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Post by fullmahina on Aug 11, 2018 0:24:16 GMT
A trademark application was filed for "Digital + Studio" by Weight Watchers. "As submitted by the applicant, this trademark application relates to the following goods and services: Providing subscription-based wellness services through workshops and education, namely, programs and instruction for weight loss, weight management, fitness, exercise, nutrition, behavior change, health and lifestyle wellness." Not sure what this all means but it looks to me like WW is looking to expand its online presence. Perhaps even offer online meetings of some sort? I might even be interested in online meetings. I could attend in my pajamas and yell at the screen and snap it off if I got too fed up. www.marketscreener.com/WEIGHT-WATCHERS-INTERNATI-14924/news/Weight-Watchers-International-Trademark-Application-for-DIGITAL-STUDIO-Filed-by-Weight-Watcher-27090967/
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Post by zazzles on Aug 11, 2018 1:00:06 GMT
Well, Mindy did talk about more of a push to new Internet technology, so offerings like meetings by video or teleconference would not be a surprise. I truly do believe there is a long-term vision to have the company's offerings all be digital and virtual, closing physical sites and saving scads of money on rent, furnishings and salaries.
Now for those of us who attend meetings and have forged some friendships, the same thing could be done without WW: users of Apple iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers already have the ability to voice or video conference with high-quality tools provided by Apple. Heck, we could even start doing some conferences with some folks on here who are Apple-equipped!
Here's a scenario that comes to mind:'
Form a virtual group of Lifetime members who have Apple equipment. Pick a day, time, and conference leader. Before the prescribed start time, everyone weighs in on their home scale. Also prior to starting, everyone grabs the WW Weekly from the WW web site. Conference leader starts the conference, pulling in everyone in the group. Folks report their success or failures. Discussion of the week's topic (or whatever the group wants to discuss) takes place. Conference ends.
Nobody had to shower, get dressed, transport themselves to a meeting. Everybody enjoyed the beverage of their choice (coffee, tea, BEER!).
Interesting thought.
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Post by fullmahina on Aug 11, 2018 1:05:50 GMT
Nobody had to shower, get dressed, transport themselves to a meeting. Everybody enjoyed the beverage of their choice (coffee, tea, BEER!). I make a mean mai-tai.
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Post by diva49 on Aug 11, 2018 1:08:35 GMT
From the Earnings Call transcript:
Mindy Grossman Yes, so let me speak to it a little differently. We believe, very strongly, in video content across platforms. And we will be developing, prolifically, storytelling and digital video content from six second up across platforms. And we have tested in a couple of markets where we had run TV, not running TV, but instead using very immersive video content very successfully.
So, we feel confident that the marketing that we're doing, the creative that we're doing, the targeted cohort that we're doing, is really very strong. But I want to be clear; it's still the tremendous development of creative video platforms across all our assets.
Nicholas Hotchkin And the ability to enter a new market with our digital subscription offering and while at the same time, providing some elements of human engagement, the thing that makes us really special and really having a good time working on that initiative with the team.
~~~
So it looks like Digital + Studio = new product coming for sale
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Post by zazzles on Aug 11, 2018 1:13:10 GMT
diva49 , I thought I remembered a comment in the transcript—I was just to lazy to look it up. So here's what makes sense to me: a trademark application has been filed. WW only does this shortly before a launch. And here we are 1/3 way through August, with the traditional December program changes/enhancements on the horizon. Should we start a pool that some digital offering or enhancement will be the big change for the new plan year?
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Post by fullmahina on Aug 11, 2018 1:18:40 GMT
And the ability to enter a new market with our digital subscription offering and while at the same time, providing some elements of human engagement, OMG "some elements of human engagement," LOL. Gotta move the masses into AI slowly so eventually they won't even notice the difference between humans and robots. Human interaction is so 2010. And Mindy sounds like she needs her TTS system tweaked. Sigh...but the thought of attending meetings in my PJ's with a maitai in my hand is still making me smile. I think I would give it a try.
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Post by zazzles on Aug 11, 2018 1:23:37 GMT
I just checked the patent office. There were a couple of new patent filings at the beginning of June. Both have similarities to applications filed in the past couple of years. One is for a new method of tracking using visual indicators instead of numbers (think of a level with a bubble that floats left/right/center depending on how straight (balanced) a object is. In this case, the object is the day, and the center represents eating within target, with left being below target and right being above target.
