Weight Watchers re-vamp their brand

Weight Watchers如何重建品牌

原文網址: Link

摘要：本篇文章簡單介紹一家已經有35年歷史的企業如何重建他們的品牌。其中最重要且一再被強調的是設身處地的了解客戶；另外想要重建品牌，自己核心的產品和服務也要重建才行，必須將它變得更貼近現代人的生活才能引起消費者的注意。

Marketing本次的品牌領導者專欄寫的是 Weight Watchers (WW)的行銷執行長Lindsay Reisser-Weston，她有許多非常棒的見解，帶領我們了解她是如何讓品牌重生。

1. 重建產品或服務的核心

Lindsay帶領改造WW的服務核心。新的 「ProPoints」系統幫你計算你吃的食物種類，它們所含的指數(你必須固定一個每天必須達成的指數)，新計畫計算的是碳水化合物、脂肪和纖維，不只是計算卡洛里以及飽和脂肪，也包括了消化食物時所需要的能量。

這是檢討過去，進而改進而使自己出名的好例子。這個指數系統重建並讓WW能夠跟上趨勢，在這個例子裡，新的食物熱量計算方法高過卡路里計算方法。

這個品牌投資了很多資源在廣告上，包括了計畫花費兩千八百萬英鎊在2011的廣告競賽上。這麼做的原因除了是要變成「大新聞」之外，隱藏在背後的目的就是要激發非使用者們的注意，同時也讓現在的使用者們持續的看到品牌仍然持續的活躍著。 

2. 不要試著去了解顧客，你就是顧客！

根據有關Lindsay的文章：「在1996簽約進入 Weight Watchers的時候，她即將要結婚，並且在九個月內失去了三千一百一十億。讓人感到驚奇的是，在接下來的時間她變成了一個領導者。」她致力於研究顧客這個區塊，Lindsay藉由數百場的焦點訪談發現了在顧客心中對於WW品牌一些更深入、更情感面的想法和洞察。除此之外，她和她的團隊經由「試試別的減肥方法」專案和她們的競爭對手 Slimming World to Alli(減肥藥品牌)保持著親近的關係。

3. 和顧客連結的新方法

WW是一個找到新方法和顧客連結的好例子。他們NHS(National Health Service)的轉介計劃讓三分之二的初級保健信託之醫生可以在WW開處方籤。另一個在美國和德國發行的實驗生產計畫是「At Work」，企業主讓WW主持他們的會議並且給予員工福利津貼。最後，WW英國團隊尋找進入 high street shops(英國線上商店)的機會，還有進入別的商店的權利。

3. 會員制的企業

WW已經經營了35年了，但仍算是非常現代化的一家企業。很多人們在討論成立品牌社群(brand communities)的重要性。因此，整個WW就是一個有兩百萬會員的大俱樂部。值得注意的是，WW告訴了我們以面售為基礎的品牌在網路世界裡仍然有機會：80%的交易仍然是經由面售而來，人們經由面對面互相鼓勵彼此達到目標。

總結，充分的了解顧客是品牌重建的好方法，你的品牌和市場會逐步成長。「The Pro Points」在歐洲較早投入市場，也真的讓2010的生意成長了15%。我期望2011年WW在英國也能有個成功的一年。

Marketing's profile of brand leader Lindsay Reisser-Weston, Marketing Director of Weight Watchers (WW), gives some great insight into how she is leading renovation of the brand.

1. Renovate the core product or service

Lindsay is leading a renovation of the core WW service. The new "ProPoints" system takes accounts of a range of food types in calculating the number of points for what you eat (you have to stick to a set number of points a day). The new plan takes account of carbohydrates, fat, protein and fibre, as well as the energy used to digest foods, not just calories and saturated-fat content.

This is a great example of looking back at what made you famous, the points system, but then renovating it to keep up with trends, in this case new diets that go beyond calorie counting. 

The brand is investing heavily in an advertising, with £28m in spending planned on its 2011 ad campaign. But this spend is directed behind "new news" which should help provoke non-users to consider the brand. And show existing users that the brand is keeping up with the times. 

2. Don't understand the consumer. BE the consumer

According to the article Lindsay "Signed up to Weight Watchers in 1996, with a wedding on the horizon, and lost 31lbs in nine months. Enthused, she became a leader in her spare time." By being the consumer of the category she works on, Lindsay has a much deeper, emotional understanding of the category and brand than she would get from hundreds of focus groups. In addition, she and her team get really close to the competition by "trying other weight-loss programmes available, from rival Slimming World to Alli diet pills.

3. New routes-to-consumer

WW is a good example of working on new routes to the consumer. Though their NHS (National Health Service) referral scheme doctors in two-thirds of Primary Care Trusts in England can now prescribe a course of Weight Watchers. Another trial-generating scheme used in the US and Germany is "At Work", where employers offer Weight Watchers as a staff perk, hosting meetings at work. Finally, the UK team are looking at high street shops and concessions in other stores.

4. Membership-based business

WW has been around for 35 years, but in a way its a very modern business. Lots of people are talking about the importance of creating brand communities. Well, the whole WW business is built on being a big club, with 2 million members. Interestingly, in an online world, WW show that there is still an opportunity for brands based on human contact: 80% of the business still comes from the meetings business, where people meet and encourage each other to meet their goals.

In conclusion, a great example of brand renovation by really understanding your consumer, your brand and the way the market is evolving. The Pro Points re-launch happened earlier in Europe, and 2010 business was up 15%. I expect the UK to have a successful 2011.