

10 SEP 2012 HBS CASE

BROWSE BY:
TRENDING
TOPICS
HBS Cases: Branding Yoga 28 FEB 2018 SHARPENING YOUR
INDUSTRIES   SKILLS
GEOGRAPHY Comments 19 Email Print Share Recommend 0 Share
MASTER THE TEAM
FACULTY   MEETING
CATEGORIES As yoga's popularity has grown into a $6 billion business, a cast of
26 FEB 2018 RESEARCH & IDEAS
successful entrepreneurs has emerged with their own styles of the ancient
THE AIRBNB EFFECT:
Popular practice. Yet yoga's rise underscores a larger question for Professor Rohit
CHEAPER ROOMS FOR
Browse All Articles Deshpandé: Is everything brandable?
TRAVELERS, LESS
About Us  
REVENUE FOR HOTELS
Newsletter Sign-Up
RSS by Kim Girard
22 FEB 2018 BOOK
THE NEW HISTORY OF
Harvard Business School Professor Rohit Deshpandé often asks his
AMERICAN CAPITALISM
marketing students a show-stopping question: Is everything brandable—and
should everything be brandable? 19 FEB 2018 SHARPENING YOUR
SKILLS

So when he read a November 2010 New York Times piece on the tensions AMAZONED: IS ANY
between traditional practitioners who wanted to "take back yoga" from INDUSTRY SAFE?
celebrity teachers with newfangled twists on the ancient practice, the word
02 SEP 2015 WHAT DO YOU
"brand" jumped out at him. THINK?
WHAT'S WRONG WITH
"What had me intrigued was that there was this controversy," says AMAZON’S LOW-
Deshpandé, the Sebastian S. Kresge Professor of Marketing. "There were RETENTION HR
strong positions taken by a number of people. It wasn't just a descriptive STRATEGY?
story."

“There are two elements of brand authenticity, and they appeal to two FEATURED FACULTY
different sorts of people”
Deshpandé decided that the business of yoga would make a lively teaching
case for his class of entrepreneurs in the School's Owner/President
Management Program, with plenty of lessons about branding and
competitive strategy.

Two Paths
In Branding Yoga, cowritten with HBS Global Research Group associate
director Kerry Herman and research associate Annelena Lobb, Deshpandé ROHIT DESHPANDE
examines the different paths of two successful yoga teachers.
Sebastian S. Kresge
Professor of Marketing
There's Bikram Choudhury, the founder of Bikram yoga in America, who has
aggressively fought to patent his approach to traditional yoga style. Then
CONTACT
there is the former model and ballet dancer Tara Stiles, who isn't
Send an email
particularly interested in yoga's roots or rules, but rather in mixing up
different styles of yoga to create a beneficial exercise.
→ More Articles
"There are two elements of brand authenticity, and they appeal to two
different sorts of people," Deshpandé says.
FIND RELATED ARTICLES

The enterprising Bikram, born in 1946 in Calcutta and known worldwide by

his first name, began studying yoga as a four-year-old under his guru
Bishnu Ghosh. He arrived in America in 1971, opening his first studio in
Los Angeles and teaching traditional Hatha yoga to students including BRANDS AND BRANDING
Shirley MacLaine.
ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION

Bikram built his business slowly. In 1979, he wrote Bikram's Beginning INDIA
Yoga Class. He also trademarked his company's name, Bikram's Yoga
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
College of India. In 1994, he began offering intensive courses, training 200
teachers per year, according to the case. UNITED STATES

VALUE CREATION
Worried that competitors were copying his teachings and techniques,
Bikram decided in 2002 to patent a typical 90-minute class, which
consists of 26 postures and two breathing exercises in a room heated to
105°F. Hundreds of cease-and-desist letters were slapped on competing
studio owners.

The Indian government, meanwhile, took umbrage with Bikram's legal

claims, arguing that yoga was part of the country's traditional knowledge.
The government put together a panel of 100 historians and scientists that
began cataloging 1,500 yoga poses found in ancient texts written in
Sanskrit, Urdu, and Persian. The goal was not to challenge Bikram in court,
the case explains, but rather to keep others from following his proprietary
example.

By 2011, there were some 5,000 Bikram Yoga

studios worldwide. Deshpandé notes that in a world
where the majority of yoga teachers were just
scraping by Bikram succeeded through strategic use
of branding and legal protections. Bikram also gained
an edge by starting early in the United States and
understanding yoga's commercial potential.

