The fitness industry is currently a flooded market. Numerous types of exercise equipment, fitness centers, and online platforms promise to deliver lasting results and keep users motivated. One company has managed to stand out above all the rest: Peloton. The research question I hope to answer in this paper is: How does Peloton use social fitness to keep its members active and motivated?
Peloton was started in 2012 by a man named John Foley. John and his wife enjoyed attending boutique-style fitness classes but struggled to find time to attend them as they were balancing busy jobs and parenting two children. He believed there had to be a way to use technology to make exercising on a busy schedule possible and enjoyable. This concept, along with his expertise from serving as president of Barnes and Noble, made Peloton possible.
Currently, Peloton is one of the most popular connected fitness platforms on the market. Connected fitness refers to “the application of digital technology to sports, fitness, and wellness activities using a ‘smart’ mix of hardware, software, and content.” (Knies, n.d. 2020). In my opinion, Peloton's rise to success is based on three pillars: first, their community-driven interactive platform; second, their use of social media; and, lastly, the influential and sometimes outlandish instructors.
Before we discuss Peloton’s community-driven interactive fitness platform, we need to take a look at the company's mission statement which reads, “Peloton uses technology and design to connect the world through fitness, empowering people to be the best versions of themselves anywhere, anytime.” There are numerous features on the platform that bring this mission to life. When participating in a class, members can win achievement badges based on the number of classes taken in a row, completing a challenge, or participating in a specific type of class. Many individual’s motivation derives from competing against others, which is why the platform has visible leaderboards built in for their classes. Members can compete against others on the leaderboard and watch themselves slowly climb to the top. The leaderboards are also used by the instructors for shoutouts. A shoutout is when a Peloton instructor will publicly acknowledge a member who has reached a milestone, is climbing the leaderboard, or just has a funny username. Upon receiving an instructor shoutout, you may become inundated with virtual high-fives from your fellow class goers. A high five, in any context, is a positive and motivational interaction, giving members the feeling that their accomplishments are not going unnoticed. These virtual interactions also allow participants to feel connected to the other members taking the class, even though they can not see them.
Peloton's platform has a built-in social network where users can follow their friends and family members who use Peloton. Users can follow up to two thousand people at a time. One interesting community feature offered on the platform is that of tags. Tags are ways of expressing yourself to the community. For example, they can consist of your motivation for exercising, your occupation, or your alma mater. The use of tags allows members to connect with other subscribers who share similar motivations and connections. As you become more comfortable and confident with the platform, you can filter the leaderboard to only have members of your tag showing up. This feature, in a sense, provides the feeling that you are riding with your friends, which is motivation on its own. Some of the most popular tags members are using include, #pelotonmoms, #pelotonnewbies, #pelo4wine, and #vets. If you prefer more face-to-face interactions when you exercise, you can video chat with your friends while taking the same class.
A study was published by Arran Davis entitled, “Social Reward and Support Effects on Exercise Experience and Performance: Evidence from Park Run.”(Davis et al., 2021) that looked at the effect socialization had on running a 5-kilometer race once every week. The results from this study demonstrated that even though a majority of the runners enjoyed the physiological benefits of running, the reason they continuously attended the park run was for the socialization factor of running with others. The individuals recorded faster times as they felt more motivated by their fellow runners. Peloton, through its online platform, has figured out a way to replicate the social interactions and community found in boutique-style fitness classes and bring it to users in the comfort of their homes. This is one reason why members stay engaged and motivated to continue exercising.
It is difficult to discuss Peloton's interactive platform without mentioning the concept of gamification. The definition of gamification is the application of game-design elements and game principles in a non-game context. Leaderboards are used in such video games as Fortnite because they add an element of competition for the player. The use of achievement badges as seen in such games as Pokemon motivates users to continue playing the game. Combining leaderboards and achievement badges into a fitness platform serves to distract users from the notion that they are exercising while enticing them to keep using the Peloton application and stay motivated.
A staple of Peloton's success is the way they use social media. Peloton has accounts on such social media platforms as Instagram, Tik Tok, Snapchat, and Facebook. The company uses social media for three main purposes: Marketing Communication, and Connection. Due to the company's success and infiltration of pop culture, certain classes will have celebrity guest appearances such as Lizzo or Cam Newton. Peloton will post these events on their social networks as a way to draw users. Certain posts will pertain to new instructors joining the Peloton family, upcoming competitions, or special events.
