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Why Peloton’s Partnership With Beyoncé Is A Blueprint For Building An Inclusive Brand

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Sonia Thompson
Forbes

Shares of fitness technology brand Peloton rose 8.6% yesterday after news broke of their multi-year deal with Beyoncé.

Peloton’s more than 3.6 million members requested music from Beyoncé more than any other artist, thus making the collaboration a hit.

I first learned of the partnership from one of my Facebook friends. She’s a longtime Peloton user, and an even longer time fan of Beyoncé. She was hoping she could parlay the introduction of one of her all-time favorite artists into her Peloton fitness regime, into getting another one of the brand’s products.

Peloton’s partnership with Beyoncé proves to be smart on various levels. Not only does it help them keep their existing customers happy, which can lead to a greater degree of loyalty, as evidenced by my friend’s reaction. But it also helps them reach a new more diverse audience, one they might not have connected with, without the partnership.

As part of the agreement, Beyoncé and Peloton will deliver a series of themed workout experiences commemorating homecoming season, a tradition at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Last year, Beyoncé released her Homecoming special on Netflix, which was a documentary chronicling her historic and record breaking Coachella performance the year before. Homecoming was an homage to homecoming at HBCUs, and served to delight Black viewers like me who were nostalgic about homecoming at their favorite HBCU and or alma mater, while also introducing it to a wider audience who had no idea what the tradition was all about.

This agreement allows Beyoncé to continue celebrating this important tradition in Black culture, as she brings it to the Peloton audience.

In addition, both Beyoncé and Peloton will gift two-year digital memberships of Peloton to students at ten HBCUs. The membership will give them access to the full library of fitness classes, including indoor cycling, running, strength, bootcamp, yoga, and meditation. Recipients of this gift can use the app with or without equipment.

Peloton also announced that it would deepen its relationships with each of the ten schools selected as they seek candidates for internships and full-time positions requiring an undergraduate degree.

The important inclusive marketing lesson brands should take from this collaboration

In your effort to reach diverse and niche consumers, diversifying your circle of influence is an important lever. With this partnership, Peloton is simultaneously diversifying the type of content it produces, incorporating an important element of Black culture, and building long-term relationships with the Black community, both as consumers and as a means to source high-quality talent into their workforce.

As your brand tries to engage with diverse consumers, such as the Black community, partnering with influencers who already have an established relationship is a smart way to go. Not only will they help you produce relevant products, services, and experiences that will be well received by the community, but it also gives you the possibility of earning trust faster, as an extension of the trust they already have for the influencer you are collaborating with.

Peloton’s partnership with Beyoncé paved the way for the brand to build collaborative relationships with the ten HBCUs.

And by gifting the two-year memberships to HBCU students, Peloton is also seizing the opportunity to reach new customers who may not have previously considered them as an option as part of their fitness journey.

Of course it isn’t necessary for your brand to collaborate with influencers with as much star power and pull as Beyoncé. You can accomplish your goals of winning the attention, adoration, and loyalty of diverse consumers by forming meaningful and authentic collaborations with those who have an existing platform and place of trust within the communities you want to serve.

This article was written by Sonia Thompson from Forbes and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].

Photos:
Peloton
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