By Ilyse Liffreing (2018)
Orangetheory is testing out their pop-up gym for the first time, targeting a new type of customer – travelers. The company wants to be in hotels to provide people with a high-quality gym on vacation. Kevin Keith, the chief brand officer at Orangetheory, said “We want to be where they are”.
The pop-ups run like other Orangetheroy gyms with couple exceptions. They plan on bringing trainers from different cities around the country to lead classes. These coaches will also act as influencers who receives free stays at the hotel in exchange for advertising on their social media accounts.
Hotel is new territory for the fitness brands, when people are traveling they usually are open to paying for experiences. Moreover, the hotel is already a place for branded products. Founder and CEO of ad agency Modo Modo Agency Moira Vetter said “Your coffee, soap, water, showerhead and pillow are often co-branded, why not the gym?” There are other companies that are working with hotel chains to gain popularity such as Peloton bikes, New balance, and Reebok. And from traveler’s perspective, hotels can feel forien and branded gyms can bring back the familarity of how they used to work out.
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The idea of pop-ups is a good way of building brand awareness. When it comes to pop-up gyms, it’s interesting how the gym can break the conventional state and be brought to the users. It’s an innovative way of incorporating a marketing strategy into the fitness industry. It challenges me to think where else can pop up gym be? given the reality that the travel industry is in decline due to COVID-19.
