Introduction
Midtown Yoga (https://midtownyogastudios.com) aka MY Studios, is a heated yoga studio located in urban areas of Raleigh, NC, Durham, NC, and Richmond, VA. “Our mission is to meet you exactly where you are. Whether you are brand new to yoga or you’ve been practicing for years, our classes will challenge you both mentally and physically—and offer you tools to take yoga into your everyday human experience,” (Midtown Yoga 2024). The brand story showcases the powerfulness of the story, in which yoga is a lifelong transformational practice.
This new game changing subcategory of the brand is the MY Wellness Rewards Program; a mobile app incentive program that promotes long-lasting positive change, combats burnout, and celebrates consistency. The member earns points through every class attended, milestone achieved to then unlock exclusive rewards while tracking progress both inside and outside the studio. The easy-to-follow program for new or seasoned yogis keeps one motivated with offerings like hot vinyasa, meditation, and weekend nutritional cleanses within their community. It creates a paved way for wellness and longevity of positive change for one’s life.
Creating content of the offerings will be best to show audiences the essence of the program. “It involves itself in messaging only when it is intrigued by content. Thus, content drives success in this new era— and content, in turn, is all about stories,” (Aaker, 2018, p. 15). Starting a new lifestyle and mindset shifts is challenging, and by creating an involved and welcoming in community through this program it will help the process. With the Digital Progress Journal feature on the app, one can log goals, track progress, write personal notes, providing a highly personalized outlet for their wellness journey. A support system of likeminded individuals will do ample benefits for the community. Overall, this brand story will be the signature story for the MY Wellness Rewards Program campaign, and lead to its success.
Demographics: 23% of worldwide yoga practitioners are 30-39 years of age while 20% of worldwide is 40-48 years of age, (Jakhmola, 2023). The majority is made up of female demographic, 72% of worldwide practitioners, with increasing male practitioners, (Jakhmola, 2023). The income level is middle to upper class working professionals, (Park et al, 2015).
Psychographics: The lifestyle of the target audience are individuals who are seeking to upgrade their wellness routines, striking balance of physical activity and mental wellbeing. They want to be surrounded by likeminded individuals seeking same goals, (Park et al, 2015). This group would then value mindfulness, personal growth, work life balance, making connections with other yogis. For behavioristics, this audience struggles with self-discipline and works better when held accountable. They are inspired by others on social media living lives that they desire. They crave structure to implement long term change for their life. Our target audience is interested various styles of yoga, nutritional balance, self-healing journey, journaling, health related events, (Jeong, 2024).
Geographic Information: Urban areas of Raleigh, NC, Durham NC, and Richmond, VA.
Objectives & Timeline
The objectives for this campaign is to build awareness and interest for members to join the MY Wellness Rewards Program through Midtown Yoga. The campaign is a multi-month campaign that is phased as follows:
- Month 1 - (July 12th) Digital Press Release
- Month 1 - (July 20th) Blog Post on Midtown Yoga website and social media accounts with links provided
- Month 1 - (July 27th) Podcast Episode Posted, also linked on Midtown Yoga homepage and social media accounts
- Month 2 - (Aug 3rd) Facebook Post with links to Midtown Yoga Homepage; posted in morning. In addition, all in studio signage promotion will be launched at all locations.
- Month 2 – (August 7th) Instagram Story with links to Midtown Yoga Homepage; posted in morning
- Month 2 – (August 10th) One week before app launch, posting Longform Video across all social media platforms and on website
- Month 2 - (August 17th) is the launch of the MY Wellness Reward Program
Digital Press Release
In my press release, I was able to articulate an attention-grabbing headline for the announcement of Midtown Yoga’s MY Wellness Reward Program. This press release establishes the studio’s goals to inspire the community to join the structured program that promotes long-term positive change. Therefore, I have learned the importance of a press release to build brand awareness, have a wider reach of audience, and establishing credibility of the brand. “…innovation plays a role in most of them not only by creating a set of “must-haves,” but also by enhancing them over time. A key barrier to competition is becoming a moving target,” (Aaker, 2020, p. 46). This formal document is communicating and controlling the overarching goal as the storytellers, to display their messages to propel over competitors.
