At WPG publishers, the special interest brands Yoga Magazine, Yoga TV and Yoga online get a new name and a new home: Yoga by Happinez. The editors of Happinez incorporate it and bring the Yoga brand as a new extension. Editor-in-chief of Happinez, Eveline Helmink explains why.
Why did Yoga magazine have to give way as a separate brand?
‘Our assignment was not to let Yoga Magazine go as a separate brand, but to make it future-proof. The magazine had a hard time in the current magazine market as a single copy title, also because of the low publication frequency of four times a year. The relationship with the online platform was also not always clear to readers and buyers, while the Yoga TV platform, with more than 20,000 active users and a range of over 400 lessons, the best Dutch-speaking teachers and numerous styles and flavors, was the leading brand. is in this market. We have chosen to create one clear story with the Yoga Magazine, Yoga TV and Yoga Online extensions under the same name: Yoga by Happinez.’
Can you tell us about the ‘takeover’ process?
‘The editorial staff of Yoga Magazine was small. The request to take Yoga under our wing was therefore partly prompted by the broad scope of specialisms and experience that we have built up within the Happinez team, for example in the field of digital marketing, production and digital art direction. In the end, it became clear to us that if we wanted to make Yoga future-proof, the brand had the best chance if we completely absorbed it into the ‘machinery’ of Happinez and completely embraced it. Moreover, Yoga by Happinez can benefit from the brand authority of the much larger Happinez. However, Yoga by Happinez will remain a separate label, with its own members, its own identity and its own brand values.’
Does Yoga fit well with Happinez’s brand positioning?
‘The yoga philosophy and the associated lifestyle definitely overlap with the theme that Happinez also pays attention to. In a sense, it completes the trilogy ‘body, mind & soul’, because you can really experience the richness of yoga via the online platform. But the choices we have made are mainly aimed at positioning the Yoga brand more firmly, and less vice versa. As a brand, Happinez is already strong enough as it is.’
Yoga was not just a magazine for a long time, and with Yoga TV, of course, super cross-media. Is that also an asset to Happinez?
‘Yes, we see it as an asset. For example, we were able to increase the production of audio and video considerably and that expertise also flows back to Happinez. Moreover, for Yoga we explicitly opt for the ‘online membership first’ model, in which print supports the online proposition. Experimenting with this further and translating the best practices to the entire portfolio would be an asset to any brand that is still (partly) dependent on print.’
How are you going to make the new Yoga by Happinez brand successful?
‘This spring there will be a major awareness campaign around Yoga by Happinez to introduce our online platform to a wider audience than the current users. On top of that, there is of course a lot of potential in the audience of Happinez and cross-selling between the two brands. And here too, the bundling of marketing expertise from both teams will provide the necessary strength and growth. Behind the scenes we are already booking the first results here. In our communication, we opt even more emphatically for the distinctive character of Yoga by Happinez, namely the best Dutch-speaking teachers and the multitude of levels and styles, with a new offer every week and a beautiful magazine delivered to your home four times a year with which you can discover the world of yoga at home. can make your own.’
