High-end fitness companies such as Equinox and SoulCycle are leveraging the strength of their brands to enter into an entirely new business: media.
Media industry site Digiday reports that the brands are not only attracting clients with luxury spaces and premier classes, they’re using video, audio and text-based media products to reach an even wider audience, and working with sponsors to generate revenue. They’re even building their own internal media teams to create and deliver content.
Why go through the hassle?
Digiday reports that the strategy is to grow beyond traditional content marketing — wherein brands curate content with the intent of attracting new customers or marketing to existing ones. The goal is to build real revenue generating media businesses. Based on a surging interest in wellness and health-related content, it could be a smart bet.
As one ad buyer told Digiday, “For somebody like SoulCycle, what’s appealing, in particular, are the melding of content and events and the ability to be integrated into content that the brand’s audience truly cares about.”
While big-money brands may be able to afford investing in media at scale, smaller fitness studios and gyms can look to them for inspiration and perhaps mimic some of their tactics.
