Beyond Yoga’s Katie Babineau on the power of community

Summary

The Current Podcast: Beyond Yoga’s Katie Babineau on the Power of Community

Released on March 13, 2025

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Introduction

In this enlightening episode of The Current Podcast, hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing engage with Katie Babineau, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Beyond Yoga. Celebrating International Women's Day and Women's Month, the episode delves into Katie's journey, her innovative marketing strategies, and the pivotal role of community in Beyond Yoga's success.

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Katie Babineau’s Journey to Beyond Yoga

Katie Babineau's transition from consumer tech to activewear is rooted in her personal passion for movement and her admiration for Beyond Yoga's inclusive ethos. Reflecting on her career shift, Katie shares:

"I was already a Beyond Yoga fan and customer... Activewear to me was very interesting. I grew up as an athlete. Movement is so important to me..."
(02:20)

Her meeting with Nancy Green, the CEO of Beyond Yoga, solidified her decision to pivot industries, allowing her to merge professional aspirations with personal interests.

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Marketing Philosophy and Strategy

At the heart of Katie's marketing strategy is a commitment to upholding Beyond Yoga's legacy as a female-founded and led brand. She emphasizes the importance of scaling the brand's reach while maintaining its core values:

"Our opportunity is just to scale that love and that fandom... redefining our brand position and strategy."
(02:27)

Katie inherited a strong foundation at Beyond Yoga and focused on broadening the brand's audience through comprehensive brand marketing efforts.

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Innovative Campaigns: Club Beyond NYC

One of the standout campaigns Katie spearheaded is Club Beyond, a full-funnel experiential activation in New York City. This week-long event in Union Square aimed to immerse attendees in mindfulness and movement, featuring top wellness influencers and instructors. Katie highlights the campaign's success:

"We saw about a 50% new customer acquisition percentage... connecting with our customers in new and different ways."
(03:47)

The campaign not only elevated brand awareness but also drove significant revenue, showcasing a harmonious blend of brand and performance marketing.

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Customer Acquisition and Retention

Katie underscores the symbiotic relationship between acquiring new customers and retaining loyal ones. Beyond Yoga's high product quality fosters repeat purchases, ensuring sustained growth:

"Once you experience that, we see such high repeat purchase behavior... being able to continue to activate them is super important."
(09:06)

Her strategy focuses on delivering exceptional product experiences to convert new customers into lifelong fans.

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Retail Expansion and Growth Plans

Beyond Yoga, a brand with a 20-year legacy, is poised for expansive growth. Katie outlines the brand's retail strategy, which includes opening new stores and strengthening wholesale partnerships:

"We believe retail is an incredible opportunity for us to connect with customers more deeply... expanding to nine stores this year."
(11:21)

The move into physical retail complements their thriving e-commerce presence, enhancing customer engagement and brand visibility.

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Community Building and Leadership Insights

Katie attributes much of her success to her collaborative and empathetic leadership style. She emphasizes the importance of building and nurturing a supportive community:

"I'm extremely collaborative and empathetic in my approach... being the connector, the strategic connector in the room."
(16:57)

Her ability to bring diverse perspectives together has been instrumental in driving Beyond Yoga's community-centric initiatives.

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Empowering Women in Marketing

A significant portion of the discussion centers on Katie's experiences as a woman in the marketing industry. She advocates for authentic representation and the integration of brand and growth strategies:

"The number one mistake that marketers can make right now is the misconception that brand and growth are separate."
(10:15)

Katie highlights the progress made in promoting diverse voices within marketing while acknowledging the ongoing efforts needed to achieve genuine empowerment.

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Rapid Fire Q&A Highlights

In a spirited rapid-fire segment, Katie shares personal motivations and advice for aspiring women marketers:

• Inspiration to Pursue Marketing:

  "People. I love the interaction with people that you get in marketing."
  (14:30)

• Advice for Aspiring Women Leaders:

  "Don't be afraid to take the risk and build your community."
  (17:41)

Katie emphasizes the value of taking career risks and cultivating a strong support network to navigate and thrive in the industry.

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Conclusion and Key Takeaways

The episode concludes with reflections on Beyond Yoga's impactful campaigns and Katie's leadership philosophy. Hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing commend Katie's ability to anchor the brand in community values while steering it towards sustained growth.

