Yoga and its history

The Yoga is the mental, physical and spiritual disciple that originated in ancient India.  A person who practices yoga daily can keep himself self-healthy and live a longer life.  The practice of yoga is based on the different sections, it means it can be physical, mental or it may be spiritual. For the Indian people, yoga was a way to connect with God and living life with peace. It is closely associated with the Hindu philosophy. Yoga helps the individual to live stress-free life (Alter 2016). At the present time, there are different types of the yoga poses and practices available with innovative fusion. At the present time, there are millions of the people, who practice yoga to live a healthy life. However, in the recent years, it has become an industry which generates more than $6 billion each year worldwide. In the USA, there are many organizations which provide paid classes for the yoga. Since, the yoga is the ancient Indian practice and it is also related to Hindu philosophy; however, there some people who refused to accept that yoga is related to the Hindu philosophy. In order to brand Yoga, people add different marketing approaches such as hot yoga or yoga with music (Chanda and Bhusare 2016). In addition, yoga is considered as a personal practice so it is unclear whether branding justified yoga or not. The present report makes research on the branding of yoga and its connection with Hinduism.

Aim “To determine whether Yoga should be branded or not”

Objective

• To assess the role of branding in  business  “
• “To analyze connection between yoga and Hinduism”
• “To identify impact of branding on yoga “

Research Question

• What is the role of branding in business?
• Is there is any connection between yoga and Hinduism?
• What is the impact of branding on yoga?

The present case is the about the yoga and its branding.  Yoga is the ancient practices and founded in India.  Yoga began in the USA near around the 19^th century. Swami Vivekananda is the first Hindu who brings Yoga to the USA.  Today, the yoga industry is growing quickly.  In 2008, there were more than 16 million people practice yoga. Bikram Choudhury, an Indian man who studied yoga at the age of 4. In the year 1970, he moved to the USA where he taught yoga and started its own yoga classes known as “Bikram yoga” (Hewett et al., 2017). He is the founder of Hot yoga in which the room temperature is set to 100 to 150 degrees.  In the year of 2002, Bikram patented different types of the yoga poses, but he had to face suite by the open source Yoga and the Indian government that claiming yoga is not a private practice and is related to Ancient Indian knowledge. Indian government stated that Yoga is related to India and it cannot be copyright by an individual. On the other hand, Tara Stiles, who is a ballet dancer, later turn into the Yoga Instructor. Her yoga is related to the more modern society. She did not use the Sanskrit word for yoga poses or chant anything in the classes (Chanda, and Bhusare, 2016). The main issues reclined with Tara is that, she was making the yoga cool and breaking the rules by adding music. The yoga, which is introduced by the Tara does not concern about the Hindu or its founder. Its main aim is to keep people healthy with adding music.

Branding of yoga

In the year of 2008, the Hindu American foundation writes letter to the Yoga Journal. This journal is the most popular yoga magazine in the entire USA. Members of the HFA saw that there were no references to Hinduism in Yoga Journal. In that result, members of the HFA decided to launch “Take Back Yoga to light yoga’s Hindu roots. The main goal of the campaign was aware people about the yoga and its connection with Hinduism (Prakash, 2015). The senior director of the FHA stated that yoga is the not only physical exercise but is also related to the thought process of the Hindu and it’s entirely related to Hindu philosophy. On the other hand, the Deepak Chopra, state that Yoga does not belong to Hindu Philosophy. Later, he also mentioned that Hinduism comes after Yoga.  The issues of yoga turn into politics (Law, 2014). People are aware that Yoga is related to India, but the main problem its relation with Hindu philosophy. In addition, the way yoga is branded is not justified as per the members of the HAF. The community strongly believed that yoga is a private practice and it cannot be related to any specific brand name. It related to an ancient practice and cannot be patient by an individual.

As mentioned above, the main problem in the given case is related to the barding of the yoga which is mostly considered as private practice. According to Giri and Pandey, 2015 the main aim of branding is to add value in products for its marketing. However, as Yoga has emerged from the ancient Indian roots, it is not right to put a label on it. The research is aimed at examining, whether there should be branding of Yoga.

Through branding, products get its unique identity and place in the market for long duration.  Branding of products is required because it helps to create awareness in the market and change the consumer’s demands. Branding will spend the private money expenditure on the yoga. If the companies will invest on the marketing, it will boost the Yoga business.

