How Peloton disarmed critics and hit a PR home run
The exercise bike company was able to score a big hit after being featured in the fictional death of a beloved TV character.
How would you react if your company was unreasonably targeted by critics, and the criticism resulted in stock losses and bad press across the country? If you’re fitness company Peloton, you roll with the punches by:
Not everyone has connections to nab a Hollywood star or the resources to produce an amazing video on short notice. But PR professionals, business owners, and non-profit leaders can learn from Peloton’s crisis communications judo to take back control of the narrative.
And just like that…
Peloton is an exercise company dealing with serious stress. Their stock is down by 75% as people are replacing home bikes with new gym memberships. The company implemented a hiring freeze, and they’ve instituted massive customer price reductions even as they recalled their treadmill.
Each of these challenges is an obstacle to long-term brand positioning. And then popular “Sex and the City” character John Preston, also known as Mr. Big, died of a heart attack after riding a Peloton bike.
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