Issue #5: Big ‘New Year, New You’ Energy
How brands cater to our new year mindsets.
Happy first week of 2024. I hope everyone is gently easing back into work :)
Every January, I see a lot of health and wellness marketing. This past week has been no different – it seems like more gym memberships, activewear garments, tracking technology, and prepared meal kits have been hitting my social feed and inbox than usual. The number of times I’ve heard the words ‘75 Hard’ over the past two weeks honestly might be more than 75 times at this point (no offense to anyone doing that but… why?) and I keep getting personalized emails from Equinox telling me that it’s ‘the best time to join’ (is there ever really a best time to commit to spending $250 per month on a gym membership for a whole year?).
I’ll be transparent here and say that I’m not the biggest fan of health and wellness marketing. No one needs to join a fancy gym and buy new Lululemon stuff and start working out on January 1st. In fact, the majority of these products and services are entirely unnecessary, but companies try to tell us that we need them in our lives, thus contributing to negative self image and the constant striving for more. Brands also capitalize on the ‘new year new you’ mentality each January by heavily marketing their products that will supposedly help you achieve your resolutions, but are, at the end of the day, just more stuff that you’ll forget about in a few weeks. Brands in the fitness and health spaces are even better positioned for this season of sales, since so many new year’s resolutions among Americans tend to revolve around physical health: exercising more, losing weight, drinking more water, etc. Gym memberships see 12 percent of total sign-ups in January compared to an average of 8 percent over the rest of the months.
And if our favorite influencers who seem to work out every day and have perfect skin are constantly buying Pelotons and drinking Athletic Greens, then I probably should too, right? These companies want to make us feel bad about ourselves so that we’ll buy their products. As a wellness girlie at heart, I’m the first to say that I’ve totally fallen prey to $40 jars of matcha that I only use like once. But it still makes me a little frustrated when I see companies that capitalize on our insecurities and flaws, and I see that happening quite a bit in the wellness industry during this time of year.
Alas, this is a brand marketing newsletter, so I’ll save you from some of my attempts at de-influencing and instead examine how some brands engage in this ‘new year, new stuff’ marketing tactic, maybe even giving them less power in the process. One interesting area of the health and wellness industry is the modern-day gym. While gyms used to be fairly standard – the same musty locker rooms, the same machines and weights – some gyms and workout studios have now differentiated themselves by becoming luxury experiences. Equinox is probably the example that comes most readily to mind.
Last year, Equinox launched a ‘We Don’t Speak January’ campaign, in which they did not accept any new members on January 1st because, according to Equinox, ‘You are not a new year’s resolution. Your life doesn’t start at the beginning of the year. And that’s not what being part of Equinox is about’ See? Funny that they’re now telling me that the new year is the best time to join…
The campaign definitely saw some backlash, with many claiming it to be exclusionary and pointless. While I generally agree with the notion that achieving your goals doesn’t need to start at the beginning of each year, this messaging still creates an attitude of superiority. Rather than actually making a statement, ‘We Don’t Speak January’ just serves to perpetuate unhealthy attitudes towards exercise by creating arbitrary definitions around ‘true’ commitment. Instead, Equinox could have done ‘January Any Time’ or ‘New Day, New Me,’ where they show people acting on their intentions at all hours, days, and months of the year, thereby demonstrating their original point that change doesn’t necessarily need to start on January 1st.
Other gyms have maintained the more original no-frills experience, catering to a different audience. Planet Fitness is an example of this, known for their low costs, basic equipment, and ‘judgment-free zones.’ Last week, they launched a partnership with Megan Thee Stallion, who takes on a persona of ‘Mother Fitness’ for the campaign. They partnered on a clothing collection as well as a series of fitness videos, which she had already been creating on TikTok for her massive fan base prior to the partnership.
The campaign is actually quite the opposite of Equinox’s, with the tagline: ‘Big Fitness Energy to all.’ The ad shows Megan veering people away from fitness fads and towards the welcoming environment of Planet Fitness. I actually love this campaign because it’s so much more low-stakes and fun than typical fitness ads, which often center on photoshopped bodies sweating and running and lifting heavy things. While most celebrity ad appearances might attempt to encourage you to change your body to look more like the featured celebrity, Planet Fitness chooses to not focus on that. In fact, appearances and results aren’t the focus at all – it’s the inclusive energy of Megan and Planet Fitness that’s the main draw here. And by targeting Megan’s fans, it’s clear that Planet Fitness knows their audience. The partnership caters to a younger customer base who may be able to afford the membership fee.
Equinox and Planet Fitness took two very different tactics for two very different audiences. The new year can be a powerful time for marketing, particularly if you’re able to target your customers’ needs and intentions for the upcoming year (maybe just don’t make them feel guilty for starting their exercise routine on 1/1, okay?). And hey, not all new year’s marketing is bad. I mean, just check out Liquid Death’s ‘horrorscopes’ SMS campaign…