However, in the case of yoga people think that branding does not justify it. Yoga has different ways and should remain in private practice rather than brand.  In the recent year, there are many people who changed yoga style. However, they have emerged from the ancient roots; therefore, it is not right to brand it. Branding yoga will lead to intellectual property complexities. As according to the yoga Journal the branded styles of yoga teaching, the branded clothes, training programs and branded certifications show that branding is essential for present trends.  It also creates incentives for maintaining standards of excellence.  As per Buccafusco, 2015 in the case of the yoga the word branding is not justified. The HAF considers that yoga is related to ancient Indian practice, and it cannot be authorized by a single person; therefore, no organization can patent its poses like Bikram Choudhury did. 

Controversy surrounding branding of yoga

In addition, another issue is that yoga related to Hindu Philosophy. The main cause of branding is that is the harm in the Hindu philosophy and its traditions.  Yoga belongs to India, but its relation to Hinduism is not clear. However, without branding or using any other marketing tactics it is not possible to make yoga renowned because a country like the USA, products should be branded. People and consumers like to buy products which make them excited and also different from other products.  

The present case is related to the branding of yoga. In the present world, everything turns into the commercialization, but there are certain things which cannot be justified through branding. Yoga is ancient technique and it cannot be copyright by anyone.  Through branding, people try to add different structure or technique such as hot yoga or yoga with music (Filieri, 2015). The main problem is that, through the branding the actual usage of service changes. There are different tools which can be used to make an analysis of the present case scenario. In the current report, several tools such as market-driven organization, SWOT analyhsis, Kotler’s 4Ps, and branding pentagon model is used for the analysis. The analytical tools are used for examining whether the branding of Yoga is justified. Following are the tools for making an analysis of present case study.

The market-driven organizations refer to policy or strategy, which is guided by current market trends and customers’ needs. Customer demand always changes, and it moves as per the current trends. It also includes set beliefs that put customer’s interests first, then generate and use information in a superior manner to overcome the competition (Siegert, 2015). In the era of globalization marketing tactics helps to company survive for the long term.

At the present time, customer’s demand and marketing strategies are essential for creating the value of products. Many companies understand the value of customer’s feedback. Unfortunately, merely valuing customer feedback is not enough to drive success. In the market-oriented companies, the focus is on understanding customer’s needs. In the case of branding, it helps to differentiate the product from the others. Companies which become market driven can ensure long-term growth and add value in services to end users. For market driven organizations, business need to collect feedbacks from clients in daily basis and also collects their suggestion so business can be modified as per consumers’ needs.

Analysis of the case

The 4ps model is one the traditional method of marketing. It refers to a marketing tool which is used by the business organization for achieving their specific target. The 4ps involved four different elements such as price, place, promotion, and product. This model supports to the company for creating a specific brand of products in the market (Resnick, Cheng, Simpson, and Lourenço, 2016). Through this model, a business can achieve its targets and also add more customers in business.  Marketing managers use this method to attempt to generate the optimal response in the target market by blending different variables in an optimal way.

It refers to the services which provided by the company to its customers. All the business operations are conducted by a company in order to sell products to its customers.  This model suggests that products should be according to the customer’s needs. In order to, maintain long-term business, it is essential the products justified buyer’s requirements and marketing values.  

It refers to the direct or indirect channel of distribution products and services to end users. It can be in form of physical or operational through online presence (Nuseir, and Madanat,  2015). In order to make brand more valuable product should be the right place at the right time. 

It is important to assess how much the intended customers are willing to pay for the product. Customers are very sensitive towards price of product. Buyers can pay the amount set by companies if they received quality in products or services. Prices of products should be justified its quality and content.  

The products which are offer by the company are unique. So, it has become important to educate customers about the products. The communication can be talking about the need for product, the utility of products and the usage of products.  Communication can be done through promotion. It refers to spreading awareness about products and services to customers by using the different marketing tactics.

The branding paradigm is the marketing strategy which is adopted by the company to create the position of the brand in the market. It is the policy in which the corporate strategy changes into the branding policy. In order to create the unique position of products in the market, companies adopted such method so they can create a brand of their products. Under this process, there are mainly five integrate includes such as branding principles, stability in brand carriers, planning, and control cycle, embedding the brand and brand positing (Davis, 2017)  

Market-driven organizations

The present model helps to company to define its products and improve its quality. Through this model, the company can add value in its products and target customers in more specific manner.  In this model, business adds value in its products or ways in which it can be differentiated from another one.  

The SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool, which is used in the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats. It is an important part of the marketing plan and is commonly used for business strategizing. The SWOT analysis refers to strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It is also used to measure the business competition. The SWOT analysis is important in planning the objectives and achieving them. It identifies the key internal and the external factors, which can be used to achieve an objective. The external factors may include changes in politics, technology, and sociocultural changes. It is used fr building strategies, developing competitive advantage, and corporate planning.

