soulcycle
How do we figure out what people truly want, and then profitably deliver it to them? How can marketing strategy and tactics be used to identify and create new markets for innovative and sustainable products and services? This is a case study about creating a new offering for a company based on their existing brand experience.
Case Study Context
Whether they recognize it or not, customers increasingly make purchase decisions based on the meaning that companies evoke for them through their products and services. Businesses that can identify the core meanings that a product, service, or brand conveys are able to translate experiences successfully. In other words, mastering ‘meaning’ enables expansion into new markets, both locally and globally, without getting lost in translation.
This case study is the result of an intensive market research initiative to explore the meaning underlying the SoulCycle brand experience. Our was curious find out what meaning this highly curated brand experience evokes for its customers. Based on our design research, we developed a product concept that built upon the meaning of SoulCycle’s brand experience.
Process highlights
Design Research, Market Analysis, Positioning, Marketing & Communications Implementation Plan, Experience Strategy, Business Case
evoking meaning
Challenge
“How can we use the core meaning of the SoulCycle brand experience to create a new product offering?”
My teammates and I were so fascinated by the cult-like following of SoulCycle “tribes” that we were compelled to hit the streets - and yellow stationary bikes - to dig deeper into why customers identify with the brand. We combined strategy and design forces to analyze and conceptualize how we would improve what SoulCycle already does so well.
Solution
We uncovered the core meanings that SoulCycle’s brand of fitness provides to its riders; we used this knowledge to anchor the design of a new immersive experience for its customers.
meaning
While SoulCycle evokes multiple meanings, the experience of ‘redemption’ provides the most opportunity for future growth of the brand.
User research
The first phase of our approach was to lean into qualitative design research skills; we learned from fitness fanatics, aspiring wellness gurus, and everyone in between. We drew inspiration from observations, street intercepts, and interviews with die-hard ‘Souldiers’. Insights came from the conversation that followed asking “what does working out do for you?”
The first laddering of questioning revealed the functional level of “it feels good”. This is where discussions diverged into markedly different reasons for working out. Drilling down to get to the crux of what ‘meaning’ working out has for an individual on an identity level clearly segmented respondents into different categories. We were able to then narrow in on what resonated with current and potential SoulCycle clients.
insights
Where fitness enthusiasts diverged: they either identified with methods of working out that let them “get out of my head” or “work things out” mentally. These groups gravitated to different experiences based on the meanings they promised. The later preferred experience of enlightenment and freedom that running or yoga could provide, while the former sought a sense of community from highly curated boutique fitness brands.
Mood board
design research
We translated our synthesized findings and converged ideas and insights into concept storyboards to share with SoulCyclists for feedback.
Moodboard
prototyping
After formulating and testing hypotheses with participants, we developed our product concept and sought feedback.
marketing strategy
Building off of the product concept, the team
developed core marketing tactics
mapped partnership opportunities
created a pricing strategy
developed a budget, and
designed a plan for pilot implementation.
Experience strategy
To elevate the experience for users, we built on their need for ‘oneness’ and expanded upon the redemptive quality of the SoulCycle experience that instructors are uniquely capable of delivering.
Fast forward to SoulSummit, our conceptualization of a new product to augment the SoulCycle experience for brand loyalists.
SoulSummit is a weekend getaway consisting of a curated mix of fitness classes, wellness seminars, and community outings. The product expands on the success of the SoulCycle experience by providing a 2-day immersive weekend designed to build community, strengthen mental and physical fortitude, and enable self-transformation.