Research purpose:
This paper aims to: (1) investigate the concept of mindful marketing in yoga and wellness sector, (2) examine how mindful marketing is defined and manifested in the context of wellness-oriented businesses such as Vietnamese yoga studios, and (3) identify the components of mindful marketing implemented in Vietnamese yoga studios
Research motivation:
The global wellness industry has expanded rapidly, with yoga emerging as a prominent segment. In today’s disruptive economy, where shifting consumer expectations and competitive pressures reshape service models, yoga studios must adopt new business dynamics to remain resilient. Mindfulness is central not only to yoga practice but also to its marketing, making mindful marketing a relevant approach. Yet, its application in the yoga and wellness sector, particularly in Vietnam, remains underexplored. This study addresses that gap by examining mindful marketing as a marketing tool that can serve as an adaptive business dynamic fostering customer loyalty and sustainable growth.
Research design, approach, and method:
This qualitative study, grounded in the principles of Grounded Theory, aims to gain insights into the concept and components of mindful marketing in the wellness industry by interviewing twenty studio’s managers & marketing professionals, senior yoga instructors and mindfulness expertsfrom long-established and reputable yoga studios in Vietnam. Through these interviews, the study seeks to understand how participants perceive, experience and practice mindful marketing in these yoga studios. The interview data were analysed inductively using a systematic coding process to identify recurring patterns and develop conceptual categories.
Main findings:
(1) The study defines mindful marketing as an authentic and ethical approach that emphasizes honesty, transparency, and customer well-being. It avoids aggressive sales, focusing instead on trust, community, and long-term sustainable relationships. (2) The components of mindful marketing implemented in yoga & wellness studios comprise dominant components: transparency, professionalism, authenticity, and a sense of community, along with supporting components such as sustainability, a peaceful environment, holistic programming, and customer-centric values.
Practical/managerial implications:
The study contributes to marketing theory by extending mindful marketing into the wellness context and to managerial practice by offering evidence from Vietnam’s yoga industry. The findings of this study provide practical implications for managers in the wellness industry, particular yoga studios. Managers (not only in Vietnam but also in other emerging markets) can rely on these insights to better understand the components of mindful marketing, adopt strategies that emphasize transparency, authenticity, professionalism and sense of community for customer retention, and adapt more effectively to the challenges of a disruptive economy.