PlayAbly Podcast Episode 2: Lessons from Barry’s Bootcamp

In this episode of the PlayAbly podcast, we explore how Barry’s Bootcamp integrates gamification into fitness to create a highly engaging workout experience. Angelo, a Barry’s veteran with over 1,900 classes under his belt, shares insights into how the brand’s challenges, loyalty programs, and community-building tactics keep members coming back for more. We discuss how Barry’s leverages player archetypes like achievers and competitors to motivate attendees, and Angelo offers suggestions for how the brand can elevate its app experience through further gamification.

Curious how gamification can take your fitness or ecommerce business to the next level? Angelo’s expertise in ad tech and fitness gamification is full of actionable tips for any business looking to engage its audience.

Tune in to learn more and check out Barry’s Bootcamp for a closer look at how they’re doing it: barrys.com
For more insights on gamification strategies, visit PlayAbly.ai.

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Transcript

Episode 3- Barry's Bootcamp

Kajal: [00:00:00] We're back with another episode discussing gamification in the real world. Angelo is joining me and we're talking about Barry's today. Barry's and Angelo to me are synonymous when I travel. And see Barry's, I feel the need to take a picture and send it to him, 

angelo, I know you had a big anniversary with Barry's.

Angelo: In August, Do you want to guess how many classes I completed? 

Kajal: More than 1000. 

Angelo: It's more than a thousand, right? I've been doing Barry since 2014, going on a decade, still strong, and I recently completed my 1900th class.

Kajal: Oh my 

Angelo: All I got was a card. Apparently it's 2, 000. Says congratulations. 

Kajal: Maybe when you get to 2, 000, they'll give you something better. 

Angelo: When I hit 2, 000, it's in the app. When I hit 1, 500, it gave me a 200. When I hit 2, 000, I'm sure they give more swag.

I hit my 1, 900 class recently. 

Kajal: Congratulations. Angelo likes to do double floor, meaning he sometimes skips the treadmill and does weights nonstop. 

Angelo: That's the only way I could [00:01:00] go five or six times a week, if I had to run five or six times I wouldn't be able to do it.

Angelo: Barry's does monthly promotions. Either a challenge or a promo. Last month, was a friends with benefits promo.

bring a first timer both get a free class, this month, October, they're doing a birthday challenge. for their 26th birthday. But all of these challenges are basically the same where it's about how many classes you can take in a set period, from October 4th to November 2nd, you choose an 8, 12 or 20 class challenge. I'm doing the 20 class challenge There are different prizes depending on the challenge you complete. For 8 classes, you get a $30 gift card and 200 Academy stars.

Academy stars refers to their loyalty program. You earn stars for every class, purchasing swag from the store, or buying a shake. So then that goes towards the different, membership tiers.

 You also get a gift from Bombas. If you complete all 20 classes You get a $90 gift card, which is 1. 5 items from Berry's Academy stars and another gift from Bombas. So what I like about this challenge is that Berry's clearly shows what you're getting they also ensure all studios are [00:02:00] involved And actively promote it.

 I get email notifications and 26 challenge birthday challenge They ask How many classes you're doing? The good instructors say, like, I'm doing 20 this Month. So take this class with me.

They did a good job, cultivating the local community making sure everyone's excited and on board for the challenge. 

Kajal: I feel they're really speaking to their audience unlike the Taylor Swift Challenge which felt too broad. Barry's knows its attendees fall into Bartles player archetypes, achievers and competitors. Achievers love setting and accomplishing fitness goals? Competitors push themselves by seeing others' efforts where you don't want to be the only one who's not.

pushing hard. I think the instructors call you out if you're not, living up to your potential, knowing your audience and being able to gamify in the proper way is a big reason for their success 

Angelo: totally. You nailed it on the point with achievers and competitors. I guess I'm both. I try not, to race, but when I do I'm racing against the person next to me.

That's why my friends don't like to run next to me in treadmill class the challenges, act as a great retention [00:03:00] program, because every month they're introducing new challenges or collaborations.

They're doing a pumpkin spice, milkshake or protein shake they always have monthly challenges.

 It would be cool to track the birthday challenge achievement within the app, instead of a landing page. The app has data 

like I've taken 1925 classes. It'd be cool to see, Oh, I've done Barry's in Milan, Paris. The U S and the world. The fan base is densely loyal especially when you travel.

If you want to do Barry's, when I go to Chicago for shop talk, I'll be there. We can go to Barry's together. It would be cool if you had badges or how many Barry's you've been to, There are ways to gamify the experience.

Or if they have a leaderboard, cause people, when they hear how many classes I've taken, they're like, that's a lot of classes. And money spent on Barry's. I did it for free. I'm not earning affiliates or commissions. I don't refer people to Barry's. I think there are ways to gamify the app experience more like leaderboards, badges to track which Barry's you've been to if you've gone to 10 different Barry's you can earn a reward layering that on top of their rewards program people who go to berries really like it.

Like I've been going for 10 years. It's my main workout of [00:04:00] choice. You would have a little audience I'm with them, I've done it, but there's ways to get them more fanatical. 

Kajal: Barry's, give us a call. for a gamified experience 

Angelo: yes, I have feedback.

I've had over 1900 classes, so I consider myself a subject matter expert fitness and gamification. are a match made in heaven. 

Kajal: Love it. Thanks Angelo for the insights. We'll be back next week with another example of gamification in the real world.