how Headspace got paid to grow
a masterclass in how content partnerships with media companies, massive brands, and influencers took their brand to the next level
want to do this yourselves? request an expert
is content king?
well, yes. but if content is uploaded to your site and nobody is around to see it, does it make a sound?
the answer is no.
however great your content is, you need eyeballs for it to drive value. so how do you get it seen?
look no further than Headspace to find out. their content and partnerships team served up one of the greatest b2c content case studies in recent years. with a mix of original content and partnerships, they not only reached billions, but got paid to do it.
how they did it
Headspace had five main pillars of content-led growth. let’s break them down:
media partnerships. what do Netflix, Disney, Spotify, Barbie, the NBA, YouTube, and Sesame Street have in common? large audiences. eventually reached by Headspace organically
brand partnerships. Starbucks, Waze, Hyatt, Meta, and dozens of airlines promoted Headspace content to their audiences. and hundreds of companies use Headspace to help their employees get some…headspace
influencer partnerships. Yes Theory, Lily Singh, John Legend, and many others promoted co-created content to their audiences
pr. everything they did got press, earning even more free impressions
owned. we won’t focus too much on this here, but while Headspace nailed the bread & butter (eg blog posts, social, segmented content targeting different stressors and meditation needs), their podcast and YouTube channel set them apart
by partnering with Netflix, Headspace was able to reach audiences in places nobody else could
how to: content partnerships
you can pay for impressions or you can earn them.
Headspace recognized a few things:
media companies & brands have massive untapped reach
they can tailor their content to just about any audience or situation
by creating content that is a value-add product for partners to offer their audience, they get free eyeballs that money can’t buy (literally)
features within Snap, Starbucks, and Hyatt apps reached millions
Headspace went after just about every loved brand with significant distribution. their work includes:
3 series on Netflix. (~50M views) with three separate releases and three different topics (sleep, interactive, meditation guide), they were able to get boosts on each release. and available to this day, the value hasn’t ended.
Sesame Street. (~50M views) they won an Emmy for their “Monster Meditations”, where they created meditation content for kids (and inevitably reaching their parents as well)
National Parks Foundation. (~5M views) here focused on hikers and nature lovers, they created bespoke content for parkgoers to wind down
Barbie. (1M+ views) again focused on kids, now on girls specifically
airlines. 10 major airlines now offer meditations to their fliers, helping with flight anxiety
Hyatt. they actually get paid to promote their brand to Hyatt travelers - by making their stays more peaceful
Starbucks. bespoke content for the Starbucks app (mindful coffee moments), getting paid again, now to reach 10s of millions of Starbucks users
Whole Foods. mindful eating content series for Instagram, reaching the Whole Foods audience
Waze. customized playlists for drivers, getting access to 100M+ Waze users
YouTube. YouTube funded a mindfulness content series for kids that reached millions
endless businesses. partnering to help their employees, they reach millions of employees this way
two videos alone for Barbie and Sesame Street reached 7M kids and parents
they didn’t stop there
every partnership, especially with well known brands was an opp to get media attention - from both outlets and cross-posting on the other brands social. they made sure not to let a drop go to waste, getting every bit of value they could from the partnerships.
lesson: identify brands with audiences you’d like to reach. create content for or with them that offers value to their audiences. then, pr and social promotion. rinse and repeat.
a (super) quick look at their owned media
a case study of its own, Headspace has many channels and strategies for growing their owned reach. we’ll focus on their unique approaches:
podcasts. their podcast network has been hugely successful, a case study of its own, with 100s of millions of downloads
video & Youtube. while many brands succeed on Instagram, few have cracked YouTube as well as Headspace. and it all starts with their video-first strategy
research-based content. they fund and promote research on mindfulness and meditation, garnering press and creating higher value content
tailored content. most brands would say - what is there to say more about {insert your focus area here}. Headspace finds new topics and audiences to tailor their content to - from focusing on different triggers (eating, sleeping, work stressors, flying, etc.) to global issues (climate change, stressful news events, etc.) to tailor their content for kids, athletes, men, executives, etc.
testing new formats and channels. not afraid of video and podcasts, Headspace tested tons of ways to use content - events, pop-ups, AR - to get ahead of trends and be everywhere they can
from kids to parenting, Headspace content targets many
lessons: video is good. trying new things is good. saying “there’s not much to say” is bad.
who you need to do it
their growth literally took an army. and we won’t be able to get into every detail. but, there are certain personas necessary to nail a strategy like this.
most of the talents at Headspace cover multiple of these domains, but you need each of these parts to nail a strategy this ambitious.
media & production experience. you need people who get the ins and outs of media companies + how they operate. this means people with backgrounds at tv networks, media brands, and production companies are necessary. this includes:
development backgrounds in networks or production companies, where a few of Headspace’s content leaders like come from. this means they know what to make and how to make it, just like the big boys
publisher experience their team has backgrounds leading content at places like Yahoo! and high snobiety, meaning they get how to run content teams, edit, and distribute on digital. and get the new age media, having worked at up & coming digital publishers
social and distribution experience requiring a special mix of creativity, content know-how, and analytical skills, social experts help make sure your owned content gets consistent eyeballs.
production. while you’ll obviously use studios and partners to help, you need internal know-how of the ins and outs of video, audio, writing, and the like. not to mention, project management!
brand marketers & creatives. their team comes from a mix of backgrounds in art direction and design, journalism, creative production, and creative agencies. most of their team has dabbled in a couple of these areas. essentially - you need great taste in art and copy, but agency backgrounds aren’t enough. your creative team can use journalists and producers alike, as the focus here is on content, not ads. also, experts are essential! many wellness experts have worked in the Headspace team, often also doubling as either writers or producers. but its essential that a content team has members that really get what you’re talking about
partnerships and sales experience. their team comes with experience in BD, customer success, sales, consulting and training, and most uniquely - brand marketing (hi Emma!). this means they have a diverse group of people who get how to identify and reach out to partners, come up with creative ideas for collab, close deals, and work with clients to maintain relationships. the prevalence of consulting backgrounds shows that it’s not “just sales skills” that makes this work. you need to think strategically
credits
note: unfortunately, i wasn’t able to credit everyone. someone missing? just ping me
media & production
Chief Content Officer (fmr): Morgan Selzer
VP Content Creation: Sara Cohen
Head of Content (fmr): Jess Barron
Director, Programming: John Lockett
Content Director + Head of Social (fmr): Tarika Elerick
Director of Consumer Marketing: Sarah Neal Simpson
Creative Lead, Growth Marketing: Philip Lowe
partnerships
Director, Partnerships (fmr): Simon Miller
VP, Sales: Dan Cloutier
Director, Strategic Partnerships: Cheyenne Peterson
Head of Consumer Partnerships: Emma Nemtin
VP, Partnerships: Sai Gudimella
brand & creative
Creative Producer: Rami Khazen
Creative Director & Head of Content (fmr): William Fowler
Chief Creative Officer (fmr): Caroline Pay
Creative Director: Anton Mora
Creative Director: Ash Jones
Associate Content Director: Nina Shamloo
VP, Content & Comms: Louise Troen
Director, Comms: Sara Lindsey
assorted agency partners
Creative: Republic of Ideas
Creative: Mother New York, Italic,
Site Design: MetaLab
Animation & Production: Augenblick, Yuval Haker, Magnus Atom
Production: Drew Takahashi, Nexus Studios, Moth, Strange Beast, Blink Industries, Compost Creative
Audio: Brain Audio
PR: Halpern London, Eulogy
