From 100 Videos to 2,000: How Echelon Scaled Content Production

Echelon filmed 100 pieces of content before launching their first spin bike, establishing the value proposition beyond hardware. This content-first approach gave them credibility with both consumers and retailers, proving demand existed before committing to large retail orders. Today they produce 2,000 pieces monthly across multiple studios, turning content production into a core competitive advantage rather than a marketing afterthought.

Lou's team designed their consumer bike to ship in a box and assemble in 30 minutes without tools, while competitors required professional installation. This wasn't just consumer-friendly—it enabled retail distribution and became crucial during COVID when installation services shut down. Their treadmill design follows the same principle: push a button and it pops up, versus 90 minutes with tools. Product design decisions should account for the entire customer journey, including unboxing and setup.

When entering retail, Lou advises actively pushing back on large initial orders. If a retailer wants 20,000 units, propose 12,000 instead. This counterintuitive approach builds trust, reduces inventory risk, and creates natural demand signals that lead to reorders. The goal is controlled growth that protects both parties from overstock situations that damage brand perception and retailer relationships.

Drive DTC awareness and prove unit velocity before approaching retailers. Don't rely on shelf placement alone to build brand recognition. Echelon built their direct-to-consumer business first, creating demand signals and customer proof points that made retail partnerships more successful. The retail shelf should amplify existing demand, not create it from scratch.

Coming from a direct response background, Lou insists on marketing that supports retail partnerships while maintaining profitability. Don't just create brand advertising and hope it works—structure campaigns with clear attribution and returns. Every marketing dollar, whether supporting retail partners or driving DTC sales, should have measurable response metrics. Brand building and performance marketing aren't separate strategies—they're integrated components of the same system.

Echelon shifted from blanket communications to personalized messaging across email and digital channels. This means segmenting by product ownership, usage patterns, fitness goals, and engagement levels rather than sending one-size-fits-all campaigns. The membership model (40% of revenue) enables sophisticated personalization because the company has ongoing data relationships with customers rather than one-time transaction data.

Lou personally engages with member feedback, even when decisions are unpopular (like closing the London studio). The key is listening authentically to understand community sentiment while maintaining strategic vision. Members become emotionally invested in instructors and content, so decisions need to balance short-term community reaction with long-term business health. Transparency about why decisions are made—better content volume, improved scheduling depth, budget optimization—helps community understand trade-offs.

Rather than paying celebrities for endorsement power, Echelon showcases real community members and authentic experiences. This approach resonates more deeply with consumers who want relatable fitness journeys rather than aspirational celebrity lifestyles. The strategy also creates sustainable marketing economics—community content scales more efficiently than celebrity partnerships and builds stronger long-term brand affinity.

Lou compares current AI capabilities to AOL-era internet—early but transformative. Echelon builds technology foundations that can evolve rather than solving only today's problems. Their AWS partnership to build AI-powered personalized workout recommendations represents forward-thinking infrastructure that will support future capabilities. Don't just implement current tech trends—build platforms that can incorporate rapid advances without complete rebuilds.

Sometimes products fail not because they're wrong but because timing is off. Lou learned from past experiences to recognize when demand hasn't materialized yet rather than abandoning promising directions entirely. Make "slight pivots" that reduce spend while maintaining position, rather than complete directional changes. Being too early can be expensive - reduce investment but stay ready to accelerate when market timing aligns.