September 25, 2018 at 06:55AM Three years ago, Weight Watchers was in trouble: The number of sign-ups was down 20 percent, from 3.6 million in 2014 to 2.9 million. Debra Benovitz, the brand’s SVP of consumer insights, conducted a study to glean more information on the company’s perception. And to do that, she asked a thought-probing visual question: “I asked people, if Weight Watchers was a house, what they thought it looked like,” she says. Benovitz put 300 photos on the wall, all related to home decor and architecture, expecting to glean a portrait of whom and what the brand represented in this modern moment of green juices and boutique fitness. Here’s how people described the “house of Weight Watchers” in 2015: “Warm traditional Tudor in family-friendly suburb. Outdated decor and overly cluttered florals. The owner is a pleasantly plump empty-nester who loves chit-chatting. She hosts book clubs and shares simple snacks from a box.” The takeaway: Clearly, the brand needed a makeover. How could the company get people to see that Weight Watchers was for Lululemon-loving, matcha-sipping women, too? The problem wasn’t that Weight Watchers didn’t work. The problem wasn’t that Weight Watchers didn’t work. The brand was founded on the intersection of science-backed ways to lose weight and consumer insights (AKA how to make it actually part of people’s lives). In fact, people following the program were eight times more likely to lose weight than those who tried to do it by themselves (according to a 2013 study), and
Category: Vegetarians
It might be the Second City, but Chicago’s first on our list of healthy hotspots in the Midwest—here’s why
September 25, 2018 at 04:30AM Gazing up the skyline of Chicago a few years ago, still claiming my East Village apartment in Manhattan as home, I gasped and muttered aloud, “It’s so clean, it’s blue.” And truly, after making these sparkling streets my own for the last two years, Chicago’s stunning eco-certified architecture and dialed train system (imagine signs that tell you how many minutes away your train is before you even descend the steps) are just a tiny glimpse of the multifaceted gem some call the Second City. With an underground music scene that rivals the best of New York and Austin (not to mention festivals like Pitchfork, Lollapalooza, and Riot Fest), Chicago’s low-key atmosphere is ripe with friendly baristas, understanding fitness instructors, and well-versed Uber drivers ready to give you the scoop on its varied offerings—including the vegan spot that Beyoncé’s been known to hit up when she’s in town. Keep reading for a city guide of Chicago’s healthiest places to sleep, eat, and play. View this post on Instagram Come hang out in The Hall tomorrow! @warholkids will be popping up shop from 12pm-5pm. : @hallmerrickphoto A post shared by The Robey Chicago (@therobeychicago) on Jun 9, 2018 at 8:17am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Good Sleep The Robey The landmark Art Deco Northwest Tower was built in 1929 and transformed by Belgian design duo Nicolas Schuybroek Architects and Marc Merckx Interiors into this contemporary hotel equipped with breathtaking 180-degree views, not to mention a rooftop pool. It’s little wonder why