"He's very good at marketing the business, but especially on the branding
side, he understood the importance of the Bikram brand," he says. "It
wasn't about yoga, it was about Bikram yoga, and he had to establish what
the difference was. His story was all about understanding that you needed
legal protection for your branding."

The Stiles Approach

Tara Stiles, meanwhile, found success in yoga her own way. She had
studied ballet before launching a brief modeling career with the Ford
Agency. Her early experiences of yoga were personal and drew from several
different traditions. "It felt right and natural, not rigid with a certain style,"
she said. Yoga "gurus" she had encountered in New York put her off.

Stiles used Facebook to promote yoga classes taught out of her apartment
and offered private sessions. She also blogged about yoga for Women's
Health and the Huffington Post. In 2008, after opening her own studio,
Strala Yoga, the popular doctor and self-help author Deepak Chopra hired
Stiles as his personal yoga instructor, a huge endorsement.

Stiles created controversy because she was "making yoga cool," Chopra said
in the case. "We are basically breaking the rules, improvising, adding
music; in our minds, connecting the younger generation. In society, brands
that succeed stay relevant."
Stiles hasn't patented her classes, but in 2010 she did publish a book
called Slim Calm Sexy Yoga and launched a yoga DVD under Jane Fonda's
"Team Fonda" fitness brand. In addition, she and Chopra collaborated on
the iPad app Authentic Yoga. Those actions spurred some instructors to
label her a sellout, but Deshpandé is more measured.

"Tara Stiles appeals to a much younger demographic than Bikram," he says.

"She's not as regimented in her form of yoga. There's no Sanskrit in her
yoga. Bikram is about Sanskrit. Bikram is about India. She's
quintessentially American."

Adding Value
Deshpandé taught the case for the first time this past spring, drawing a
lively debate among participants who were divided on whether the
commercialization of yoga is appropriate.

"The discussion was very heated," he says. "The argument against it is that
religion is something that is very personal, and that it should not be
commercialized."

“It wasn't about yoga, it was about Bikram yoga”

(The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has weighed in on the debate as
well. The organization launched an awareness campaign called "Take Back
Yoga—Bringing to Light Yoga's Hindu Roots." The goal was not to convert
yoga devotees to Hinduism, according to the organizers, but rather to have
them acknowledge the connection.

HAF cofounder and board member Aseem Shukla wrote a 2010 piece for
the Washington Post's On Faith column called "The Theft of Yoga." In it,
Shukla blasted the "facile complicity of generations of Hindu yogis, gurus,
swamis, and others that offered up a religion's spiritual wealth at the altar
of crass commercialism."

The other side of the argument focuses on business rather than religion.
"It's all about creating value for a large audience. By using marketing and
branding you can be more effective and bring [your product] to a larger
audience," Deshpandé says.

Creating Value
"Branding Yoga" is one of five branding cases Deshpandé uses in his
classes to explore how companies create brands that are differentiated and
worthy of a price premium. In addition to yoga, he cites the bottled water
industry as an example.

"You get this stuff for free out of your faucet," he says. "With Evian or
Dasani you pay $2, $4, and that's the reaction consumers have: 'You are
just attaching a fancy name on it, which costs me money.' "

It's up to the company to add value to that brand to make it worth the
price, stresses Deshpandé. Participants also tackle how to leverage a brand
globally, build a multibrand portfolio, and defend a brand against
competition.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kim Girard is a writer based in Brookline, Massachusetts.
 Comments 19 Email Print Share Recommend 0 Share

COMMENTS

ANONYMOUS
Great article!, I found Hot Yoga a fantastic meditation-exercise-self inducted massage-sweat
program 6 years ago. Introduced by an HBS classmate I became addicted to it and gained
strength, flexibility and overall health. Then I heard about Bikram Yoga and practiced in two or
three different studios. I was VERY disappointed because Bikram Yoga teachers appeared to me
more interested in reciting the instructions (memorized by the word!!) than in yoga itself. There
was also a controversy amongst the Bikram Yoga Studios I visited as Bikram wanted to charge
Bikram Yoga studios for using his brand, etc.
All in all, yoga is one of India's (or that region of the world and that civilization) contributions to
Human Kind. I congratulate the government of India for doing such an exceptional work in
cataloging yoga. Anyone who has gotten addicted to yoga like I am will agree that it is truly a gift to
Human Kind.

AKASH
In principle branding is a critical piece for product marketing. However, its contradictory to the
principles espoused by Yoga. One of Hinduism key tenets is spirituality and the notion of - strive
hard towards a goal but don't be tied to its results. The branding of Bikram and cease and desist
approach are a far cry from that lofty tenet.

