They hired some PR firm that did a really good job of marketing the enshitification to a specific demographic (high income millennials)
Comment on Peloton announces $95 “used equipment activation fee”
solrize@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
This is about an exercise bike, right? Why the heck is there so much nonsense surrounding it?
underwire212@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
Donkter@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Peloton is designed for rich people. They don’t say it explicitly because thar ruins the illusion, but the bike is meant to be a status distinction. You may only own it if you’re eager to be seen as someone who spends too much money on an exercise bike.
solrize@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Ah thanks. Though for enough $$ they could get even more status with a vintage Cinelli track bike and some Weyless rollers. I mean I’d be impressed if I saw that. Unlike with the Peliton.
catloaf@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
That doesn’t have brand status.
solrize@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Cinelli is a much more prestigious brand than Peloton, heh.
saltesc@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Jokes on them, I think lowly of people with exercise bikes. I’m on a level of pretentious they can’t reach.
snausagesinablanket@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
[deleted]almar_quigley@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
The answer is actually corporate greed and synthesized hype for what’s probably a pretty quality piece of equipment if you remove all the enshitification from it.
alquicksilver@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
The correct answer is people are fat cats. That commenter was so close.
Deceptichum@quokk.au 3 weeks ago
underwire212@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
I mean you’re not wrong in a sense. Their marketing campaign centered around targeting a specific demographic (high income insecure millennials)…those that would spend a lot of money to their own exercise equipment than go to the gym with other people around.
Now there’s nothing wrong with that (with wanting your own exercise equipment, at least). I just wish people realized other gym goers don’t give a shit about you. I literally don’t remember anything about anyone after the gym (like “wow that dude was so fat”).
But alas, here we have our lovely corporate propagan-….I mean “Public Relations”…manufacturing insecurity in the mind of the consumer.
As much as I dislike Planet Fitness’s predatory business model, I do gotta say they used this “gym insecurity” manufacturing from other PR firms to their advantage. “We know you’re insecure about going to the gym. Here’s a gym for the regular joe. Super cheap and the gym won’t have those judgmental gym goes (who never existed in the first place) that other gyms have. It’s only $10 a month! Yeah, we make it so you literally need to give us your left kidney in order to cancel your subscription, and yeah 90% of our revenue comes from people who never actually use the gyms, but hey, if you’re one of the 10%, then that’s even better since the 90% basically pay for your membership, new equipment, clean gym, amenities, AND the gyms won’t be crowded!”
So yeah…predatory as fuck…but at least their PR campaign centered around taking advantage of a manufactured insecurity rather than adding to it? Or maybe by perpetuating the idea that there really do exist a bunch of toxic gym goers isn’t helping really…I’m not so sure now haha.
conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
I like the ones that advertise “$10/month” and just don’t mention that there’s an additional sizable annual fee that you also have to pay.
cygnus@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
Because it’s an exercise bike ✨on the internet✨
NatakuNox@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Why make crazy amounts of money on a stationary bike only once? When you can every time they want to use the bike? Capitalism innovation for the win baby!!!
dch82@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
The F in IoT stands for Freedom