Victoria Song’s Post

From Pulp Fiction: Fabienne : Whose motorcycle is this? Butch : It's a chopper, baby. Fabienne : Whose chopper is this? Butch : It's Zed's. Fabienne : Who's Zed? Butch : Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead. Peloton's dead baby. Peloton's dead. Well, almost. During the pandemic, everyone weas trying to do connected gyms, kitchens - today, the movement is trying to get you to disconnect but move onto their platform - and the only one that seems to be very successful is about to be banned from the US because their CEO is probably not CCP and Mainland Chinese, but just to be sure ... Okay, being cheeky. Peloton is a niche product, and with many niche products there are people who swear by them. And Peloton as a small, niche product hardware/fitness media channel could be a profitable company - just not world changing or reach Uber-valuation. It is not dead, but unless you look closely the colossus has become a midget.

Ya'll know I love my Peloton, so when the company announced Peloton Entertainment (re: Netflix and biking? Yes, please), I had to learn more about their latest moves, which I unpacked in this post. Spoiler alert: It's not just about bikes and treadmills, but crafting an irresistible journey for users. Take a read. #Peloton #BusinessStrategy #CustomerExperience https://lnkd.in/eZDGdZ7S

🚀📉🚴♀️🌍 Peloton's Odyssey: From rise to fall and beyond! The Meteoric Ascent 🌠📈: A few years back, Peloton emerged as a fitness game-changer.🔥 More than just a stationary bike🚴, it promised a holistic workout experience🧘♂️💪. With live and on-demand classes📺, led by superstar instructors✨, Peloton created a fan frenzy🤩. It wasn't just about exercise; it was a community����, an experience🌅, a lifestyle🥇. The brand had its 🚀 moment during the pandemic, as home workouts🏡 became THE thing. Sales went 📈 and they were on top of the world🌍! Uh-oh Moments 😬📉: But no journey is without bumps⛰️! Peloton had its PR nightmares👻. That Christmas ad🎄? Many called it sexist🙅♀️ and out-of-touch🤦. The real shocker? A TV character, Mike from "Billions", having a heart scare💔 after a Peloton ride. And then, Mr. Big's tragic end📺. Paired with actual safety recalls🚫, their shiny image had a few scratches🔍. The Bounce Back 🔁💪: Post setbacks, Peloton was down but not out! With sales taking a hit💸 and facing job cuts📉, they decided on a makeover💄. Their latest pivot? From elite🎩 to EVERYONE🌍. This repositioning, combined with rebranding is all about being inclusive👨👩👧👦, fitting all ages, fitness vibes, and places🌆🌄. It’s not just about the luxury bike anymore, but a fitness buddy for all🤝. https://lnkd.in/eSUv7qaC Wrap Up 🎤🔚: Brands have their 🎢 moments. As Peloton charts this fresh course🧭, we will be watching🍿. The real test? Winning back hearts❤️ and trust🤞. Can this phoenix rise again? Share your thoughts!! #PelotonsEpicJourney #BikeRollercoaster #BrandGlowUp🌈🚴♂️🎉

📢🎉 Peloton's Plunge: Brace Yourself for the Rollercoaster Ride of the Fitness World! 🎢💥 Hold on tight, fitness enthusiasts! Peloton just hit a major bump in the road, and it's causing quite the stir. 😮💔 In a surprising turn of events, Peloton's quarterly results fell short of Wall Street's expectations, sending their shares plummeting. 😱📉 But fear not, because this is where the plot thickens! 😉 Despite a wider-than-expected loss and a lackluster holiday forecast, Peloton's CEO is determined to turn things around and regain their pandemic-era success. 💪💥 But what caused this dip? Well, it seems that a seat post recall and some seasonal factors played a part, costing the company a whopping $40 million! 😮💸 However, Peloton is not one to back down easily. They've been cooking up exciting new strategies, like partnering with Lululemon and the NBA, expanding their market, and sharing their fitness content far and wide. 🌍🏀 So what's next for Peloton? Only time will tell! But one thing's for sure, fitness fanatics and investors alike are keeping a close eye on this company as they strive for profitability. 🤞💼 Ready to dive deeper into this thrilling economic rollercoaster ride? Click below to read the full article! 👇📚 #Peloton #FitnessNews #EconomicUpsAndDowns #StrategiesForSuccess #StayTuned https://lnkd.in/dF9PZDbi

Starting off a fourth-quarter trading update with a warning that a business is “seasonal” is usually not a good sign - especially when the company is an indoor exercise bike manufacturer.   No wonder Peloton Interactive Inc (NASDAQ:PTON) is down more than 29% in pre-market trading. Losing 29,000 subscribers in the quarter alone, due to what the company claims is a “seasonal slowdown in hardware sales”, #Peloton membership shrunk by 5% year-on-year to 6.5 million, driving an adjusted loss of US$34.7 million. However, it appears distributing unsafe equipment, yet again, might be the root of Peloton’s troubles. Having to recall and slow the distribution of its Peloton #bike because of a hazardous seat post issue, the US group said 750,000 customers requested replacements, which it claimed was “more than we expected”. More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors http://ow.ly/bsb4104RXGH #NASDAQ #PTON

