over-year data that will give us some good insights. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are some ways that lululemon is incorporating digital elements into its community and marketing initiatives? <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of our focuses is getting more people out to events and involved with lululemon who don\u2019t already own the product. In the past, we haven\u2019t been tracking enough data on how our events are growing \u2013 and so it\u2019s something that our stores are currently focused on.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To gather data, we\u2019re embedding questions in the registration process for events, and a year from now we\u2019ll ask how those questions need to change in order for us to evolve. What\u2019s really exciting is that we could be one of the first regions to bring to head office that we tracked all new customers that events brought in throughout the year. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are some challenges that you\u2019ve faced in the retail space that you believe data can help with?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At lululemon, our store reporting is incredibly high-level, we keep track of almost every metric \u2013 how many people walk into our stores, the conversions that we get. I\u2019m well versed in data and working as a manager at lululemon you get a lot of education on data. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next challenge will be to determine how the community team can catch up to the in-store level of metrics and tracking, and how we set ourselves apart from other brands through data.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do you see digital trends going in the years ahead and how do you think the retail industry will have to adapt? <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I hope happens is that our POS system gets to a point where it can actually measure data. For an event, you don\u2019t get massive data outputs, but for a POS system that\u2019s tracking purchases, you would get really complex data sets. For example, we don\u2019t collect postal codes at point-of-purchase, but it would create a lot of great avenues. It could indicate where in the city we aren\u2019t present, or what neighborhood a new store would be successful.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For my final presentation in the data analytics course, I actually used lululemon in-store data and tracked it based on area codes \u2013 the class loved it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Future of Retail<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data is being used to change many industries, from the non-profit sector to the retail space. If you\u2019re interested in learning more, BrainStation is diving into how retail is changing alongside technology in the upcoming Future of Retail panel discussions<\/a> in New York, Toronto, and Vancouver.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Find out how lululemon’s Regional Community Lead is using his newly developed data skills to grow the brand. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":9051,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[303,330],"tags":[118,331,920,919,134],"yoast_head":"\nUsing Data to Drive Community at lululemon | BrainStation\u00ae Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Want to gain insights from data? So did Max Smillie. Find out how lululemon's Regional Community Lead is using his new data skills to grow the brand.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Using Data to Drive Community at lululemon | BrainStation\u00ae Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Want to gain insights from data? So did Max Smillie. Find out how lululemon's Regional Community Lead is using his new data skills to grow the brand.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BrainStation\u00ae Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-06-06T13:00:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-01-28T22:26:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/image2.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1160\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"BrainStation\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"BrainStation\u00ae Blog\",\"description\":\"The Digital Learning Company\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/image2.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/image2.jpeg\",\"width\":1160,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"Photo: Jen Ng\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon\",\"name\":\"Using Data to Drive Community at lululemon | BrainStation\u00ae Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-06-06T13:00:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-01-28T22:26:38+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f37983a6c4da6cf5dd422481ac8cf11\"},\"description\":\"Want to gain insights from data? So did Max Smillie. Find out how lululemon's Regional Community Lead is using his new data skills to grow the brand.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Using Data to Drive Community at lululemon\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f37983a6c4da6cf5dd422481ac8cf11\",\"name\":\"BrainStation\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80c14b8388838ae1453aec36606b232d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80c14b8388838ae1453aec36606b232d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"BrainStation\"},\"description\":\"BrainStation is a global leader in digital skills training, empowering businesses and brands to succeed in the digital age. Established in 2012, BrainStation has worked with over 250 instructors from the most innovative companies, developing cutting-edge, real-world digital education that has empowered more than 50,000 professionals and some of the largest corporations in the world.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/author\/brainstation\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Using Data to Drive Community at lululemon | BrainStation\u00ae Blog","description":"Want to gain insights from data? So did Max Smillie. Find out how lululemon's Regional Community Lead is using his new data skills to grow the brand.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Using Data to Drive Community at lululemon | BrainStation\u00ae Blog","og_description":"Want to gain insights from data? So did Max Smillie. Find out how lululemon's Regional Community Lead is using his new data skills to grow the brand.","og_url":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon","og_site_name":"BrainStation\u00ae Blog","article_published_time":"2019-06-06T13:00:41+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-01-28T22:26:38+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1160,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/image2.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"BrainStation","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/","name":"BrainStation\u00ae Blog","description":"The Digital Learning Company","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/image2.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/image2.jpeg","width":1160,"height":400,"caption":"Photo: Jen Ng"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon#webpage","url":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon","name":"Using Data to Drive Community at lululemon | BrainStation\u00ae Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2019-06-06T13:00:41+00:00","dateModified":"2021-01-28T22:26:38+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f37983a6c4da6cf5dd422481ac8cf11"},"description":"Want to gain insights from data? So did Max Smillie. Find out how lululemon's Regional Community Lead is using his new data skills to grow the brand.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/using-data-to-drive-community-at-lululemon#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Using Data to Drive Community at lululemon"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f37983a6c4da6cf5dd422481ac8cf11","name":"BrainStation","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80c14b8388838ae1453aec36606b232d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80c14b8388838ae1453aec36606b232d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"BrainStation"},"description":"BrainStation is a global leader in digital skills training, empowering businesses and brands to succeed in the digital age. Established in 2012, BrainStation has worked with over 250 instructors from the most innovative companies, developing cutting-edge, real-world digital education that has empowered more than 50,000 professionals and some of the largest corporations in the world.","url":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/author\/brainstation"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9048"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9048"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12639,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9048\/revisions\/12639"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}