Brand as the Hub of Your Go-To-Market Approach
Learn from John Solomon, CMO at Therabody, about overcoming the “Kleenex problem” and prioritizing the entry to your brand.
Therabody is the wellness tech pioneer. We invent and develop products and services that optimize human performance and unlock the body's natural ability to achieve health and well-being. Founded by Dr. Jason Wersland to alleviate his own debilitating pain after a traumatic accident, he invented the category-defining percussive therapy device, Theragun which has been rooted in more than a decade of research and development. We empower people around the world to live healthier lives through a deeper understanding of their bodies and minds. Since our founding, the company has continued to pave the way with an innovative ecosystem of wellness solutions backed by science, including pneumatic compression (RecoveryAir), electrical stimulation (PowerDot), vibration therapy (Wave series), and USDA Certified Organic CBD (TheraOne). Science is fundamental to Therabody’s DNA; using existing science combined with internal and external research to validate products and services. Our products are embraced by both the medical community and millions of consumers worldwide. Currently available in more than 60 countries, including company-owned retail stores and Reset, a whole-body wellness center. Therabody is a team-oriented, high-energy, creative workplace that thrives on ideas and collaboration. In keeping with our philosophy on innovation, our team members are out-of-the-box thinkers who thrive in our forward-thinking culture. We are looking for smart, driven individuals who are inspired by shaping the new frontier of health and well-being.
Guest Bio
John Solomon is the Chief Marketing Officer of Therabody, where he oversees its global marketing function and is setting a new standard for strategy, creativity and communication. Prior to Therabody, John was a marketing executive at Apple for more than seven years across hardware, services and the Beats by Dre brand, leading digital marketing, media and e-commerce initiatives. Currently based in Los Angeles, John has also spent time working in San Francisco and China, where he was the CEO of SuperBetter Labs, Head of Strategy at AKQA and founder of China’s first youth-focused culture agency, enovate, which he sold in 2012. John holds a bachelor's degree from Duke University and a master’s degree from John Hopkins University.
Guest Bio
John Solomon is the Chief Marketing Officer of Therabody, where he oversees its global marketing function and is setting a new standard for strategy, creativity and communication. Prior to Therabody, John was a marketing executive at Apple for more than seven years across hardware, services and the Beats by Dre brand, leading digital marketing, media and e-commerce initiatives. Currently based in Los Angeles, John has also spent time working in San Francisco and China, where he was the CEO of SuperBetter Labs, Head of Strategy at AKQA and founder of China’s first youth-focused culture agency, enovate, which he sold in 2012. John holds a bachelor's degree from Duke University and a master’s degree from John Hopkins University.
Episode Summary
This episode features an interview with John Solomon, CMO at Therabody, the wellness tech pioneer that brought us the Theragun, among other products that optimize human performance and unlock the body's natural ability to achieve health and well-being.
In this episode, John shares his strategy to overcome the “Kleenex problem”and dives into how they prioritize the entry point to their brand. He also talks about how he structures his team with the brand at the center to avoid silos and strengthen their go-to market strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Focus on the product that serves as the entry to your brand to get customers into your ecosystem.
- Distinctive brand assets are essential and need to be protected, especially for companies facing the “Kleenex problem”, when their product name becomes synonymous with the product and less associated with the company brand.
- Structuring your brand team at the center of the marketing function helps avoid siloes and strengthens your go-to-market strategy.
Quotes
"I'm a big believer that your kind of brand team has to sit in the middle. It's the hub of your going to market approach, right? And so I have the brand team really thinking about it in those three areas that I talked to you about before, the performance, wellness, and beauty. And then we have specific brand managers that really think about specific audiences. But that's who's driving the integrated process. That’s who is bringing the functions together, saying, hey, we're launching this product, or, hey, we got Mother's Day, or, hey, this week we have sleep week. And then bringing together what's influencer, what's PR, what's the site, what's email, what's media, what all of those teams are doing to drive that integrated process." ––John Solomon, CMO, Therabody
Episode Highlights
- *(13:19) The Trust Tree: Addressing the “Kleenex problem”
- *(34:27) The Playbook: Capturing attention through television
- *(45:03) Quick Hits: John’s Quick Hits
Episodes Transcript
- Focus on the product that serves as the entry to your brand to get customers into your ecosystem.
- Distinctive brand assets are essential and need to be protected, especially for companies facing the “Kleenex problem”, when their product name becomes synonymous with the product and less associated with the company brand.
- Structuring your brand team at the center of the marketing function helps avoid siloes and strengthens your go-to-market strategy.
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