I edited my original version of the press release that I created by rearranging the body paragraphs. Aaker (2018) writes, “Make sure that the first sentence of a story or the first few seconds of a video grabs the audience… During the first two paragraphs…create the expectation of meaningful rewards for staying with the story,” (p. 40). I found these edits caused the press release to flow better and inform the audience of more important content at the beginning.
BLOG POST
In my blog post, I had to find a way to establish the game changing subcategory to the audience, within the frame of a more relaxed communication channel. I knew in mind needed to create content that is simultaneously engaging and educational to stand out on the Internet. “The key to success then is to select a specialized product area and become the expert, at least in the online world… But within that arena, your brand can be the most authentic and knowledgeable source of a product,” (Aaker, 2020, p. 65). I had to imagine myself browsing the internet for motivation to begin my wellness journey, and I framed my blog post in that way. By adopting a more personal yet helpful tone, I believe it will resonate more deeply with the target audience. My main motivation for this post was to ensure it felt relevant and relatable. "Relevance requires brand awareness and credibility. Visibility drives both,” (Aaker, 2018, p. 38). I was picturing others wanting to read a post that will actually help them and catered my writing to this way.
Based on feedback I had received, I refined the formatting of the title page of the blog to be more visually engaging, by capitalizing the subheading. I needed to contextualize the blog post at the beginning, so that the audience was informed that this platform is related to Midtown Yoga. I was able to then draw in audience to make association with the brand, and allow them to recognize them as the expert, as Aaker (2020) has mentioned. In addition, I embellished my call to action by connecting the blog post’s intent with the MY Wellness Reward Programs’ relevant solutions. This way, the reader can easily be directed to Midtown Yoga, and allow their curiosity of finding consistency be solved by this product.
Micro-Podcast
When creating the podcast, I initially struggled to move away from an academic presentation style. But once I relaxed and embraced the role of a podcast host, the script began to flow. My goal was to be a relatable yogi, countering the unrealistic perfection often seen on social media. Today’s social media is flooded with unrealistic aesthetic perfect daily routines and postures and the hard “should and shouldn’t” of a yogi lifestyle. This can be intimidating and discouraging for practitioners. I take pride in my balance of practicing the ancient tradition with living in this modern world and want to share this with the audience, which aligns with MY Studios. “Is it authentic? Do the settings, characters and challenges feel real? Or is the story likely to be perceived as phony, contrived or a transparent selling effort? Is there substance behind the story and its message?” (Aaker, 2018, p. 84). These questions fueled my tone and how I wanted to be perceived to the listener. “A story can involve technological breakthroughs, personal connections, brand heritage, audience interests, user-generated material, novel and vivid approaches, and humor. Again, effectiveness does not come from checking boxes but rather from the total effect,” (Aaker, 2018, p. 85). I wanted to avoid simply following a formula and instead create something authentic that truly aligns with me and resonates with the listeners.
I wanted to have my points of selling how this category is truly game changing, while also trying to be focusing on the brand story of the mission and values of the studio. “Empirical evidence from many dozens of studies dramatically shows that in comparison to descriptive portrayals of facts, stories are much better at getting attention, affecting perceptions, changing attitudes being remembered, inspiring and energizing. Not 20% or 30% better, but 200% to 300% better,” (Aaker, 2020, p. 86). I aimed to build relatability and friendliness by sharing the program with listeners as a fellow yogi. My goal was to create messaging that was easy to follow, engaging, and informative, while also highlighting the substance of the brand.
Guided by the feedback I received, I added an intro and outro music to my podcast. This accentuated the professionalism of a podcast, allowing the transitions to feel more natural and fluid.
