Upwave
Self-improvement is hard; the mental, physical and emotional barriers that stand between you and a healthier lifestyle are daunting. Turner Broadcasting recognized this challenge, and in 2013, the media company collaborated with Code and Theory to launch upwave, a digital-first, multiplatform entertainment brand focused on health and wellness.
“We’re launching upwave to deliver consumers a compelling, entertainment vehicle to help them close the gap between healthy intention and action,” said Molly Battin, senior vice president and general manager of upwave.
To establish upwave.com as a destination for health-conscious consumers, Code and Theory worked with the site to define its product and content strategy for driving meaningful user engagement.
1
Organizing and Defining Content Strategy
Brands in the wellness category typically either provide enjoyable education (publications, personalities, i.e., Dr. Oz) or monitor daily activity (mobile apps, fitness trackers). Upwave’s mission is to make healthy change actionable and less intimidating by bridging that gap – providing holistic health education that is entertaining and individualized.
Code and Theory created the classifications and guidelines for 2 types of content categories: entertainment and challenges.
Entertainment—
is the primary content of the upwave experience: articles, videos, quizzes and galleries inform users, while also directing them to explore related content in the site’s 5 verticals (Eat, Move, Relax, Thrive, Connect).
Challenge—
content is designed to play a direct role in users’ daily behaviors, inspiring them to track their wellness and set achievable goals.
2
Engaging Users to Experience the Brand
Code and Theory designed upwave.com to not only publish lively content, but to leverage this content to personalize the site and further user engagement, regardless of interest or experience level.
Users are encouraged to create their own profiles: centralized pages that collect user preferences, favorite content, and Challenge information. Upwave responds to this data to act as a trusted adviser that curates content and guides users on their journeys to more healthy and meaningful lifestyles.
Upwave.com’s data integration-ready platform and personalization engine also provides advertisers with new opportunities for consumer engagement and sponsorships, and the website is just the first step in a multiplatform evolution that will include television programming, social media experiences and partnerships with health tracking services.
