Read on Twitter
1/ Insightful article on how group fitness classes are substitute churches for millennial atheists. Great consumer companies, like churches, solve core psychological needs. So here's a tweetstorm on 6 needs they can better provide customers with: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/10/17801164/crossfit-soulcycle-religion-church-millennials-casper-ter-kuile
2/ HOLISTIC HEALTH: churches encourage holistic/mental health through mindfulness practices like meditation & prayer. Thus, fitness companies can become total health brands by better teaching/providing nutrition, sleep/recovery, and stress/mood management: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/22/well/mind/how-to-be-mindful-at-the-gym.html
3/ VALUES: churches provide patrons with shared beliefs. Group fitness are already seen as 'cultish', so positively embrace that by creating exercises that teach and reinforce universal virtues/strengths that psychologists like @jordanbpeterson advocate: https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/classification-character-strengths-virtues/
4/ TRANSCENDENCE: churches are great at eliciting awe through emotional sermons and singing. Group fitness classes can better induce this through storytelling that evokes customers to transcend their egos and connect to a higher part of themselves. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/24/opinion/sunday/why-do-we-experience-awe.html
5/ SUPPORT NETWORK: churches provide emotional and instrumental social support, while fitness friendships often stay 'in the gym'. Thus, companies can foster customers helping each other (e.g. with a move) and their communities (e.g. fitness fundraiser). https://health.spectator.co.uk/people-who-go-to-church-live-longer-heres-why/
6/ RELATIONSHIPS: churches are gender balanced and lead to marriages, while fitness classes are skewed (Crossfit more male, Soulcycle female). Find ways to appeal to both masculine & feminine (hint: everyone doesn't need to do the same exercises/classes). https://melmagazine.com/my-one-man-attempt-to-figure-out-why-group-fitness-classes-are-so-dominated-by-women-3de968295896
7/ RITUAL INITIATION/GUIDANCE: churches initiate members into the community (e.g. baptism) and adulthood (e.g. bar/bat mitzvah). Companies can do so by connecting youth with older instructors that act as 'ritual elders' by blessing & sharing their wisdom: https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/09/books/bring-on-the-hairy-mentor.html
@graceychou @nbt @georgezachary @om @ntdillon @magdalenakala @jeremysliew @ataussig @laurachau @venturetwins @ljin18 @ryan_caldbeck @m2jr @annimaniac @HarryStebbings @pnakache @gustai @AjayChopra @kirstenagreen @BrianNorgard @omal @Nik_Quinn @dunn @tcitrin @rebeccak46 @conniechan