Peloton recently released its Q2 results, providing insight into the challenges and opportunities ahead. Despite revenue growth to $1.06B, the pace slowed due to competition from physical gyms. However, Connected Fitness Subscriptions reached 1.67 million, indicating a loyal customer base. In response, Peloton unveiled the Peloton Tread to capture the running market and expand globally with entries into Australia and Germany. However, concerns over guidance and delivery delays caused a 30% decline in share price. Moving forward, Peloton is predicted to succeed in Connected Fitness, expand globally, and prioritize innovation. Despite skepticism, Peloton's adaptability and customer-centric approach position it for success in the post-pandemic market. #Peloton #ConnectedFitness #InnovativeSolutions #PostPandemicFitness

Peloton is a testament to what is possible when you invest in your brand. Despite multiple missteps, its followers continue to keep it afloat. Branding building isn’t quick or cheap but it can be powerful. Viral moments that get people talking are great. But I’d take an audience that trusts and supports - almost blindly - any day. That’s how you go from being a bike company to a culture juggernaut. #AskAMarketer #Branding

How long have you been carrying that bottle? Any Peloton users out there? I was doing a class with Jess Sims last week on the tread and she started telling a story that her brother had once shared with her. The gist of it was that depending upon how long you carry things (a bottle in this case) the heavier it gets – even though the bottle itself doesn’t change weight. As we went through the class, she picked up her water bottle and said that if she asked you to run and carry this bottle for 30 seconds, it wouldn’t be an issue. It’s not that heavy, so no big deal, right? But if she asked you to pick up that same bottle and hold it for five minutes while we run, it will feel heavier, it may impact your run - but the weight has not changed. The same could be said if she asked you to hold it for 10 minutes, 30 minutes, etc. As I often do while running, this got me thinking- I mean you really have nothing else to do while running. I started thinking about challenges that they put the contestants through on Survivor. On the surface, most of them don’t really look very hard, but the challenges get harder the longer they go. It may be holding something over your head or holding your feet on some small grips. Again, for 30 seconds this wouldn’t be an issue but for 10 minutes, an hour, etc. people will quickly fall out. This gets even more complex if you have $1 million dollars riding on the game. The longer you have to hold the bottle (perhaps literally) the heavier it gets. As I continued to run, I started thinking about how this relates to work. Are you the type of person that holds onto issues, concerns, frustrations? If so, how long do you hold onto them? Good or bad, I tend to focus on things quickly, make decisions and move on – most of the time. But not always….for those that I have worked with over the years you know that sometimes I will acknowledge that I’ve been thinking about something from the day before or a couple of days before and I need to come back to it. Tying this all together, the bottle is heavy if I’m still thinking about an issue, concern, etc. after a few days. It is starting to weigh me down and impact what else I can do, because this is a burden that I wasn’t expecting to be dealing with. Do you carry bottles with you for extended periods or have you learned to deal with them quickly and not come back to them? Any suggestions for how to make sure the bottle doesn’t end up in your hand for days / weeks/ months? Put the bottle down as quickly as you can, there are miles to run!  See you on the leaderboard!

🚴♂️ 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐠𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬: Victoria Song's article in The Verge is a fantastic dissection of one of the very few companies that can truly call themselves a lifestyle brand. What started with spinning classes has placed them in the middle of a streaming war.   Peleton was sitting pretty at a pandemic peak of $50 billion, then took a nosedive to $2.1 billion. That's not a market correction; that's an identity crisis. 📉   You know they have a cult following when you hear things like: "I didn’t just buy a bike; I bought into a lifestyle."   In the same way, a real-world cult isn't about the pretty campground, Peloton's cult isn't about the bike. It's the #content and the personalities delivering the content. Content is king (or a cult leader).   It's not surprising #Peloton is trying to become a #media company. Peloton looked at Netflix and thought, “We can do that, but make it fitness.” ---------- As a nimble new entrant who has mastered audience loyalty, creative programming, business #innovation, and digital/social media, they should NOT look to become a media company. Instead, 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗻. 📺 ➡️ 🏋️♀️ ----------   They are riding a fine line between innovation and identity crisis. Now, if they could just decide whether they’re revolutionizing fitness or auditioning to be the next #streaming service.   🍿It’s going to be entertaining to watch — unless you’re an investor, then it’s probably terrifying https://lnkd.in/enibqeCe

Create a brand that doesn't rely on INDIVIDUAL personalities. In cycling, many brands struggle with this. Over the years, I've had many conversations with cycling studio owners who are terrified their star instructor will leave. Even if they have become toxic and difficult to manage, the owner is scared of losing clients that might leave, or follow the instructor to another studio. Usually (not always) a few months after they leave the business is in a BETTER place, with a cloud lifted. The vibe is better and other instructors get a chance to step up and shine ✨ As its struggles continue, Peloton Interactive recently had three of their top instructors leave. However, they made the very valid point that this offers an OPPORTUNITY for emerging and young talent to emerge. In the fitness industry, we have to accept that this is 'the circle of life'. Create a brand that is bigger than an instructor. As Peloton's share price edges towards dipping below a billion dollar valuation, I'm hoping their recent financial restructuring can help change their fortunes. I'm a big fan of their concept and the in-person experience I tried in New York back in 2018 🤩 📸 Peloton Source: Athletech News #peloton #fitnessindustry #digitalfitness #fitnessbusiness #peoplemanagement