Well+Good and Athleta Team Up for a New Conversation Series Around 'One Stop Wellness'

Noticing a trend among its readers for “one stop wellness,” Well+Good is partnering with Athleta on a new conversation series that will further diversify the brand’s revenue streams and expand what they can offer editorially to their audience. The digital media outlet and retailer are kicking off the series on Saturday with their first event at Athleta’s flagship New York location. The in-store events will continue through the rest of the year, with nine additional two-hour programs in New York, and two more on the West Coast: one in San Francisco and the other in Los Angeles. The idea of “one stop wellness," according to Well+Good, is that busy, active people don't have time to run around for everything they need, and instead, want what they need for their healthy lives in one place. “We go to our community for those insights because they’re incredibly active and really willing to share with us their thoughts and feelings on particular topics,” said Michele Calhoun, SVP of Revenue, Leaf Group. “The information both serves our direction editorially and also how we take that to market to brands.” That led to the brand's events with Athleta, during which experts and brand founders will walk 40 attendees through a curriculum surrounding four central themes: mind and body, finance and career, self-care as well as community. The first event will include experts such as Vanessa Chu, co-founder of Stretch*d and journalist Amy Odell. The cost to attend will be $85, which includes a pair of Athleta leggings. [kickout id="1"] “This year really signifies the evolution of the in-store experience and shaking up what it can be,” said Well+Good co-founder Alexia Brue. For those who can’t attend, the curriculum will then be shared online for Well+Good readers to access. The team will also get content for their respective social media feeds, and will have the event experts participate in a “Style Spotlight” showcasing them in their activewear. Athleta will incorporate content from the events into its fall catalog. It’s not the first time Athleta and Well+Good have teamed up. Previously, the two worked together to bring a series of workouts to their stores. “Sports and wellness are very experience-based and the passion around it is very experience-based and that’s where the emotion comes from,” said Sheila Shekar, Athleta CMO. “For us, it’s important that this brand has a really strong balance between the two and the customer has a chance to experience the fitness and other pillars ... in a highly experiential way.” This year, Athleta looks to expand what the brand means for customers and—as many media companies are doing—go offline with more events and potential pop-up shops surrounding health and wellness to connect with its audience. The partnership with Well+Good is a natural extension of that, Shekar said, as the digital brand is “truly in support of our overarching mission to unleash the limitless potential of every girl through an active and healthy lifestyle.” While Well+Good has also made moves to connect with readers in new ways, they’ve also invested in these new areas to expand revenue streams. For example, its Talks ticketed event frequently sells out all 125 seats. This year, the brand upped the ante and plans on doing two Talks per month, one of which will be sponsored by a brand. Former sponsors have included Siggis, Citi and Athleta. Last year, the digital publisher also launched a retreats program, which organizes trips to places that range from Palm Springs to Miami. This year, the company secured a partner, Miraval, with its first trip taking place in Austin. In addition, the publisher is getting in the book business with a new cookbook (launching in April) with easy and healthy recipes. “Wellness is so experiential and we love pulling our communities together," Brue said. "We are partnering with the most interesting and innovative businesses and also really shining a light on the most interesting talent as well."