PPB July 2021

social media, with the main platforms being Facebook (74 percent), Twitter (51 percent) and YouTube (49 percent). To provide context as to how some brands are getting involved in civic issues in bigger ways, the report noted three examples citing Bass Pro Shops, Tesla and Airbnb. During Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which made landfall in Louisiana and Texas, Bass Pro Shops donated 100 boats to government agencies and rescue organizations, along with $40,000 worth of supplies. Also in 2017 during Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in Florida, Tesla released a software update that extended vehicle owners’ battery life at no additional charge to help them evacuate. And last year, during the height of the pandemic, Airbnb launched a program allowing hosts the option to offer free lodging and accommodations to coronavirus first-responders. The efforts of all three companies show how brands can utilize their unique resources or areas of expertise to contribute to disaster relief efforts, or help consumers prepare— and to show the public they’re not only concerned with consumer trends, but also their health, safety and well-being. WATER COOLER Did Peloton ‘Bike’ Off MoreThan It Could Chew? Until recently, Peloton was a well- known success story. But after adding a treadmill to its product offerings, which was recalled after a fatality and numerous injuries, one wonders whether the company should have stuck to what it knows best: stationary bikes. Peloton Interactive, Inc. has, arguably, had time and fate on its side—and paired with a great product that consumers love, it was set up for success. The New York-based exercise equipment company, which began as a Kickstarter campaign in 2013 and launched in 2014, saw sales soar during the pandemic, and celebrated its first billion-dollar quarter in the second quarter of this year, reports Bloomberg . For the first few years in business, it was a single-product company, retailing its Peloton Bike, starting at $1,895 , along with its monthly subscription service that provides users access to live and prerecorded fitness classes. On April 22, 2020, during the height of the pandemic, the company saw its most-attended class to date hit a record with more than 23,000 users tuning in to a spin class for at least 10 minutes. Like many companies working to perfect its products, Peloton saw some issues, including a problem with the bike pedals breaking which led to a recall in October of last year, but otherwise complaints about its products have been minimal, at least in terms of media coverage. It wasn’t until Peloton decided to grow its product offerings with the addition of a treadmill in 2018, Peloton Tread ($2,495 ) and later the upgraded version, Peloton Tread+ ($4,295), that the company received numerous reports (more than 72) about injuries linked to this product, including the death of a six-year-old child this past March. In Ljupco Smokovski / SaMBa / Shutterstock.com 74 | JULY 2021 | THINK