Integrity is at the heart of a good company

Seaweed is all the rage at Lululemon Athletica. The company has a product line called VitaSea, which is apparently made with seaweed. It “releases marine amino acids, minerals and vitamins into the skin upon contact with moisture.”

It is obviously appealing to a high-end market and is riding the wave to profitability and growth.

But, the New York Times commissioned some research and reported that "there was no significant difference in mineral levels between the VitaSea fabric and ordinary cotton T-shirts". It then quoted the company's founder, Dennis Wilson, as saying, “If you actually put it on and wear it, it is different from cotton. That’s my only test of it." Oops.

However, one day later, Lululemon Athletica put out a media release, saying it had re-tested the fabric and said it stood by its claims. It quotes the CEO, Robert Meers as saying that, "Integrity goes to the core of everything we do and is at the heart of our relationship with our guests."

"Guests"?

Lululemon Athletica is absolutely right to quickly test and counter these charges which will be, potentially, highly damaging to the company. But it will has a long way to go to prove its claims and to get its executives to be consistent in its messaging.
Timfeed