Since this has appeared before, it may have been in development for a few years and be something that is coming, or it may just be a filing to establish claim to an idea with no intention of productizing it.
Time will tell.
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Post by fullmahina on Aug 11, 2018 1:39:13 GMT
One is for a new method of tracking using visual indicators instead of numbers (think of a level with a bubble that floats left/right/center depending on how straight (balanced) a object is. In this case, the object is the day, and the center represents eating within target, with left being below target and right being above target. I hate that. I need numbers, a clear target to aim at, not some wiggly wobbly bubbly thing. Never got into the Blue Dot Challenge. Simply not interested.
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Kitty
Transcendent Member
Posts: 1,448
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Post by Kitty on Aug 11, 2018 1:50:22 GMT
I have thought for awhile that it wouldn't be that difficult for WW to do online meetings with an actual leader and participants. And, honestly, if I liked the leader and the participants could take part like in a regular meeting it might work fine. There are a lot of ways to do it. For example, would participants have to do written questions/comments versus voice. I would prefer the voice by far.
I would personally miss the actual weigh in. One reason I didn't do well in the past with pure online was not having an official weigh in done by someone other than me. I would tend to put off weighing until next week... You can do that at meetings, but usually I didn't.
Of course with online meetings they wouldn't offer lifetime as there would be no weigh to verify weight loss. Gets them into having people permanently paying. And, for existing lifetime people they would offer the online meetings as an add on that would cost money....
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Post by itsrad on Aug 11, 2018 2:03:20 GMT
In other words, interactive webinars.
Hmm, I wonder if they are teaching that technology at the middle school.
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Post by NatureLover on Aug 11, 2018 12:15:04 GMT
I go to WW for the meetings and to get weighed by a person. I don't feel warm and fuzzy about the idea of attending online meetings. Having a date with my group, leader, and the scale affects my behavior for the prior week. I also want to see friends forged from my 19 years of attending local meetings.
I would be very interested in online classes on other topics - fitness, the mind bendy stuff, etc. And Zen Flow or whatever that was all about, my leader went on the cruise and said they had tai chi classes every day and they were coming to the meetings.
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Post by debsback on Aug 11, 2018 12:31:02 GMT
Funny this post came up today. I just saw a commercial for something like that...an online rogram from noom.com. I went to their website for a look. You can answer a series of questions and they calculate how long it will take you to get to your goal. $14.99 a month. Including a personal coach, wellness and meal plans etc etc. They beat WE out of the gate.
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Post by zazzles on Aug 11, 2018 13:06:07 GMT
Funny this post came up today. I just saw a commercial for something like that...an online rogram from noom.com. I went to their website for a look. You can answer a series of questions and they calculate how long it will take you to get to your goal. $14.99 a month. Including a personal coach, wellness and meal plans etc etc. They beat WE out of the gate. Noom looks interesting. But the price they quoted me is $18.99 a month. In a way it seems like WW Online + Coaching, but also seems like the guidance WW lost Noom found.
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Post by itsrad on Aug 11, 2018 13:13:22 GMT
Is anyone doing the coaching option?
When it first came out, it really played to mixed reviews. My recollection is that it was hit or miss if you got a coach with availability and a clue.
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Post by zazzles on Aug 11, 2018 13:21:43 GMT
Is anyone doing the coaching option? When it first came out, it really played to mixed reviews. My recollection is that it was hit or miss if you got a coach with availability and a clue. I was poking around the Coaching option last night. It still exists. I went through the questionaire and the came up with three coaches on the Pacific coast, two in my geographic area. Availability of times was limited when I restricted the days to within a week, virtually all in the late evening. But as I expanded the timeframe, I started seeing times that included mornings and midday. The reviews appeared to be positive, but we've no idea whether WW even shows negative reviews. However, for each reviewer they show the # of sessions completed and some folks had a lot of sessions (40+). I saw one person with 150 sessions completed. So something bring some people back. Originally one could opt to add coaching to a plan, but I'm now not clear on how one pays for coaching—I suspect it may be per session now. Cost was not disclosed anywhere I looked. Turns out that Coaching is part of Online Plus + Coaching option and the cost is $54.95 a month. I don't see an option for meetings + online + coaching; guess that combo didn't gain popularity.
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