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 practical resistance bands. Having labored within the company sector for 25 years, Low (pictured) had at all times wished for time to take a break from company life and spend time with her household.
However, she took the plunge to start out her personal entrepreneurial journey into the fitness area, after assembly two inspirational moms very similar to herself, who had been additionally entrepreneurs.
Low first turned an ACE licensed private coach, and never earlier than lengthy she determined to start out an organization in the identical subject, particularly for girls. As half of her model analysis, she seemed into numerous sorts of fitness movies and differing kinds of fitness tools that she may construct her firm round – earlier than finally selecting resistance bands.
While it’s common to see advertisements about gyms and fitness courses typically, advertisements for resistance bands particularly are hardly ever seen. Also, greater manufacturers akin to Decathlon or Royal Sporting House, for instance, could be one of the primary 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 eventually to changing into a model proprietor.
Listen to the podcast right here.
MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: The fitness class is fairly cluttered. For instance, firms akin to Decathlon are one of the primary few locations customers would suppose of once they need to purchase resistance bands. How are you standing out?
Low: I’d say that my strategy is somewhat bit totally different. I’m not only a store. I consider in educating folks in regards to the significance of energy coaching, and girls typically about energy coaching. I take into consideration the factors in regards to the why – why you are doing it, what it’s worthwhile 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 energy coaching, and glute activation. That is one key factor proper now particularly since many are working from residence and everybody’s sitting down typically. Therefore, the largest half of the largest muscle in your physique, it isn’t 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 the best way to use the band. These are 12-minute to 15-minute exercises that may enable you to change into extra constant in utilizing the bands.
I’m undoubtedly not going to have the ability to combat a goliath akin 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 energy coaching and the way this device itself is so easy, so inexpensive and so accessible, and likewise matches their persona based mostly on the design.
MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What are some advertising initiatives you’ve gotten applied to date?
Low: I launched on 1 November final yr in order a model, we’re very new. It’s about driving the highest funnel of advertising, which is in regards to the model and what the product and model provides. You do not know what you do not know till you discover out.
Unless customers know who you’re, what you provide, and the way it advantages them, you may have an excellent good product, however nonetheless be a best-kept secret.
I’d suppose 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 fitness routine. It has been loads of phrase of mouth with a community of family and friends.
Understanding the story behind Band of Sisters is fairly necessary for me as a result of it isn’t simply an e-shop. It is a model that believes in empowering girls and getting extra girls to do energy coaching. We even have had some influencer mates who had been sort sufficient to provide some shout outs with our followers, with some Instagram Stories. Another pal simply did a weblog about resistance bands. And afterward, we will do a bit extra affiliate internet marketing with related fitness teams. We have undoubtedly began paid social akin to Facebook, Instagram advertising, website positioning, 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 undoubtedly 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 may be the important thing problem for me.
As for the sources, half of it’s that it will depend on what sort of set-up you need. If I’m seeking to actually scale actually rapidly, then clearly I’ll want to rent extra folks. But at this cut-off date, my ambition is just not that far but; I’m nonetheless beginning out. I’d say the problem is desirous to do loads however not essentially the whole lot at one time.
In the previous, you may simply have this huge thought, the technique after which get everybody to do totally different features. 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 wonder of operating your personal enterprise is that you’re accountable. You’re solely accountable for the outcomes you get.
Unlike in an organisation, you may put in 110% however there are simply so many stakeholders it’s worthwhile to handle. And it’s not each time once you put in 110% and even 200%, that you simply get the outcomes you need. There are simply so many events concerned within the resolution making, and that is the place the complexity is available in.
There are execs and cons I’d say, however possibly I’m at a stage in my life the place I need to simplify issues. The magnificence of having your personal enterprise is once you resolve, “Okay, I’m not going to, like, push so exhausting at the moment, I’m going to go away it to the following day, you are able to do it,” or “I’ve household commitments and the whole lot, I must reprioritise, you may do it.”
MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What had been some of the teachings you realized as a marketer, and within the adland, that you simply utilized to your present function as a model proprietor?
Low: I’d suppose two key issues. One is about methods, about sacrificing – you may’t be all issues to all folks. When I first began, I used to be taking a look at all of the fitness classes: the house exercises, what are fitness tools and the whole lot I may faucet into when there’s such a wide array.
Then I believed to myself, how am I going to market all of this? And what precisely is my model goal? And what precisely am I taking a look at in phrases of my audience? I’d say that, as David Ogilvy stated, 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 thought that you simply 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 at all times essentially the most troublesome.
When it involves the company world, you need the whole lot. Throw within the kitchen sink, you understand, 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 realized now that I’m a one-man operation, it is about sequencing issues. I can not do the whole lot. I’ve heaps of recommendation, loads of mates 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 isn’t 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, you understand, 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 client journey. What I’ve realized and am placing into observe is taking a look at that entire funnel.
Related article:Ex-OCBC CMO Yvonne Low pushes by means of with resistance bands enterprise
https://www.marketing-interactive.com/marketing-podcast-not-your-usual-marketing-fitness-with-band-of-sisters