Key takeaways include:

• Integration of Brand and Growth: Aligning brand values with growth strategies enhances both customer acquisition and retention.
• Community as a Cornerstone: Building a loyal community fosters deep brand connections and drives business success.
• Empowering Leadership: Collaborative and empathetic leadership can transform brand strategies and team dynamics.
• Women Empowerment in Marketing: Continuous efforts to represent and empower women are crucial for authentic and diverse marketing narratives.

Katie Babineau's insights offer valuable lessons for marketers aiming to blend purpose with performance, emphasizing that true brand strength lies in its community and inclusive ethos.

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Stay Tuned

The Current Podcast continues to deliver inspiring conversations with industry leaders. Be sure to tune in throughout March as new episodes are released every Tuesday and Thursday, featuring recordings from South by Southwest.

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This summary captures the essence of the conversation between Katie Babineau and the hosts, highlighting her strategic approach to marketing, community building, and leadership within Beyond Yoga.

Transcript

[Kat Fesse]

I'm Kat Fesse.

[Ilyce Lefring]

And I'm Ilyce Lefring.

[Kat Fesse]

And welcome to this edition of the current podcast.

[Ilyce Lefring]

In honor of International Women's Day and Women's Month, we're highlighting exceptional women of advertising at this year's south by Southwest.

[Kat Fesse]

For this episode, we're thrilled to be joined by Katie Babineau, the chief Marketing officer of Beyond Yoga, a brand that's redefining activewear with inclusivity, comfort and community at its core.

[Ilyce Lefring]

That's right. Beyond Yoga has been making waves in the industry not just as a female founded brand, but as one that's rapidly expanding with a devoted customer base and a strong sense of purpose.

[Kat Fesse]

Katie is approaching her one year anniversary as cmo and she's already led some game changing campaigns like Club Beyond, a full funnel experiential activation in New York City that brought the brand to life in a whole new way.

[Ilyce Lefring]

We'll dive into that campaign and what's next for Beyond Yoga, including its approach to retail, men's expansion and content strategy, as well as Katie's journey as a woman in marketing.

[Kat Fesse]

Katie, great to have you here. Thanks for joining us.

[Katie Babineau]

Thanks for having me. I'm very excited to be here in Austin and great day to be here with you.

[Ilyce Lefring]

Yeah.

[Kat Fesse]

So I know we're approaching your one year anniversary as a cmo. Coming from a background largely in consumer tech, what drew you to this opportunity at Beyond Yoga?

[Katie Babineau]

Well, I would say first and foremost, I was already a Beyond Yoga fan and customer and just fan of the brand. So when I had an opportunity to sit down with Nancy Green, our CEO, I was very eager to learn more. And I had come from a background in consumer tech, so I was very open at the time to making a pivot in my career and learning and growing about a new industry and apparel. Activewear to me was very interesting. I grew up as an athlete. Movement is so important to me as an individual and just love, love working in the. I love the thought of working in an industry where I could pair both my professional and personal passion. And so Nancy and I met about a year ago. We hit it off, we talked a little bit about our philosophies and brand building, where the business was going. And it was just such a fit. And so was really happy to move very quickly to make it happen.

[Kat Fesse]

I love it. And tell me a bit about that philosophy. What's at the core of your marketing strategy for Beyond Yoga?

[Katie Babineau]

Well, we, I've been there for about a year, so we've been building very, very quickly. But I Will say that we. What I inherited is a very strong foundation. So part of the excitement in coming to this brand was looking at it through the lens of upholding the great legacy of a female founded brand that's still female led today. And knowing the fandom that the company and the brand has when I started and just scaling that, you know, we've got opportunity to broaden our reach and our audience. We hadn't really done the brand marketing that's needed to crack that right open. And so I was very excited to come in to learn a little bit more about the customer, a little bit more about our brand and our product. And so our opportunity is just to scale that love and that fandom. And so, you know, we're doing that now. We spent last year really redefining our brand position and strategy and just cracking that right open this year as we look ahead.

[Ilyce Lefring]

I know you guys are a great example of why we're here and doing these podcast episodes to begin with, International Women's Day and Women's Month. On that strategy, are there any campaigns or moments that really changed the game for you as a marketer to this point in your first 11 months on the job?