ANONYMOUS
Branding an undifferentiated commodity is nothing new. I recall an HBS case from many years ago
about Sunkist imprinting their name on oranges.

What is different here is that branding is building upon an existing "brand" -- yoga -- which has
been part of the public domain since before the expression "public domain" was invented.

What comes to mind is the recent branding of Kabbalah, a tradition of Jewish mysticism, as a
celebrity-endorsed product. (See this L. A. Times article. )

Similarly, the efforts of a Texas company to trademark the name of basmati rice which has been a
cultural staple food in India for centuries. (See this N.Y. Times article.)

The more that branding becomes a means of creating a distinction where little or no distinction
exists, or to lay claim to something otherwise in the public domain, the more cynical the consumer
becomes. In the long run, this seriously weakens the power of branding as a bona fide marketing
tool.

ANONYMOUS
This is a great article! I would consider the positive side of yoga branding being the fact this has
made the yoga available to a greater audience thus the benefits of yoga have been shared
regardless of the audience religion. In fact, I am catholic and I have found the practice of yoga has
made me understand more my spirituality and understand that the teacings are basically the same,
so if people would be better by doing yoga-with-a-brand and not linking it to a religious practice,
this is welcome since a lot of physical and emotional pain is healed.

ZUFI DEO FOUNDER, WWW.BIZSTUFF.CO

I think if we use the open source model - ie the yoga it self is free however the charge is for the
customisation and support - then we can see how something like Yoga can be branded and
productised.

DR.PRIYA M VAIDYA ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, GURU NANAK COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCE

AND COMMERCE,MUMBAI, INDIA
The article is very interesting. It poses forward interesting questions about knowledge as a means
to an end and also as an end in itself.
If Yoga is perceived as a means to an end-then the aspect of branding Yoga follows.
Most importantly- it then defeats the very purpose of learning Yoga .It hampers man's journey
towards self development .
Branding Yoga attempts gives rise to ethical dilemmas and questions that focus upon on the
essence of commercializing the sanctity of human life.

KAPIL KUMAR SOPORY COMPANY SECRETARY, SMEC(INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITED

Yoga is commonly known generic term for physical,mental and spiritual disciplines which
originated in ancient India. Various forms of yoga are described in Indian scriptures.
Yoga means 'yoke','to join','to attach' - the ultimate aim of yoga is to attain a state of highest bliss.
This, as per the holy Indian scripture 'Upanishad", yoga is 'steady control of the senses, which,
alongwith cessation of mental activity, leads to supreme state'. Thus yoga, in essence, is the
merger of body, mind and intellect which need to move in a common direction with none of the
three receiving more attention than the other two.
While this is the basic purpose of yoga, this has been lost due to excessive and undue body
consciousness which in the ultimate does not keep us totally happy and worry free.
Yoga became popular in US in 1980s as a physical system of health exercises. By and by, it
became popular as it kept people physically fit leading to cure of many diseases. Keeping the
users' expectations in view, newer exercise postures were devised and people somewhat hypnotised
to get inclined to these forms of so called yoga. In my view the studios are more like gyms as they
fail to provide what the real purpose of yoga is.
Hence, branding yoga is an exercise in popularising the physical part and people need to know that
they are following the new forms for their outer self only and not the real Self which matters more.

MICHEL HOGAN
The whole question rests on what you see a "brand" to be.

Very few products are brands in their own right. The fact that Bikram still adds "yoga" to the name
of his product suggests that the brand is actually yoga and the product is Bikram. In that way I
would think that while he can claim ownership of his particular flavored product, the underlying
"brand" of yoga has a broader ownership.

Marketing obsessions with making everything about brand aside - most often a product is just a
product and there is nothing wrong with that.

DR RAJENDRA PRASAD ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF DELHI

Wonderful

ANONYMOUS
What we see in the west is not Yoga most of the time, it is Asana, that is the only part of the
tradition that can be purchased. The other parts are only obtainable through self study and
practice. Bikram's yoga is a group of Asanas. Ms. Stile's Yoga is Asana.
Yoga is a science that comes from the Indian culture's study of humanity over thousands of years.
It has many parts. The use of the postures is only one part of Yoga. Also, the Sanskrit language is a
living language that is misinterpreted through our structure of language in the west. The words in
Sanskrit have vibrational values to the mind and body, just as many ancient languages did. Each
posture is named not only for description, but for purpose.
In studying the branding of Asana, it would also be important to study the personalities that
attempting to brand it. Are they branding "Yoga" or themselves? Bikram's purpose to separate
himself out by trademarking, and Ms. Stiles need to remove herself from the tradition and the
language tells me more about the use of the product to brand the person. Both Bikram and Ms.
Stiles saw a market and created their product to fit that market.
On the subject of Yoga, a branding study is interesting, but a consumer study would be more
revealing about it's growth as a product.

