Athleta and Well+Good Launch “Wellness Collective”: Q&A with SVP of Creative and Strategy Adam O
It would be an understatement to say the wellness market is big in 2019 (at $4.2 trillion worldwide, it’s safe to say it’s massive). But with so many new and existing companies cashing in, innovation in the field can present itself to be daunting. That is, unless, you’re Well + Good.
The premier lifestyle and news entity has been making wellness waves since 2010, their latest move being an innovative partnership with sportswear retailer Athleta to launch Wellness Collective, a new and interpersonal take on the wellness experiences. Wellness Collective brings together female thought leaders and innovators in the holistic wellness field to provide collective participants with valuable wellness takeaways they are then able to incorporate into their daily lives.
Brand Storytelling caught up with Adam Ochman, SVP of Creative and Strategy at the Leaf Group, to learn more about the power behind what promises to be a robust strategic partnership in the age of holistic health:
How did this partnership between Well+Good and Athleta come to pass?
Athleta and Well+Good have a long-standing relationship with a remarkably successful partnership history. We share an intimate understanding of each others’ businesses and a community who have very similar values. We’ve always maintained an open dialogue and are true marketing partners, which has allowed us to continually find new approaches to reach our shared community in interesting and impactful ways.
This partnership is no exception. We came together to solve a shared challenge: How do time-starved women implement a comprehensive wellness routine in their daily lives? That’s the question we’re answering with Wellness Collective.
Together, we’re creating a collective of 60 female brand founders and entrepreneurs who are shaking up the wellness industry to bring the four pillars of wellness to life at Athleta stores nationwide: Mind + Body, Self-Care, Finance + Career, and Community. The goal is for women to walk away from these events with actionable information they can use in their daily lives.
For Example:
March Event
MIND + BODY
Vanessa Chu, Co-Founder of Stretch*d, led a
custom CBD stretch session
SELF-CARE
Stephanie Zheng, Co-Founder of beauty brand Mounta Lai, led a facial jade rolling exercise
COMMUNITY
Elisa Shankle, Co-Founder of mediation studio, Healhaus, led an interactive breathwork and intention exercise
FINANCE + CAREER
Amy Odell, Author and Career Columnist, led a discussion around career advice for women
April Event
MIND + BODY
Mia Rigden, Holistic Nutritionist and Founder of RASA Life, led a plant-forward nutritiontalk and smoothie demo
SELF-CARE
Cyndi Ramirez, Co-Founder of NYC’s Chillhouse, led a DIY plant-rich facial
oils workshop
COMMUNITY
Christan Summers, Co-Founder of Greenpoint’s Tula House plant shop, led a plant-potting demo brought her plant truck to the Athleta store
FINANCE + CAREER
Wen-Jay Ying, Founder of Local Roots NYC, led a discussion around purpose driven entrepreneurship
What was the interplay like between Athleta and Well+Good when it came to designing the Wellness Collective? What did the development process look like?
We feel strongly that the best partnerships come to life when all parties are equally invested in the outcome of the program. To that end, the Athleta team has been an amazing thought partner.
Based on an editorial insight from our 2019 Trends (One Stop Wellness aka Wellness Under One Roof), Well+Good planted the seed of Wellness Collective early on, and from that moment forward we knew we had a strong idea, it was something both of our communities wanted. This is an initiative that resonated from the onset and has grown into a multi-platform partnership (national event series, wellness curriculums, style spotlights) bringing an attainable wellness curriculum to our communities, whether at an Athleta store or in their own homes.
And it’s a living idea: We collaborate multiple times a week on every aspect of the campaign, from the look and feel to the programming experiences we’re bringing to life.
A closer look at Well+Good reveals that a driving force behind the wellness brand is Leaf Group - what is Leaf Group's involvement with Well+Good and how does what they do play into Wellness Collective?
As our parent company, Leaf Group has been extremely supportive of all the amazing work the team is currently executing, including Wellness Collective. We have support from the highest levels inside the company to create the best partnerships possible and that shows in our execution.
We are a tight knit group working on a shared mission/vision: empowering our community to discover their truest selves by immersing them in everything they need to live their best life.
That is the clear synergy between Leaf Group/Well+Good and Athleta.
Does Leaf Group's involvement look the same for other brands under its umbrella? What is Leaf Group's Mission?
Leaf Group empowers our community to discover their truest selves by immersing them in everything they need to live their best life. This mission runs true across the company with support to create best in class partnerships with the advertising community that will bring value to our audience.
What kind of value is added when a program like Wellness Collective incorporates online and offline experiences into one?
The value is exponential when you have the opportunity to reach and share with your community at all points in their day. We are creating an emotional connection through Wellness Collective and we want to ensure that our community has the opportunity to experience Wellness Collective, either in person, on their commute, or in the comfort of their own home. Bringing the physical experience to a digital platform is where we excel while engaging our community in a new way to experience wellness.
About Adam Ochman
Adam Ochman joins Well+Good and the Leaf Group as SVP of Creative & Strategy. He has more than a decade of leadership experience in the Native/Branded, Marketing and Digital Media world. Most recently, Adam served as Vice President, Head of Content & Strategy at The Foundry where he helped build and manage the firm’s Branded Content offering.
At Leaf, Adam is leading the new Creative Studio that consists of integrated + brand marketing, branded content, branded video, experiential, and design teams.
As a strategic thinker and creative storyteller, he is overseeing all custom partner programs across the Leaf Group brand portfolio, architecting campaigns of $1M+ for advertising partners, and introducing new product offerings for our brand partners.
Prior to the Foundry, he has held positions at Time Inc. (People/Entertainment Weekly), WME|IMG, Condé Nast, and NBCUniversal.