[Katie Babineau]

You know, my upbringing as a marketer, I would say I've never considered myself a traditional marketer because I came up early in my career really as social was developing. And so I felt I started my career in PR and really fell in love with social because of the way that the landscape was changing. And so my background in social, pr, editorial and community building really has allowed me to think about the marketing mix a lot differently. And of course at beyond, what we need is more of a full funnel approach. So what we have done to build that foundation is think about how we bring community through the funnel, how we work with the community to totally shift our content strategy in paid advertising, how we think about community events as new customer acquisition tools. And so the campaign that comes to mind for us really is the New York City experience that we created last year, last October. And the goal really was to show up in our number one market with a really delightful experience where people could take a step back from the chaos of the holidays quickly approaching and really focus on mindfulness, on movement. We brought in some of the best wellness influencers and creators and instructors in the world and programmed for a week long in this incredible space around Union Square. And what we found was because we were able to think about engaging with community a bit differently through different types of content models and activations that really were rooted in Value for the customer. We saw about a 50% new customer acquisition percentage. We sold product so we generated revenue there. We don't have a brick and mortar store in New York, but it's our largest e comm market and so we were able to really drive lower funnel performance but in a way that was deeply emotive and really connecting with our customers in new and different ways. So that comes to mind for me. Obviously we've got a lot planned this year as we key up to, you know, big important brand moments for us. So very excited to to do more.

[Kat Fesse]

But what a strong start out of the gate. I mean that was what, six months in on the job.

[Katie Babineau]

We move fast. I like to move fast. I think former athlete in me, I love a good pace and coming from tech, you know, I really loved tech because of the fast innovation and getting to connect with customers in new and different ways. And so I think coming in I was so excited about the potential of the brand that we really just got to work. So it was fun and it seems.

[Ilyce Lefring]

Like you hit your KPIs there at least it generated a lot of interest in the brand and everything. Would you do it again? Are there any other key learnings from the experience?

[Katie Babineau]

Absolutely. So the Columbia on franchise had existed before I even got to the brand. It was a matter of pouring rocket fuel on it and pointing it in the right direction. So we still, we host about one club beyond event every month. We're now doing one high impact a quarter. So we've got this emphasis on always on community building. We're getting a little bit tighter and more strategic in where we show up and which markets, where we have retail locations where we've got really incredible wholesale partnerships, studios that we're working with. So that's the focus now and today it's about continuing that hyperlocal love that we have, you know, and being able to show up in Austin in a really authentic way or Chicago where we are in a really authentic way. We're an LA built brand but we're growing and scaling.

[Kat Fesse]

Any surprising results from the large Union Square activation?

[Katie Babineau]

The biggest surprise to me, I'm all about managing expectations, especially as a new CMO within a brand who hadn't done a ton of brand marketing historically. So coming into this event I was very clear on hey, this is top of Funnel. We're trying to drive brand lift and conversation and build some brand heat in a market that's really important for us. So here are the KPIs we're going to look at Conversations, we're going to look at our engagement percentages, we're going to look at virality of content and those are the key performance indicators that we really should be focused on here for our investment. And knowing in the back of my mind that I've seen these sort of activations work full funnel in the past, like, okay, well so secondary we're going to sell products that will generate revenue and secondary we'll track new customers into the brand. So we'll watch that. I think I was just blown away by the second such high percentage of new customer acquisition. Right. It's like that is, that's incredible as a secondary. But being able to level set expectations because I'm big on for a campaign, what is the clear role that we're trying to achieve?

[Kat Fesse]

So with all of this increase in customer acquisition on this campaign, how are you converting them into that lifelong fan or loyalty?

[Katie Babineau]

Well, it's really interesting right now we've got such fandom among our loyal customer base. We know that if you know us, you really love us. There's deep love for the brand through high product quality and our customers love the touch, the feel of the product. So once you experience that, we see such high repeat purchase behavior. And so we believe we've got to focus on that new customer acquisition because once we get them into the door like it's a great place to be and they don't want to leave. So we're excited to continue to focus on lighting that up and bringing more people into the fold because we know we're going to deliver such a strong product experience which really, that's the retention piece. And so being able to continue to activate them is super important as we look ahead.

[Ilyce Lefring]

What advice would you give to other marketers looking to build this within their brand ethos? You know, the idea of community, mindset and purpose that are all powerful drivers of brand retention and loyalty.

