It seems a stretch to compare the business of EDA to the business of Yoga. One’s business to business, the other business to consumer. One has nothing to do with the other and it’s hard to picture one of the end-user applications that EDA enables in use in a school of this sort. Or so it seems. Yet, both markets are roughly $4-6 billion in yearly sales and are populated with many well-trained professionals, most of whom have studied for years to become experts in their chosen field. Every business in EDA or Yoga needs to market itself to promote itself, differentiate from competitors, build a sustainable business and make money.

The Yoga craze has hit Boston, like it has in most major U.S. cities, and schools are popping up everywhere. Each offers something a little different, whether it’s a particular style of Yoga or an appeal to a different demographic, not so unlike EDA that automates particular parts of the design flow. One school in Boston offers a look at what it takes to build a sustainable business and illustrates the value of marketing that can easily be applied to EDA.

Opened in 2002 in a student-filled neighborhood, it had a shabby, lived-in feel. Students walked up three flights of dirty stairs to a makeshift school that took up the entire floor of an older, rundown brick townhouse converted to offices. From its origins, it had higher designs because it named itself after a more upscale Boston neighborhood. At the time, however, its image catered to more of the student crowd and seemed to be profitable, but just. Classes of a variety of styles ran from early morning until late in the evening.

Its marketing programs consisted of a poorly designed and barely navigable website, a sandwich board out front with a slot for flyers that were always gone and mentions in events calendars in the local free newspapers. The novelty of the school’s presence presented a news peg for some of the local papers, so the owner was profiled several times in the mid-2000s. Since founding the school, the owner has made sure her more popular teachers are nominated for the yearly Best of Boston Award. Two have won.
In those early days, inviting noted master teachers from around the U.S. to offer weekend workshops seemed to be the school’s strategy for building a student base and it worked to modest success. Students came for the workshop, filled out a form and the school captured an email address for the database. These workshops were a revenue source, for sure.

Location, Location, Location
Two years ago, the school moved to a much more upscale location in 5,000 square feet of space, shed the shabbiness and turbo charged the business. It now looks like an upscale heath club, which is exactly what the space housed in a previous incarnation.

Here’s where the owner’s business savvy becomes apparent and the skills she learned as a financial analyst get exercised. The school changed its look and image, dropped teachers that didn’t fit the new profile and, in the process, has become the most successful and envied school in town. Classes are packed and the school recently expanded to another floor with a studio that can fit 100 students at a time and usually does.

Curiously, as envious as other school owners are, none seem to try to dissect the secret strategy to success and apply it to their own business. Instead, we will.

Sure, location plays a big part. Because it’s in a more affluent part of town, it’s more convenient for a student with disposable income, though the school’s right at a subway stop in this new location. The new space has extra room for a registration and sign-in area, and a good portion of that space is retail.

Yes, students can buy t-shirts and hoodies with the school’s logo and name emblazoned on them. Or, a towel with the logo is another choice. For many years, the school has sold white HardTail Forever Yoga pants specially tie-died vibrant psychedelic colors that distinctly label the wearer a student. (Note to students: They do not look good on all body types.)

Classes are still plentiful and run all day long. Many, aimed at attracting a young crowd who will develop a life-long exercise regime, are trendy by design and crowd pleasers. The class schedule has loads of Hip Hop Yoga throughout the week. The owner regularly teaches a Madonna, Lady Gaga Yoga Marathon.

While workshops by touring master teachers have moved to other schools, this one has made friends with Constant Contact, Facebook and Twitter and frequently exercises each. The website still needs a major overhaul, but these new social media channels are key ways this school regularly touches its students and, more important, markets its hip new image.

Facebook and Twitter were ready made for Yoga schools because they offer a quick way to disseminate timely updates on classes, trunk shows and other on-site happenings. So, too, is Constant Contact, though the email blasts take more time to construct and require a bit more work. (A suggestion for the school is to be consistent with its look and feel. While it’s obvious that an email is coming from the school, each blast uses a different color and a different logo, an unpardonable marketing faux pas.)

It wasn’t all that long ago when the school first moved uptown and had a hefty rent check due each month. During those lean days, the school ran irresistible specials — half-price class cards, for one. It was a Groupon Deal of the Day, which likely brought in bargain hunters whose email addresses were captured for the database, and some have probably become regulars. That’s the goal of using Groupon and it worked. These days, these deals are far less frequent.

The industry trade publication is Yoga Journal, which hosts conferences in various parts of the U.S., a similar model to EE Times and Embedded Systems Conference. It should come as no surprise that the school’s owner teaches a workshop on the business of Yoga.

EDA and Yoga
Let’s apply some lessons learned from this Yoga school’s owner to EDA and see what we can learn. While no one expects an EDA company to move to a different location in order to change its image, the move gave the school a reason for drastically recreating itself. As the Yoga school has shown, knowing the company’s demographic or target audience is critical.

In EDA, to make such a change starts with the fundamentals of marketing and a plan with realistic, measureable goals. EDA companies should take a good hard look at their websites — in many cases, a company’s first introduction to a potential customer. If the website is homegrown and not professionally developed, find the budget to hire someone to overhaul it. Look and feel is important, as is consistency, but so are the messages and positioning. If writing is difficult, bring in a professional to help there, too.

Facebook and Twitter should be check box items of a tactical plan these days. The Yoga school has placed more emphasis here than the website, but EDA companies don’t have the option. Use all of them and use them regularly.

In general, Public Relations in the Yoga industry is confined to calendar of events and listings. Yoga Journal’s editorial policy doesn’t offer many options for a school to promote itself, except for the yearly listings of U.S. schools, a revenue generator for the magazine. The New York Times regularly runs articles about Yoga in the U.S. that are more personality driven and requires some clever thinking to pitch a piece. EDA PR is more challenging than it’s been, with fewer outlets, but there are plenty of options that PR professionals can tap. For example, just as this school nominated its teachers for the Best of Boston Awards, this industry has similar awards programs. Don’t miss out on these opportunities.

Don’t overlook merchandising to reinforce messaging and positioning and to help keep the corporate name visible. While selling a t-shirt and hoodie with an EDA company’s logo on it is unseemly, what about giving customers and prospects some EDA company swag? A good rule of thumb is something that will sit on the office desktop and won’t be given to an engineer’s children.

The owner’s business expertise has been tapped by Yoga Journal Conference and EDA executives have expertise that can be tapped as well. Someone should be assigned to track of Call for Papers and speaking opportunities at technical industry conferences and fulfill all that are appropriate. A program like this builds on corporate image and technological leadership.

Events make up a big portion of an EDA marketing budget and it’s hard to draw a direct correlation between EDA and the Yoga industry here. Instead, look at the touring master teacher circuit for inspiration, especially for building a leads database. Yoga schools that host master teachers are aligning themselves with the “movers and shakers” and thought leaders of the industry. Imagine fashioning a similar event with a semiconductor thought leader, promoting it through all the industry’s communications channels and leveraging word of mouth. It would build immediate credibility and visibility, all the while expanding the leads database. Revenue could be an aspect of this program as well.

Take the Leap into Marketing
EDA companies have a wealth of practical marketing tactics available. Creativity, ingenuity and cleverness help, but it starts with an awareness of what’s possible. This industry is full of talented marketing professionals and companies shouldn’t be afraid to employ them. Take the leap into marketing! The results will be worth it.