Planned Social Media Posts
As for creating the social media posts, I chose an Instagram Story and a Facebook post. I would post to these platforms in early morning around 7:00am to be one of the first things the audience would see, as which are target audience has tendency to be early risers, (Jakhmola, 2023). I utilized brand colors and aesthetic to create these posts. “Signature stories are vehicles to promote the strategic message. In the quest to find the most intriguing, involving story, the strategic message should never be lost. The goal is not just to find or create great stories. It’s also to keep the message front and center over time,” (Aaker, 2018, p. 101). This platform of Instagram story does just this. Facebook is excellent platform for two-way communication between brand and the audience. “An exemplar brand needs to be dynamic, to enhance existing “must-haves” over time or add new ones to solidify, expand and leverage the customer base; to add energy to the exemplar brand and its subcategory; and to become a moving target for competitors,” (Aaker, 2020, p. 120). This platform of choice will allow the must haves to be given feedback so that it can always expand and shift with needs of customers.
For the Facebook post, I made some adjustments to the alignment to ensure purposeful formatting and visually balanced content. I adjusted sizing and centering of the figures, and also added the same #MYjourney. These posts then are looking as if they are part of same brand, and demonstrating IMC principles. Building for this communication channel, having the location of the studios tagged at the top of the post a caption for this post can be, “For Mind Body & Soul – Midtown Yoga My Wellness Reward’s Program is hitting the app store! Our new structured incentive program to keep you motivated on your mat - members can easily track their points, view rewards, log sessions and stay updated on events and challenges. Click link below to learn more!” This link would be same as the button on post in which it would bring viewer to the Midtown Yoga Homepage and sign up directly.
The MY Wellness Rewards app's direct communication feature sets Midtown Yoga apart from competitors like Alo Yoga by offering a personalized wellness plan. This local, tailored approach is a key differentiator that elevates Midtown Yoga as a brand. “As for becoming an exemplar, the task is to focus on these “mut-haves” as game changing vehicles. That means getting the customer to look at the purchase decision and use experience differently than they did before. It is not about gaining preference over another brand but about creating an entirely new context,” (Aaker, 2020, p. 119). These platforms of social media channels are optimal to gain audience engagement, and able to see a yoga studio as now a shifted solution to achieving the life of their dreams. It draws them in an easy way to learn more, for which I included on both posts click call to action buttons to easily bring the viewer to the Midtown Yoga Homepage and sign up directly.
Based on feedback I received, I added a hashtag to the Instagram story, #MYjourney. This matches the other branding of Midtown Yoga, being consistent with other content. This hashtag is a catchy way to get audiences invested and also fills up some blank space on the design.
longform video layout
In the curation of the longform video layout, I wanted to bring to life their signature story through an upbeat advertising campaign of Midtown Yoga’s MY Wellness Rewards studio. I chose the song “Feeling Good” By Michael Bublé to be in the background to build suspense and attract the audience with each lyric of the song being a scene. I feel this elevated the longform video overall, in which it facilitated, “Signature stories that “pop” in a few dimensions: beyond being intriguing, authentic and involving, effective signature stories follow no long or exact checklist,” (Aaker, 2018, p. 100). I aimed to make each scene visually engaging, with a voiceover that captures the audience by relating to their potential experience at the studio. The walkthrough of the studio's offerings and the MY Wellness Rewards App enhances this connection, allowing viewers to see themselves supported by the studio, just like the young woman in the video.
In addition to actual excellence in execution, organizations need to go deeper. "They need to show customers that the organization behind the exemplar brand cares about them and has the capability and motivation to deliver on the brand promise,” (Aaker, 2020, p. 135). By having the experience of the young girl being shown, the audience can see how Midtown Yoga truly cares about their students when she hit her goal through the app. This truly defines Midtown Yoga as an exemplar brand, and draws audiences in to be a part of their community.
