Weight Watchers slims its name down

WASHINGTON • Weight Watchers is its dropping its brand name in exchange for something slimmer: “WW.” The company says the new logo — coupled with the tagline “Wellness that Works” — puts an emphasis on overall health and wellbeing, with less of a concerted focus on counting calories and shedding pounds.

The logo “WW” has been used before, including in the company’s current app, but Monday marks the start of a company-wide overhaul.

But not all are convinced that “WW” is a winner, and that it may instead confuse potential customers.

“Everyone is talking about wellness, and to a degree people don’t want to use the word ‘diet’ because they think it’s a more short-term, punitive kind of issue, and that’s not what we are,” said Mindy Grossman, WW’s president and chief executive. “It was very important to us that people understand that this is a 360-degree approach to ‘healthy,’ no matter how you define that for yourself.”

The name change comes during a strong run for the 55-year-old company. In August, WW announced it had finished its second quarter with 4.5 million subscribers — an increase of 1 million compared to one year ago. Revenue in the secondquarter was up 20 per cent year-over-year. In February, Grossman announced a target of hitting US$2 billion in revenue by 2020.

Over the past few years, the firm has ridden a boost from billionaire media mogul Oprah Winfrey, who bought a 10-per-cent stake in the company in 2015 and signed on to its board of directors. Its share price surged on the heels of the partnership.