Brands That Bring Us Joy: Peloton
Posted by Phil Granof on Apr 2, 2020
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This post is part of our series on the brands we love at NewStore. Different members of the team will share an essay on what it is about their favorite brand that brings them joy. Joy often comes in fleeting moments, but these moments are what connect us. Tell us: Do these brands bring you joy, too? Which ones do?
333. That is the number of today’s ride on my Peloton. If you had told me in October of 2017 that I would have spent nearly every other day on a bike that goes nowhere, I would have told you that you were crazy. Yes, my resting heart rate was 79, but I take the elevator so, whatever.
It all began with a colleague of mine daring me to go to SoulCycle. I was more than skeptical. After 45 minutes of the most intense workout that I’ve ever had, I floated through an endorphin high that hooked me. I wanted to do this again. I needed to do this again. How would I tell my wife that I was going to spend $40 a ride three times a week? I had it! Invite her. She came and was hooked, too. And so was my 18-year-old son. We began coughing up $120 per session for the three of us to ride. We loved it.
Then we did the math.
At the rate we were exercising ($360 per week), we could buy a spin studio! Then magically, as though Instagram could somehow sense my interest in spin (who knew?!), Peloton ads started to appear in my feed. Here was a company taking advantage of the spin craze like so many others, but also, and more importantly, the ubiquity of high-speed Internet, touch screen technology, the motivation of group exercise, and the power of beautiful design. Oh my. They scaled the gym! The bike seemed expensive, but it was less than 8 weeks of what I was spending at SoulCycle. So, we took the plunge.
Peloton was started in 2012 by John Foley, who previously ran Barnes & Noble’s e-commerce business. He was also a spin devotee. Early on the team spoke a lot about Apple; in fact, some refer to the company as the “Apple of fitness.” Design mattered. User-experience mattered. In 2014, the bike began shipping with a $39 per month subscription fee. Now there are over 500,000 bikes around the world with many more users on the digital-only platform (i.e., no Peloton bike).
For those that don’t know, you have the choice of riding along with a live class via the giant touch screen or you can choose from many thousands of pre-recorded classes. The variety now extends well beyond spin to include: running, yoga, meditation, strength training, and even cardio dance. The giant touchscreen allows you to suspend disbelief that you are riding from home. You really do feel like you are in a live class. I’ve actually bought several Hue lights to ensure the ambient lighting in my room is the same dance club blue in a Peloton studio. Don’t judge me.
The real magic behind Peloton though is the instructors. They are like rockstars, Instagram influencers, personal coaches, supermodels, and spiritual gurus all rolled into one. I have four personal favorites who shall remain nameless, but I’ve become so connected to them (in my own mind) that when I choose to ride one over the other I feel like I’m cheating. As any honest Peloton owner would admit, this slightly unhealthy psychological enmeshment creates an enormous pull: the desire to visit the mothership in New York City, where they record the live classes. I live in Boston, so the trip is not crazy, but I’ve been to four live classes in New York.
The in-store/in-studio experience felt like having a backstage pass to my favorite band. I even got to take pictures with my favorite instructors! (In case you are interested they are Jess King, Robin Arzon, Cody Rigsby, Christine D’Ercole, and Kendall Toole.) You really can’t understand this until you become part of it.
Peloton has nailed what few companies ever do. They’ve combined technology, social context, and human nature to create a lifestyle brand that keeps people connected to each other and, more importantly, to an idea of who they want to become.
I’ve been working from home since we asked employees to social distance and stay out of the office. Thank heaven for the two new gods of our time. Zoom, of course, and his fit sister Peloton, who made fitness omnichannel.
Phil Granof is Chief Marketing Officer at NewStore. He is an award-winning marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in marketing strategy and brand development. Follow him on Twitter (@pgranof) and ask him for his Peloton leaderboard name.