Pelton is a master at developing social connections not only with their users but between members. Social media plays a big role in making this possible. Users can post their latest Peloton metrics or achievements to their social media which, in return, allows them to increase their confidence and feel better connected to the community. Upon joining Peloton, you receive access to a members-only Facebook group where you can have the ability to develop connections, post about moments on your fitness journey, and possibly find other members you relate to. There are also online groups dedicated to specific tags such as #pelotonmoms. These niche groups serve as a place for members to interact with others who may be dealing with similar struggles, such as parents who use Peloton but are struggling to find time to work out. It bonds users through shared experiences. As mentioned earlier, users can filter their leaderboard so only members from the same tags are appearing.
A study was done on the impact social media intervention can have when it comes to increasing physical activity (Zhang et al., 2015). In the study, 217 students from Northeastern University in Philadelphia were divided up into three groups: the first was given access to only the fitness website; the second was given website access and received daily promotional messages; and the third group had access to the website, plus a social group of four to six randomly chosen individuals. This group was allowed to post a small biography about themselves to their profiles as well as design their avatar. The social media group would receive real-time notifications about their peer's workouts and class completions. The results of this study show incorporating social media into the exercise program allows individuals to remain motivated and adhere to it. The social media group averaged 1.6 additional days of moderate exercise than the other two groups. The social media platform used in this study is similar to Peloton's online platform and how members use their social media accounts to post their workouts and achievements. When you compare this study to Peloton's success and their new campaign staging, “92% of households that kick off the year with Peloton are still active a year later,” it makes quite a lot of sense.
The interaction between members and Peloton instructors on social media is amazing. Peloton members can follow their favorite instructors, tag them in posts, or even direct message them on social media. Imagine taking a spinning class with Cody Risby, after the class, tag him in a post saying, “Thanks for the workout,” and moments later he responds to you. These types of social interactions are why members keep coming back for more. After a few exchanges via social media, you no longer feel as if you are working out with a personal trainer spewing motivational nonsense, but, instead, you are working out with your friend or peloton crush. The users are engaging in what is called a para-social relationship. Parasocial relationships are connections formed between an individual and a public figure, in which the person feels as if they know the celebrity on a personal level (Hoffner & Bond, 2022). In an interview with Time magazine a man named Stern spoke in regard to para-social relationships between him and his peloton instructor saying, “They’re talking to us every day right? They may not hear us talk back. But it feels like we’re engaging in a relationship with them.” (Dockterman, 2022)
These para-social relationships fostered through social media by the Peloton instructor are mutually beneficial. For instance, instructors will make a post on Instagram and say, “Drop your questions in the comments below, and I will answer them in class.” This post draws traffic to the instructor's Instagram, and, furthermore, may also encourage individuals who follow the instructor to join Peloton in order to get answers to their questions. This form of cross-planarization is a common practice for the company. The article How Content Made Peloton the Fastest Growing Company in New York says, “Social media is the marketing channel of choice for showcasing Peloton instructors. Peloton’s in-house marketers work with creative, photography, and videography teams to develop content for all major social media networks.” (Wegert, 2021) The same article mentions how the company posts to Facebook and Instagram three times per day as well as other social media outlets.
Let us discuss the overnight celebrities who are these Peloton instructors. Peloton instructors are seen as celebrities throughout the community, making appearances at sporting events such as the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game and television shows like Dancing with the Stars. Their newfound stardom comes with an almost cult-like following. Members are drawn to different instructors based on the type of coach they prefer and their character traits. In essence, these instructors are stars in their reality television shows, and their viewer ratings on the Peloton channel are through the roof. This celebrity status has even allowed some of the instructors to sign endorsement deals with companies like Puma, Gatorade, Hyperice, and Athletic Greens.
As previously mentioned, these instructors are in the limelight a lot when it comes to social media. Recently, Alley Love wedding in Mexico was covered by various magazine outlets. and the wedding pictures were posted to her social media. In an interview she gave with Time magazine, she referenced her husband's privacy concerns saying, “he is my number one supporter, but he didn't sign up to be a Peloton instructor.” (Dockterman, 2022) Social media to some extent can intrude on someone's private life. There must be proper balance and monitoring as done here by Alley Love.
