(Question 1 include (a and b) I really need your help, answer in detail, please. Thanks)

Answer ALL questions. Your answer to each case shall have a minimum of 300 words. Case 1: Lululemon's Market Expansion and International Marketing Strategies (30 Marks) Lululemon Athletica Inc is a Vancouver-based yoga-inspired athletic apparel company specialises in making athletic and leisure apparel for fitness and sports enthusiasts. The company was founded by Chip Wilson in 1998. As of February 2020, Lululemon had more than 490 stores in 17 countries, including Canada, United States, Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Germany, Switzerland, the U.K, and Australia. It is said that lululemon is one of retail's 'best growth stories." The company's stock price on 31 December 2020 was $348.03 USD, a twenty-time increase since the company went public in 2007. Lululemon's early international market expansion was not considered successful. In October 2004, Chip Wilson first launched expansion in Melbourne, Australia. At that time, he saw Australian expansion as a way to avoid having to discount clothing at the end of each season, and he would be able to move end-of-season winter goods to Australia at the beginning of its fall season, and vice versa, and charge full price. However, the strategy failed as it operated from a finance point of view rather than from a "culture and leadership point of view." In Japan, Lululemon operated four stores in Japan through a joint venture by February 2008. But the severe economic downturn later in 2008 forced Lululemon to close all of its Japanese stores. Moreover, the stores lacked training and development that are critical to Lululemon's original business model. In 2015, Lululemon opened its largest Hong Kong store in Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui. The flagship store covers over 5,590 square feet of retail space. In the shop, Hong Kong shoppers will find the North American technical sportswear brand's entire collection of both female and male workout apparel, including yoga gear, running and hiking items, as well as high intensity training and sports luxe" style gym wear. The store also offers the Asian fit collection, a new range specifically tailored to suit the Asian body type through various aspects, including the cut, material, and design. Unlike Nike relies primarily on high-profile paid celebrity endorsers, Lululemon uses a grassroots, bottom-up approach led by local ambassadors and user-generated content (UGC) Instagram platform #TheSweatLife, which builds a real sense of belonging. Translating Lululemon's grassroots style to international markets will be challenging because of cultural and language differences. In Hong Kong, Lululemon is also continuing its Ambassador Programme with local influencers, elite athletes and yogis. Three ambassadors - Nikita Ramchandani, founder of Kita Yoga, Brian Woo, a founding member of Harbour Runners, and Ada Cheung, program director and spin instructor at XYZ, are partnering with lululemon to nurture a community of inspirational individuals to embrace the company's passion. In 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 required Lululemon to take actions like temporarily closing its brick-and-mortar operations, postponing new branch openings, and cutting its Page 2 of 5 marketing budget. However, the company's online sales picked up. Recently, it bought a fitness startup, Mirror, which sells wall-mounted screens through which users can access fitness classes. The acquisition of Mirror enables Lululemon to directly connect with consumers in the home. Lululemon's next steps would be fascinating. (Source of Information: www.warc.com and www.biv.com) (10 marks) la. Discuss Lululemon's early international market expansion in Australia and Japan. 1b. How would you characterize Lululemon's international marketing strategies? (20 marks)