 From the above tools and theories, it is clear that for creating a brand, the yoga company needs to gain an understanding of the market trends and customers’ needs.  In order to set long-term product position in the arcade, business needs to set its own brand and also add value to its products.  So they can add more customers in the industry.  For making the analysis of products and services, there are diverse marketing tools and theories can be used.  Following are an analysis of different tools which are given below (Godrej, 2017).

Market-driven organization refers to the process in which companies move as according to the marketing trends and its customer’s needs. The organization works as per the needs of customers.  Products and services are needed to be designed as per requirement clients.  In the above case, branding of yoga also moves towards the need for customers. Countries like the USA, prefers proprietary products and services because it has a different identity with other services. Bikram Choudhury also uses the tactics of the branding as per the market driven. Yoga is an ancient technique which helps to the individual to keep their physical, mental and spiritual balanced. There is a number of people in the USA which teach yoga to people but Bikram adds its branding strategy. He introduced Hot yoga in which room temperature is set to the 100 degrees and named it Bikram Yoga (Tilley, 2017).  This technique helps to add more buyers in companies because it has a different value.  He also patent 26 poses of Yoga under his own name. In addition, Tara Stiles add music in Yoga and focus only on physical exercise.  The companies need to behave like market trends. Branding of Yoga helps the business in adding more customers and also create a unique locus in the market. However, in branding individual organizations need to create its own products or services (Arrigo, 2014). Yoga is considered as an ancient practice which cannot be held by one person or copyright.

Kotler’s 4ps

The SWOT analysis of the yoga branding has revealed that there are several strengths of the yoga branding, which can be used to establish reputable, knowledgeable, accredited and qualified yoga institute. However, the weakness is that there is insufficient marketing knowledge as it is a new domain. The opportunity with yoga branding is that the healthy living is quite popular in the USA and several outdoor places such as parks, beach, and other outdoor venues can be used for the practicing yoga. As it is a new innovative field, the market is overwhelmed with the yoga instructors and the studios. It is not essential, and the customers cut expenses in it as, if there is decline in the economy. It is also dependent on the seasonality.

The Kotler 4Ps model is traditional marketing strategy which used by business in order to gain a long-term position in the market. In the case of the branding of Yoga, it can help to target more specifically. It helps to business to add customers and promoting products in unique ways. Each firm used the four variables to capture market share. This method involves four variables price, product, promotion, and place.

The first variable of 4PS model is product or services which provide by the company. It also includes the product design, feature, and quality. In the present case, in order to create unique products branding is required. Customers are already aware of yoga and its benefits but it services quality and its effectiveness helps to create a position in the market. Nowadays, most of the yoga instructors have adapted the yoga to make it more dynamic and attractive. It is modified in several ways, so that it is more suitable for the diversified needs of different customers.

The second variable is the price. The price refers to a total cost which acquired by buyers. All services which provide the yoga classes are paid. In addition, yoga instructors also charge a fee for the other services such as yoga dresses or certification in the yoga. It has all become essential elements in the yoga branding because it adds value to end services (Perkins, 2015).  

The third variable is placed from where the services are offered to the customers. It can be in physical or online format. Yoga services which provide by the Bikram studios are mainly in physical form and Tara offers its services from the online medium. The place of providing services by companies is different and related to products features. The fourth element is promotion technique. Each company used different types of the promotion techniques in order to promote its services to end users. In the case of the branding of yoga, each institution used different promotion techniques. The Yoga journal mentioned that yoga to ancient practice but it does not have any clear any connection with Hindu philosophy (Dubey, 2017).  In addition, other institutions that practice about the yoga used different techniques in order to promote its services and creating awareness.  

Branding pentagon model

The branding pentagram model makes the focus on turning the corporate strategy into a branding strategy.  As per this model, each company has its unique corporate strategy and management use it to creating the position of the brand in the market. The branding pentagram is included five different elements. The first element is branding principle use by the business.  It refers to adding certain principle to the brand.  In order to the branding of Yoga, Bikram and Tara both used a different form. Bikram makes focus on hot yoga and Tara adds yoga with music (Buccafusco, 2015).  Both of them focus on modern trends. On the other hand, HFA highlighted it in context to Hindu philosophy. Bikram studio involved yoga in the hot room so people can learn it more accurate manner. Tara used music with yoga customers keep physical fit to them. Each individual used a different method to create awareness to customers about the Yoga.

