Fitness upstart Peloton has brought in a packaged goods veteran to help sell its $1,995 stationary bikes and virtual spin club memberships to consumers.
Lori Tauber Marcus takes over as CMO of Peloton today, charged with heading its global marketing organization and stoking the fires beneath the company’s rapid expansion. Peloton has sold more than 30,000 bikes since debuting in 2012, adding up to a reported $50 million in sales in 2015.
Marcus spent 27 years fighting the cola wars for Pepsi, starting out in field marketing, directing entertainment marketing, and then customer development for the food-service division, finishing her career in Purchase as SVP of marketing activation. Prior to joining Peloton, she was chief global brand and product officer of cold systems for Keurig Green Mountain.
“Lori’s proven track record and background in brand building, creative development, digital marketing, retail store and multichannel rollout…will help us continue to grow our brand recognition around the world,” Peloton CEO John Foley said in a press release.
Peloton does not subsist on bike sales alone. The company’s business model is built on people’s preference to work out at home and sells bike owners $39 monthly memberships that grant them access to live or archived classes on “sweatproof” screens mounted on the handlebars. Spin gyms like Flyewheel and SoulCycle, by comparison, charge as much as $30 per class.
