Expands Meredith’s Digital Presence in Growing Consumer Engagement Segment
Meredith Corporation —the leading media and marketing company reaching 185 million American consumers every month and nearly 90 percent of US millennial women—announced that it has acquired Stop, Breathe & Think (SBT), a leading mobile mindfulness app with more than 17 million emotional check-ins to date.
SBT is highly differentiated in the market thanks to four key components:
- Check-ins—Users complete regular emotional check-ins and receive recommended mindfulness activities tuned to those emotions.
- Programs—Expert-driven, multi-day programs help users tackle issues that challenge people most, such as anxiety, sleep, stress or focus.
- For the Whole Family—With an additional app for children and strong presence in elementary, middle and high schools across the country, Stop, Breathe & Think helps families practice mindfulness together.
- Multi-platform Distribution—SBT is a leading mindfulness brand on Amazon Alexa, the first mindfulness publisher on Snapchat’s Discover page and the first mindfulness programming for kids on Hulu.
“Stop, Breathe & Think is an ideal strategic fit for Meredith and our increasing focus on consumer products, services and experiences,” said Meredith Consumer Products President Tom Witschi. “We are excited to enter the fast-growing mindfulness space and view this as an important addition to our well-established health and wellness expertise. SBT has natural synergies with Meredith brands and platforms and will provide Synapse, our affinity marketing business, with an attractive new product for its unique retail and online distribution channels.”
Founded in 2015 by Jamie Price and Julie Campistron, the Santa Monica-based company has been on a growth trajectory. SBT created a mobile app that draws on science-backed techniques and practices created with scientific advisors who have doctorates in their specialty fields. Scientific data proves that it works: In a recent peer-reviewed study, users were 82 percent more likely to not feel anxious after just 10 sessions with the app. And in a 2019 survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, SBT was the clear favorite among the panel of psychologists, outperforming its competitors in categories including Ease of Use, Content, Functionality and Purpose.
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“Our mission is to help more people find peace of mind and build emotional strength. We are thrilled to join forces with Meredith, a content-driven company with unparalleled consumer reach, to bring SBT to its massive audience,” said Price and Campistron, who will remain in their roles.
According to a recent Meredith study conducted in partnership with The Harris Poll, American women are facing stress at heightened epidemic levels. Nearly half the survey respondents said the burnout they feel is so extreme that it keeps them up at night. At the same time, two-thirds of Gen Z women surveyed said, “The way things are going, I don’t know how I’m going to cope with the stress if it continues at this pace.”
“Mindfulness has universal appeal that will enhance the lives of our customers and value to our partners,” said Scott Macon, Synapse President. “We see significant opportunities across our business model. SBT will help expand and optimize Synapse’s unique distribution channels and customer engagement touchpoints.”
Cooley LLP served as legal advisor to Meredith in the transaction.
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