Weight Watchers will from next month ditch its name and rebrand as “WW” as it takes on competition from fitness trackers and phone apps and attempts to remould itself as a lifestyle tech brand.
Behind the relaunch is concern that the long-term effectiveness of diet plans is on the wane, while health and wellness are now in vogue. The US-listed firm wants to broaden its appeal and keep subscribers signed up by moving beyond a short-term diet fix to become a credo to live by, with an app that it hopes users will check as frequently as Facebook or Instagram.
“Wellness is a journey and there are more elements to that than diet,” said Mindy Grossman, the chief executive, who said the rebrand was the latest phase of a change in mindset she has pushed forward since joining the company last summer. “The idea is to inspire people to be more motivated and stay committed for longer.”
In a bid to recast itself as a “technology experience company”, Weight Watchers is improving the social media side of its app so that likeminded groups, such as mothers or yoga fans, can connect. It is also working on a voice-activated version of its app that will enable subscribers to check their points using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
For more read the full of article at The Guardian
