Peloton: Great Marketing or Great Product?

(Photo Credit: Peloton)

Last night, I rode a Peloton bike and then ate Domino's. There's some irony in that. I worked out and then ate a very unhealthy meal. It sounds bad, but it's a step in the right direction for me.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started I stopped working out. I was eating alot of Domino's and other unhealthy meals. I'm pretty skinny so the extra calories from Domino's wasn't that a big deal. However, I knew I needed to start working out as I was becoming sluggish throughout the day.

Before the pandemic, I was pretty fit. At one point I could run a 5:30 mile. I even passed the FIFA men's referee test (in a past life, when I was considering becoming a professional referee). The pandemic, really screwed up my habits along with many other people.

One day I woke up and said I'm going to get healthy again. I ordered a Peloton. A few of my friends had dragged me to spin classes in the past. I was never hooked. The seat was uncomfortable and it felt unsanitary. The classes made me feel like I was part of a cult. For some reason, I ordered the Peloton anyway.

I spent a lot of time actually making the decision to order one. I did some research on other bikes like Echelon. Most of the Reddit forums told me not to order a Peloton. The biggest complaint was the price. The majority of reviews said to buy a stationary bike and partner it with Zwift, a virtual biking app. None of those reviewers owned a Peloton.

Thorstein Veblen, an acclaimed sociologist and economist, coined the term conspicuous consumption. Conspicuous consumption is the spending of money on and the acquiring of luxury goods and services to publicly display the economic power of the income or of the accumulated wealth of the buyer.

I'm not the first to tie together Peloton and Veblens. Web Smith of 2PM and Adam Elder of Mel wrote about it previously.

So did I truly need the bike? Since I've purchased it, I asked myself that many times. Could I have run outside or waited until my gym reopened? Yes I could have. But the bottom line is yes, I really did need the bike.

Brand strategy can only push a product so far. Many people criticize Peloton for its price and it's lack of awareness (e.g. it's infamous commercial and it's cult-like fans), but the product is amazing. I've never been so excited to exercise. I truly feel disappointed when I miss a workout. I'm the healthiest I've ever been and it's all thanks to my Peloton.

The next time I think about criticizing a brand's strategy, I'll think about Peloton. They got me in the door with their superior brand and kept me because of their fantastic product. You earn a customer with a great brand, but keep a customer with a great product.