SAT GOEL
If Yoga can be branded and sold. Then soon, breathing and exercising will be branded and sold.
Branding does not add value to the product or service, it only increases its cost.

LAURENCE MCKINNEY
I am reminded of the first visit of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to Boston under the auspices of a
foundation founded by HBS classmate Charlie Geer. After his talk, seated on a cushion in Sander's
Theater he took questions from a line at the microphone. When my time came I agreed how useful
meditative practice could be and mentioned the success I'd enjoyed already.

He gave his characteristic giggle and smiled "It would appear that you have already attained Bliss
Consciousness without the need for Transcendental Meditation," and his smile sort of narrowed as
he paused ... "but it would have been FAR easier for you if you HAD used Transcendental
Meditation" Giggle. I nodded my appreciation and returned to my seat.

I was satisfied, but I wondered if anyone else was picking up the real message both of us
understood:
"Hey, Charlie, we all know there are a couple of thousand dozen karma yoga practices which with
consistent practice will make us into wizards .... but will you buzz off? I'm selling my brand here!"

Yep, he's a real yogi, and I heard it loud and clear. His brand. Perhaps the first "branded" yoga,
and for celebrity endorsements - you can't beat the Beatles.

SRINI DIRECTOR, HP
There are two aspects to this:
1. Branding
2. Content ownership.

Branding: Is perfectly a choice for some one to push their way, their system and try to make sure
that people opt for them.

Content Ownership: When the base content belongs (in this case) to a community for eons, it's
unethical in the name of branding for some one to slap cases against others.
What's good for the goose should be good for the gander too. If any branded yoga - copied in full or
in part from the community, they should have no right to crib when others copy from them.

JOYCE GARFORTH YOGA TEACHER

One must remember that Yoga asanas are only a flicker of parenthesis of all that embraces the
total concept of Patanjali Yoga. It is time to learn more, and develop the totality of it. This will
encompass and draw a larger amount of people of this entire globe. Isn't this what marketing is all
about?
 VANDANA SONWANEY PROFESSOR, SYMBIOSIS INSTITUTE OF OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
In case of Yoga, the core product is crucial. The science behind it has to remain intact.
Augementations will not create great Brand resonance. Hence Yoga should reamin a generic brand
competing with Mechanised Gyms and otehr outfit for physical/ mental well being, strength and
tenacity.
Lets not Brand everything ! SOme thigns should just remain as they are without perceptually
created aura around them.

JOYCE GARFORTH YOGA TEACHER

Have been practising yoga since 1968, teaching Yoga since 1975, studied various systems in
Yoga, i.e. Iyengar, Ashtanga, incorporate yoga with pressure points techniques as in reflexology,
aromatherapy, ayurveda, traditional Patanjali path of yoga, completing with deep quided relaxation
and meditation complete with music. I have in my quiet way of teaching yoga connected also with
thousands of people over the years. There is no need for branding this system, it is in the true
system of Yoga, that attracts people to come nowadays, and to be entirely absorbed in what you
teach with truthfulness and above all: Non violence.

TRAVACOR SIDE EFFECTS HTTP://TRAVACOR-VITAMIN.JIMDO.COM/

Yoga is the only methodology available with the humanity which has anatomized the human
existence without opening a human body. It is the oldest and the deepest psychology of the human
existence.

RUSHABH STUDENT
If branding yoga, improves the quality of life of anothers and benefits them then,according to me
there is no harm in branding it.Ultimately it is a discovery of ancient BHARAT (India) and it will
always be our invention no matter how far it spreads and who practices it. We Indians believe in
giving and spreading love..

K.BHARADWAJA YOGA EXPONENT /TEACHER, BENAKA PUBLIC SCHOOL

yoga is a great science of Correct living and helps in expansion of higher mind in persons.This
should be taken in the spirit of any other scientific advancement by the persons who have
contributed to the progress of the society. but never as religion.It is very much universal.if yoga
helps in progress of mankind why not persue
it

Harvard Business School Working

Knowledge
Baker Library | Bloomberg Center
Soldiers Field → All Social Media
Boston, MA 02163
Fax: 1.617.495.6791
Email: Editor-in-Chief
→ Map & Directions
→ More Contact Information

Site Map Jobs Harvard University Trademarks Policies Accessibility

Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College