I wanted to create this advertisement to showcase how Midtown Yoga is not your average yoga studio. I wanted to elevate their brand values and message with the visuals of community, perseverance, and celebration in the storyboarding. “In contrast, associations a personality, social programs or other augmentation of the exemplar brand are more unusual and difficult to copy. Some might be tied to the culture and values of an organization, which are nearly always unique. A personality, for example, can give an exemplar brand and its subcategory energy and a reason to connect that may not even be conscious to the customer. A personality can help communicate a functional benefit,” (Aaker, 2020, p. 133). By showcasing Midtown Yoga's brand personality in this longform video, the unique value propositions are highlighted. I used images from their website and social media to accurately represent the brand. The storytelling emphasizes that Midtown Yoga offers more than just classes—it provides a community, self-discipline, a safe learning space, and opportunities for personal growth and celebration.
I was given feedback about syncing the length of my script to the timeframe of my music. I was able to chop down my content, so the message was still received, but better flowed with my vision of aligning with the music.
Reflection & Takeaways
Pulling together the portfolio for this campaign has both demanding and rewarding. I was pushed out of my comfort zone, which brought about several challenges, but these ultimately led to personal and professional growth. I am grateful for the opportunity to create a work that I am proud of. Midtown Yoga has the opportunity in the subcategory of the MY Wellness Rewards Program.
The consistent checking of alignment with messaging and the higher purpose of the brand to make it exemplar, is an integral step in the creation process as a digital storyteller. “An exemplar brand represents the game-changing subcategory. The driver of the subcategory success, it is the thought leader and innovator, the most relevant brand and most often emerges as the market share leader. With a high level of credibility and authenticity, based on substantive characteristics or programs and how they are communicated, it will have the power to position the subcategory and to manage it over time,” (Aaker, 2020 p. 142). Being mindful of the integration of messages across platforms is critical piece of communication.
By having the narratives be cohesive and carrying out the purpose in an authentic way, Midtown Yoga’s MY Wellness Rewards Program represents the game changing subcategory. One of my key takeaways from the feedback I received is adjusting content and tone of brand to keep the audience engaged. Through feedback I have received on various platforms, Aaker mentions creating an emotional connection in signature stories (Aaker, 2018, p. 123), and this accentuated the implementation of the course content, and to be in a more realistic manner. This is the essence of IMC, and will now have experience in various forms of media for my future endeavors. “Online shared-interest brand communities are groups of people that bond because of their shared involvement or passion in an activity, goal or interest area connected to a brand. The shared-interest community can add energy, visibility and credibility to the subcategory and its exemplar brand and provide a platform to add complementary offerings,” (Aaker, 2020, p.144). This was another lesson I have learned, in which knowing your audience is key in creating messaging. By knowing audience behavior, digital storytellers can best create content that will be received and following the call to action. Through this yogi community, I find the content that I have created would reach, engage, and drive business to the Midtown Yoga Studio locations.
Overall, this project pushed me to develop new skills, refine my creative process, and emerge more confident in my ability to tackle future projects. The obstacles I faced not only tested my adaptability but also helped me to expand my creative boundaries.
References
Aaker, D. (2018). Creating signature stories : Strategic messaging that persuades, energizes and inspires. Morgan James Publishing.
Aaker, D. (2020). Owning game-changing subcategories : Uncommon growth in the digital age. Morgan James Publishing.
Jakhmola, A. (2023, September 12). Yoga Statistics Worldwide. Yoga Vidya School. https://www.yogavidyaschool.com/blog/yoga-statistics
Jeong, S. (2024, July 2). Yoga facts, industry statistics. https://www.yogitimes.com/article/unstoppable-trend-yoga-infographic-business
Farhangi, A. A., Abaspour, A., Farahani, S. B., & Ghasemi, R. A. (2014). Analyzing the impact of social media on consumer attitudes toward the brand and their intention to purchase. Global Media Journal: Persian Edition, 9(2), 68–73.
Michael Bublé. (2005). [Feeling Good] on It’s Time. Reprise Records.
Park, Crystal & Braun, Tosca & Siegel, Tamar. (2015). Who practices yoga? A systematic review of demographic, health-related, and psychosocial factors associated with yoga practice. Journal of behavioral medicine. 38. 10.1007/s10865-015-9618-5.