By making the analysis of different tools, it is clear that best fit solution for the branding of Yoga is branding pentagram model. This model justifies the quality of products and also the strategy. It makes focus on tradition method and innovation. Through this method, companies can easily add more customers and also it helps to business to grow fast in the market.

From the above analysis, it is clear that for promoting any type of products or services branding play an important role. Through which organizations can target customers in more accurate manner. However, branding is required when products involve any unique feature or completely different from other products. In the case of branding Yoga, each organization used different techniques and method to create awareness about products and services.  Yoga is not a new thing but it is an ancient technique which practiced in India. However, mixing yoga with different elements attract more customers.  The main purpose of branding is to create awareness and position in the market. In the USA, 16 million people are practice Yoga in a different form (Cowie, 2014).  According to the marketing concepts, people need new things which make them excited. So branding of Yoga helps to add different value in services. In addition, according to Hindu American Foundation, make the focus on adding the contribution of Hinduism in yoga.

In order to overcome above problem, organizations need to adopt a strategic method which provides a balance between the tradition and modern approach. In the present case study, branding helps to institutions to attract customers in business.  The branding involves innovation which makes yoga practice more effective and quality in services.  As per given case study, the main problem is related to the branding of services. The way in which yoga is branded is not justified it.  Many people like Bikram have copyrighted yoga poses (Chanda and Bhusare, 2016). Yoga cannot belong to a single person but it related to different gurus in ancient India. It is knowledge which cannot be held by a single person. Following are recommendations available to overcome above problem.

• The balance between tradition and innovation. For example, Bikram Choudhury creates Hot yoga that is considered an innovation. It is a truism in the art that to truly innovate and break away from tradition, one has to first master the classics.  In order to the branding of any traditional products, organization need add its traditional value and also provide clear references to is history.
• The branding should be authentic. In order to create any type of style, it should be own. The yoga which creates by the Tara and Bikram has involved the tradition but they both add their own style. However, before adding their own value both learn the basic of yoga which makes their methods authentic.  The poses and posture which used in Yoga should be provided by the studios so they can make aware to customers about the actual inauguration of yoga (Giri and Pandey, 2015). It helps to gain understanding of products brand and its services.
• In case of the branding of any products or services, one should make sure that no false presentation involved. The main problem in the branding of yoga is that individuals offering services with their own name. There was lack of history and authentic information (Graham, 2014). The false information can help to gain popularity of services but later there can be faced with law-suites.
• Understand the legal implication of branding.  There are many yoga products which are legally protected but some of them have to face a legal suit. The organizations should maintain an ethical practice in business. In the Yoga, there is a different organization who taught yoga but lack of proper guidelines. In order to make brand more authentic professional training and certifications required (Warrier, 2016). In this field, more people need to be adding in as professional competence so organization can take advantage of structure of market.

Conclusion

In the present case study, more authentic sources are used. In the present research, scholar used different sources such as books, and journals related to yoga and its branding. The main limitation of the present study is sources and lack of data.  In the present study, it is clear that branding makes Yoga popular in the western countries but it is integrated knowledge of India. Through the branding, Yoga becomes the most practice physical exercise in the world.  However, there is little research available which actually justified benefits of branding on Yoga.  In conducting the present research, sources which available do not provide the clear about the branding of yoga is benefited or not. In addition, for conducting the research there is lack of time.

In the present research, scholar make research on different aspects of the branding of yoga.  There are a different type of references are used for making the present research more authentic and accurate. In the present research, it is clear that branding assists to Yoga to place in the modern society. Different innovation and techniques which are mixed with the traditional yoga become popular marketing tactics.  In the western countries, consumer behavior and purchasing techniques are different from rest of world. Buyers in the western countries like to buy services which are more branded or belongs specific company.

In the present research, there are different people involved and they make a different contribution in the branding of Yoga. Bikram and Tara ad their own style in traditional yoga and used the legal implications for their services. On the other hand, Hindu American Foundation makes focus on adding the Yoga with the Hindu philosophy (Law, 2014).  However, in the politics of Yoga, it remains unclear that whether yoga is related to the Hindu or not. It is clear that Yoga belongs to ancient India but the contribution of Hindu Philosophy is totally unclear.  For the future research, scholar needs to the considered deep history of ancient India and Hinduism. In the context, Deepak Chopra state that yoga is much before to Hinduism.

In addition, the research can also take further in which what are actual benefits of the branding of Yoga.  In the present research, there is the only branding of yoga focused but nothing considered about the benefits and consequences of the branding of Yoga on people. 

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