[Katie Babineau]

I think the number one mistake that marketers can make right now is the misconception that brand and growth are separate. They have to work together and they can work together. And I think we're doing ourselves a disservice if we believe that these are separate levers. Right. So the reason why this campaign was so powerful was because we were able to leverage this full funnel and for our performance needs as well. Like we used a lot of the content in our lower funnel paid ads and we're actually seeing that our creator content is driving a much more efficient cost of acquisition. And so I think we can look at the way that we Build the infrastructure a little bit differently and think about brand and growth really coming together to drive high impact.

[Ilyce Lefring]

The brand has been around for about like 20 years now, which is amazing. It's your first store, opened in 2022. How does the brand think about retail moving forward?

[Katie Babineau]

Retail is a big opportunity for us. Our brand, 20 years strong. We started really as a wholesale business and so we built really strong partnerships across over 1200 different partners. You see us in Nordstrom, you see us in Equinox and studios across the country. And during the pandemic, obviously our.com business really thrived and continues to thrive today. As we look to the future, we believe retail is an incredible opportunity for us to connect with customers more deeply, bring those insights back into our business. And so we are going to be opening many more stores. We are signed and announced on a Greenwich Village store open early this summer. And then we will also open another store in Marin county this year as well. And so we've got, we'll expand to nine stores this year for sure. We've definitely got more coming and so it's a really exciting time for us.

[Kat Fesse]

What do you see as the biggest driver for beyond Yoga's next phase of growth?

[Katie Babineau]

Product expansion is super exciting for us. So we historically have offered an incredible product in our space dive franchise which is, and people usually buy it in a set of a legging and a crop tank. And we've been really sort of activewear based but we've got so much opportunity in product expansion, lifestyle categories. Over the past year we've entered into new product categories like dresses that are fast growing for us, like these trouser pants that are incredible, that are fast growing for us. You look at fleece during the holidays, something we didn't have before, hugely a growth opportunity for us. So as we expand the product lineup now, we're bringing more people into the mix with more full funnel marketing and hopefully creating a bigger, better flywheel.

[Kat Fesse]

And with that expansion, I know you speak to a lot of different generations, a lot of different types of audiences. How do you cater to that wide range of audiences both in marketing and in product?

[Katie Babineau]

Yeah, it's really interesting and I love that we've got a multi gender audience and even, you know, we see fast growing men's category for us too. So I think at the core what we deliver is a really positive outlook on this activewear space. We really focus on bringing a little more levity and fun into the space which can be a very serious space focused on performance and perfection. And we just Want to offer an experience and a product that makes you feel really good and comfortable and really just focus on progress over perfection is sort of what we're all about. And we love that that brings in a diversity of customer base.

[Ilyce Lefring]

Amazing. So now let's get into our little rapid fire Q and A we have for you. And these are all female focused questions because of International Women's Day. Tell us what inspired you to pursue a career in marketing and how has your journey been as a woman in this industry?

[Katie Babineau]

People. I love the interaction with people that you get in marketing. I would also say just the diversity of what you do in marketing. It's so right brain, left brain that I really feel like it gives you an equal balance of creativity and science, which I love.

[Ilyce Lefring]

So, Katie, how has your journey been as a woman in this industry so far?

[Katie Babineau]

As a female in our industry, there is more pressure in some industries than others, I'll say. My journey, especially coming up in tech and my experience had been being one of the only females in the room. And so I always felt an immense pressure, even when I was young in my career to develop my point of view and perspective and be able to speak up in the room in a way that would cut through. And I think being brought up in tech really trained me to do that in a way that was effective because you got to work so hard to cut through as a female if you're, you know, one of the only in the room. And so I felt a great duty to make sure that we were thinking about the female perspective. We were honoring, you know, at the time, 50% of our customer base and, you know, even probably more, more than that for some of the companies that I was at. And I took that on pretty early as something that was really important to me. Now, part of the reason I made this pivot into apparel and activewear was a false thought that I would be moving into an industry that was more female forward. I'm so happy that Beyond Yoga is female founded, female led, and really a majority of our business is female run, but our industry is still run by men, which I was so surprised to learn. And so I think every industry probably deals with it. And so being able to develop your perspective in the room is very important and being able to find the right partners, advocates, and allies to help you build and develop that voice. I have a lot of incredible female and male mentors who have supported me along the way. And you have to build your community because there's power in numbers and making sure that you've Got the right people in your corner.

[Ilyce Lefring]

Amazing. Kim. And what would you say are those leadership qualities that really help you strive in the industry?

