CASE STUDY: CONSUMER / MARKETPLACE
Tonal
Digitizing Strength Training.
The Story
How VSC helped build excitement through experience and storytelling for Tonal, the 'Smart Dumbell'
The Tonal team first came into the VSC office 2 years before their first big announcement looking to drum up excitement for their first-of-its-kind digital strength training equipment.
After rigorous testing and product refinement, the device was nearly ready for its public debut. We helped build excitement and anticipation for a high price point product pre-launch, while positioning the company for continued growth beyond the early adopter community.
Strategy and Tactics
We conceived of an invite-only physical showroom, where a highly curated group of journalists and influencers could experience a white-glove sneak-peek of the device. This generated excitement ahead of launch while helping further refine and improve the product experience.
When we were ready to set our sights on media outreach, we helped distill years worth of engineering, design, and AI innovation into one simple concept for tech press and consumers alike: the ‘Smart Dumbell’.
Understanding the transformational power of physically interacting with a Tonal device, we launched a bicoastal media tour, so all of our target press from SF to NYC could get a first-hand experience of the machine.
To further develop the company narrative beyond the product, we honed in on the founder’s origin story, tracing his own fitness journey.
The Results
We secured near flawless coverage across a range of business and consumer publications - from the New York Times, Bloomberg, Business Insider, and Wired, to Muscle and Fitness. Men’s Health ultimately named Tonal on their list of Best Home Fitness Products of 2019.
5
Initiatives
96
Placements
730M
UMVs
12
Broadcast Segments
Men's Health
The next great home gym takes up next to no space in your living room looks sleek when not in use. When it comes time to get your sweat on, you hit the power button, pull out some easy-adjusting arms with cable attachments, and select a custom workout using a Netflix-like interface. Then, pre-recorded trainers and slick AI programming whip you into shape.
-Ebenezer Samuel
New York Times
But as I grimaced and sweated through the reps, I noticed they were precisely the right level of difficulty. The machine knew my strength better than I did.
-Erin Griffith
CNET
I grabbed the handle and bent my knees into position to do my first row, half expecting this thing to unbolt from the wall and tip me over in the process. Instead I was met with a good amount of resistance as I pulled back the handle -- the same feedback you'd get from a physical weight. OK, I was impressed. But where are the weights? The wall-mounted box could probably hide 30 pounds blocks behind the display, but not 200 pound worth. The answer: The weights are digital, too.