In March 2020, Covid-19 caused the world to shut down. While most companies were in the red, Peloton sales were on the rise. The already well-established online community-based platform designed by Peloton allowed users to receive a boutique-style fitness class from the comfort of their homes. In a time ruled by isolation and social distancing, Peloton was the unsung hero. In 2019 Pelotons’annual revenue was 714 million dollars, in 2020 it was 1.82 billion dollars, and in 2021 it doubled to 4 billion dollars. (Peloton Revenue and Usage Statistics (2023) - Business of Apps, 2023)
During the Pandemic, Peloton managed to still hold classes for their members, and it came in the form of the “Live From Home Series”. This series consisted of the company sending spin bikes and treadmills to the instructor's houses and allowing them to host classes from the convenience of their apartments. This series was a big hit amongst Peloton’s members, many of whom probably joined to get a sneak peek of their favorite instructor's apartments. The pandemic was a time when people were isolated and, for some, their only social interaction was with their Peloton instructors. This led to deeper para-social relationships and some pretty humorous tweets about falling in love with their peloton instructors.
Peloton's fame and fortune would soon come to an end with a series of unfortunate events. The company was not able to keep up with the increasing demand for its equipment, causing delays in shipping, and many people turned to social media to voice their frustrations. In an episode of Sex and the City entitled Hello it's Me, one of the main characters, Big, suffers a heart attack while riding his Peloton bike.
This episode alone caused quite a large decrease in Pelton’s stock. Peloton’s hardware may have caused them some issues, but their software was still bringing in more members.
Covid caused many fitness companies to adapt to the times which meant more competition for Peleton. Even before the pandemic one of their biggest rivals was a company called Soul Cycle, a brick-and-mortar boutique spin class. Soul Cycle, a company owned by the Equinox Group, put out its own version of a spin bike similar to that of Peleton. However, there were some differences; Peloton had both a bike and treadmill, a larger library of classes, and one of the world's largest fitness communities behind it. Soul Cycle was new to the online platform, and therefore, the library of classes was limited. However, since it was owned by Equinox, members were able to access other classes offered through different organizations. As the competition started to heat up, Sould Cycle offered forty-seven free classes to the first 100 Peloton users who turned in their bikes.
Through the use of its online community-based platform, Peloton’s influential instructors and social media platforms have developed a way to keep its millions of subscribers motivated and engaged. In a world where a majority of our communication and social interactions take place digitally, why shouldn't our workouts? Peloton allows members the privilege of receiving an energetic boutique-style exercise class from the comfort of their homes at a time that works for them. This is why John Foley came up with the idea in 2012. Peloton and social fitness are not only impacting the way we work out but also our waistlines.
Davis, A. J., MacCarron, P., & Cohen, E. (2021). Social reward and support effects on exercise experiences and performance: Evidence from park run. PLOS ONE, 16(9), e0256546. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256546
Zhang, J., Brackbill, D., Yang, S., & Centola, D. (2015). Efficacy and causal mechanism of an online social media intervention to increase physical activity: Results of a randomized controlled trial. Preventive Medicine Reports, 2, 651–657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2015.08.005
Hoffner, C., & Bond, B. J. (2022). Parasocial relationships, social media, & well-being. Current Opinion in Psychology, 45, 101306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101306
Wegert, T. (2021). How Content Made Peloton the Fastest-Growing Company in New York. Contently. https://contently.com/2016/11/10/peloton-fastest-growing-company/
Dockterman, E. (2022, June 16). The Big Business of Being a Peloton Instructor. Time. https://time.com/6187968/peloton-instructors-money-famous/
Peloton Revenue and Usage Statistics (2023) - Business of Apps. (2023, February 20). Business of Apps. https://www.businessofapps.com/data/peloton-statistics/
Kantor, J. (2022, January 06). How the rise of the celebrity instructor transformed our relationship with fitness. Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://www.theringer.com/features/2022/1/6/22866163/fitness-celebrity-instructor-influencer-workout-trends-future