[Katie Babineau]

As a woman, I'm extremely collaborative and empathetic in my approach. And I think being especially early in my career, getting to bring people into a room and problem solve together and help people see each other's perspective is a bit of a superpower that I've had to develop as a female. And early in my career, just finding value in being the connector, the strategic connector in the room, I think has been very, very helpful and sort of a secret weapon, if you will.

[Kat Fesse]

Similar on that vein, what advice would you give to young women aspiring to make it to the next level in their career, to leadership roles ultimately, within marketing?

[Katie Babineau]

Two things I would say, don't be afraid to take the risk and build your community. Because this was a big pivot in my career. For me, it was a big jump from tech industry to like three new industries, which, you know, apparel, retail, e commerce. And for me, I was very excited about the opportunity to learn. I think for some, that might be scary, intimidating. Sometimes you really need to take a leap to understand either way, like, great, that was great learning and I'm thriving, or that was a great learning and I don't love it and I need to go back. But don't be afraid to take risks. Careers are long, hopefully, and you can pivot and bob and weave, and that's a beautiful thing. And the second is just building your community of people, of hype, people, you know, supporters that really can help you in tough times and high five you when things are going well because, you know, hopefully it is a long career and you've got some starts and pauses and in between. And it's really. It makes it more fun to have people in your corner.

[Kat Fesse]

A former leader of ours used to call that your personal board of directors.

[Katie Babineau]

Yeah, I love that. Yeah, that's great.

[Kat Fesse]

Do you think marketing today is authentically representing and empowering women?

[Katie Babineau]

I've seen a lot of progressive change in our industry. I think just and genuine excitement to represent more diverse voices. There's a lot of work that needs to be done. I don't think marketing is the problem. I'll just say that. But I do just being deeply involved in this community. All of the marketing leaders that I know want to do the right thing. Most of them want to do the right thing. And so I think we've got incredible people who are creative leaders who want to think and care really deeply about making sure that in the position that we're in and the storytelling that we get to do every day, that we really represent the customer well. And so, you know, I look at a couple of brands who I love who are really progressive, creative and effective driving business results and you know, people are always going to want to hear about the results. I think you look at Elf Cosmetics, they're very progressive, they're brand forward and they've had, I forget how many consecutive quarters, maybe 20 of consecutive revenue growth. Like they're really changing the game with a heartbeat and they're driving the business. Incredible. You look at, you know, some of this, some of the work the NFL is doing, I think they're, you know, they're trying to reach new audiences in a way and knowing they have the deep duty of kind of changing the model in a very old school industry. And so I love that, that people in our industry are taking risks and especially now, this is a risk. So I think we need to continue to take risks and drive change.

[Kat Fesse]

I love that and nice to pay it forward. So, Katie, this has been so great. Thank you so much for coming and staying with us. We really appreciate it.

[Katie Babineau]

Of course. Thank you.

[Kat Fesse]

Great. South by. Yeah, what a powerhouse. Elise, that was so much fun. What are some takeaways for you?

[Ilyce Lefring]

So I really liked how Club beyond, you know, the full final experiential activation in New York City is bringing the brand to life in its own unique way. I think that's a really a great approach for a retail brand that's hoping to grow their footprint and the notion.

[Kat Fesse]

Of once you bring a customer in, they're a fan for life. And that is a huge customer acquisition driver. You don't always think about that in big branding moments. And so I thought that was such a cool story to hear from her. I also just loved, you know, Beyond Yoga is 20 years old. It was acquired by Levi's, it's now a Levi's company. They're really focused on that like purpose driven community culture and pushing now into more menswear. I really just got the sense that they're a brand we're going to see for another 20 years. And I loved hearing her insights around how she's anchoring that in, in the community that they're building and that they have.

[Ilyce Lefring]

Yeah, and it was really interesting to hear her, you know, career trajectory and just noticing how, how she's really relied on people to help her through, through each stage of her career was fascinating and good to know that there's women out there that are willing to help other women.

[Kat Fesse]

Yeah, always.

[Katie Babineau]

Always.

[Kat Fesse]

Good. The power of network. And then also the fact that you don't have to be in such a linear path in your career. Anyway, all in all, so inspiring. I'm so glad we got the time with Katie. And what a great start to south by Southwest.

[Ilyce Lefring]

Yes.

[Kat Fesse]

And that's it for this edition of the current podcast. Be sure to tune in this whole month as we release all the recordings from south by Southwest. See you next time.