Not your usual…marketing fitness with Band of Sisters

Not your usual…marketing fitness with Band of Sisters

Yvonne Low, former CMO of OCBC’s Bank Consumer Financial Services, is now the proud proprietor of Band of Sisters, an organization that specialises in fashionable and purposeful resistance bands. Having labored within the company sector for 25 years, Low (pictured) had all the time wished for time to take a break from company life and spend time together with her household.

However, she took the plunge to begin her personal entrepreneurial journey into the health house, after assembly two inspirational moms very like herself, who had been additionally entrepreneurs.

Low first grew to become an ACE licensed private coach, and never earlier than lengthy she determined to begin an organization in the identical discipline, particularly for girls. As a part of her model analysis, she appeared into numerous kinds of health movies and various kinds of health gear that she may construct her firm round – earlier than finally deciding on resistance bands.

While it’s common to see adverts about gyms and health courses normally, adverts for resistance bands particularly are hardly ever seen. Also, greater manufacturers similar to Decathlon or Royal Sporting House, for instance, could be one of many first few locations customers flock to once they want to purchase something fitness-related. Low shares what makes Band of Sisters stand out her journey from company life to model aspect and at last to turning into a model proprietor.

Listen to the podcast here.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: The health class is fairly cluttered. For instance, firms similar to Decathlon are one of many first few locations customers would consider once they need to purchase resistance bands. How are you standing out?

Low: I’d say that my strategy is somewhat bit completely different. I’m not only a store. I consider in educating folks in regards to the significance of power coaching, and ladies normally about power coaching. I take into consideration the factors in regards to the why – why you are doing it, what it is advisable to do and the way you going to do it.

At Band of Sisters we consider in educating, enabling and empowering. On the training entrance, I’ll produce content material on the significance of power coaching, and glute activation. That is one key factor proper now particularly since many are working from dwelling and everybody’s sitting down typically. Therefore, the largest a part of the largest muscle in your physique, it is not even activated. Hence, the “why” behind me launching Band of Sisters.

The enabling half could be about guaranteeing that customers have the instruments to work out with. There are band exercises on our web site that educate folks on find out how to use the band. These are 12-minute to 15-minute exercises that can show you how to change into extra constant in utilizing the bands.

I’m positively not going to have the ability to battle a goliath similar to Decathlon, however on the identical time, my audience is fairly area of interest. My intent is to coach folks on this class, on the significance of power coaching and the way this instrument itself is so easy, so reasonably priced and so accessible, and in addition matches their persona primarily based on the design.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What are some advertising initiatives you’ve gotten applied thus far?  

Low: I launched on 1 November final 12 months in order a model, we’re very new. It’s about driving the highest funnel of promoting, which is in regards to the model and what the product and model presents. You do not know what you do not know till you discover out.

Unless customers know who you’re, what you supply, and the way it advantages them, you might have a brilliant good product, however nonetheless be a best-kept secret.

I’d assume that my advertising at this cut-off date focuses loads on driving consciousness of the enterprise itself, what my providing is, and the way it helps customers of their entire health routine. It has been a number of phrase of mouth with a community of family and friends.

Understanding the story behind Band of Sisters is fairly vital for me as a result of it is not simply an e-shop. It is a model that believes in empowering ladies and getting extra ladies to do power coaching. We even have had some influencer associates who had been variety sufficient to provide some shout outs with our followers, with some Instagram Stories. Another good friend simply did a weblog about resistance bands. And afterward, we will do a bit extra internet affiliate marketing with related health teams. We have positively began paid social similar to Facebook, Instagram advertising, search engine optimization, and SEM.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: You moved from the company scene to change into a marketer, and now you’re a model proprietor. What are some challenges you face as a model proprietor and what features do you get pleasure from?

Low: The problem would positively be the one-man operation. Because you’ve gotten so many concepts, you’ve gotten so many stuff you need to do, however you solely have a lot time in a day, I’d say that will be the important thing problem for me.

As for the assets, a part of it’s that it will depend on what sort of set-up you need. If I’m seeking to actually scale actually shortly, then clearly I’ll want to rent extra folks. But at this cut-off date, my ambition will not be that far but; I’m nonetheless beginning out. I’d say the problem is eager to do loads however not essentially all the pieces at one time.  

In the previous, you might simply have this massive concept, the technique after which get everybody to do completely different capabilities. Do what you want them to do, from the digital advertising aspect to CRM to retargeting, to content material creation. But now, it’s asking myself how do I sequence it? I feel that is the problem when you’ve gotten too many stuff you need to do.

But I feel the great thing about working your individual enterprise is that you’re accountable. You’re solely accountable for the outcomes you get.

Unlike in an organisation, you possibly can put in 110% however there are simply so many stakeholders it is advisable to handle. And it’s not each time if you put in 110% and even 200%, that you just get the outcomes you need. There are simply so many events concerned within the determination making, and that is the place the complexity is available in.

There are execs and cons I’d say, however perhaps I’m at a stage in my life the place I need to simplify issues. The magnificence of getting your individual enterprise is if you determine, “Okay, I’m not going to, like, push so onerous at the moment, I’m going to depart it to the following day, you are able to do it,” or “I’ve household commitments and all the pieces, I have to reprioritise, you might do it.”

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What had been a few of the classes you discovered as a marketer, and within the adland, that you just utilized to your present position as a model proprietor? 

 Low: I’d assume two key issues. One is about methods, about sacrificing – you possibly can’t be all issues to all folks. When I first began, I used to be  all of the health classes: the house exercises, what are health gear and all the pieces I may faucet into when there’s such a wide range.

Then I assumed to myself, how am I going to market all of this? And what precisely is my model goal? And what precisely am I by way of my audience? I’d say that, as David Ogilvy mentioned, technique is sacrifice. It’s not about including increasingly stuff. It’s about taking away stuff and specializing in what’s that single highly effective thought or concept that you just need to carry to your customers in your audience, I feel that’s fairly key. In all my years of promoting and advertising, I feel that’s all the time probably the most tough.

When it involves the company world, you need all the pieces. Throw within the kitchen sink, , and hopefully everybody will get it. So right here I’d say sacrifice and focus.

The different factor is sequencing. One of the issues I’ve discovered now that I’m a one-man operation, it is about sequencing issues. I can not do all the pieces. I’ve a number of recommendation, a number of associates who’ve instructed me what I may do, what I ought to do, how I ought to do it, And I respect all that. But I’m not right here for the quick time period, it is not a 100-metre sprint; I’m right here for the long term – so I’ve time to construct it.

I feel the opposite factor is about investing within the advertising funnel of consciousness. Awareness goes past simply “Hey, , that is Band of Sisters.” It’s in regards to the content material, the training, the engagement, and the fulfilment – the entire expertise of the shopper journey. What I’ve discovered and am placing into observe is that entire funnel.

Related article:
Ex-OCBC CMO Yvonne Low pushes through with resistance bands venture

https://www.marketing-interactive.com/marketing-podcast-not-your-usual-marketing-fitness-with-band-of-sisters

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