Marketing Vanguard – "What Keeps iFit Ahead of the Curve? Kirsten Spittel-Sloan’s Personalization Secret"
Date: December 18, 2025
Guest: Kirsten Spittel-Sloan, Global Marketing Head of iFit
Host: Jenny Rooney (Adweek)
Episode Overview
This episode dives into how iFit stays at the forefront of the fitness technology space, with a focus on personalization, adaptability, and navigating a rapidly changing marketing environment. Kirsten Spittel-Sloan shares insights from her journey through startups, McKinsey, and her current leadership as SVP of Marketing at iFit, addressing AI in fitness, lessons from COVID-era shifts, balancing storytelling with analytics, and the nuances of steering a PE-backed brand.
Guest Background: The Road to iFit
Timestamp: 01:03–02:07
- Kirsten’s Journey: Began in startups & non-profits in D.C., learning marketing hands-on and wearing "all the hats."
- Consulting Experience: Five years at McKinsey advising Fortune 500 CMOs and C-level execs on growth and digital transformation.
- At McKinsey, she witnessed how companies engage customers both digitally and physically, and the acceleration of digital touchpoints during COVID.
“I have been a digital marketer for the better of 15 years. Learned a lot of it by just going into the details myself for the first time and really building companies and programs from the ground up.”
— Kirsten, 01:24
The iFit Ecosystem: Brand Structure and Mission
Timestamp: 04:33–06:39
- Family of Brands: iFit umbrella includes NordicTrack, Proform, FreeMotion, and ReformerX (recent Pilates company acquisition); flagship iFit brand is lesser-known.
- Ownership: Private equity-owned (L Catterton), providing resources and global scale.
- Product Approach: iFit enhances fitness via a subscription-based platform, accessible on machines and mobile, delivering thousands of workouts.
- Personalization Focus: The system adapts workouts based on individual user progress and feedback—learning from engagement to push and motivate members.
“Your experience is substantially enhanced when you use iFit subscription on top of [the machine] ... it also adjusts all of the workouts to you ... it’s going to learn that … let’s push you a little bit harder, let’s give you the best results for you.”
— Kirsten, 04:43
Personalization & AI as Differentiators
Timestamp: 06:39–07:33
- Early adopter: iFit launched its AI Coach in January 2025.
- AI Coach now recommends next-best workouts, manages schedules, and adapts plans in real-time.
- Core Value: Habit-forming fitness is inherently personal; technology investment is aimed at deeper personalization and higher retention.
“We put an early flag in the ground ... when we launched our AI coach with iFit. ... We’re adding a lot more features to further personalize the experience ... It’s not just about the same routine for everybody because that doesn’t work.”
— Kirsten, 06:53
Industry Disruption: Post-COVID and The Peloton Lesson
Timestamp: 07:33–11:46
- Marketing experienced a DTC boom (2016–2019), then COVID propelled digital/social/influencer marketing.
- iFit’s approach is informed by Peloton’s COVID-19 era expansion—and its limits.
- Key takeaway: Brands must invest along the funnel, tell authentic stories, and know when and where to focus efforts.
- The imperative for marketers: maintain customer focus, don’t try to "win everywhere," but instead prioritize and rigorously test and learn as technology accelerates.
“You need to keep a pulse on your customer, really know them deeply, ... not spread yourself too thin ... but rather try and stay true to this brand narrative.”
— Kirsten, 10:31
Understanding the Customer: Tactics and Tools
Timestamp: 11:46–14:32
- Key Tactics: Extensive social listening, regular survey/focus groups (macro and micro topics), trend data analysis, and expansion of creator/influencer partnerships.
- Creator partnerships both drive reach and yield direct customer insight.
- Keeps a close eye on economic trends, especially relevant given her academic background in economics and international affairs, while acknowledging lagging indicators and the growing need for real-time cultural and tech trend monitoring.
- Special attention paid to younger generations (Gen Z and soon Gen Alpha) for future-proofing strategies.
"We've in the last two years, really doubled down on our content creator program ... we've seen that be very beneficial to us."
— Kirsten, 12:32
Talent, Team Building, and Organizational Agility
Timestamp: 15:00–17:07
- Essential leadership qualities: High trust and adaptability.
- Approach to team structure: Blend of salaried employees, agency relationships, and freelancers to flexibly match workload and bring in specialized expertise.
- Stresses localization & tailoring processes in global markets, balancing the need for process standardization with flexibility.
“You need to instill in your teams two things ... One is high trust and two is that adaptability ... If you don’t do either of those, I think you set yourself up to fail because there’s a lot of moving parts.”
— Kirsten, 15:44
Broader Cultural Trends: Defining Fitness in a New Era
Timestamp: 17:08–19:43
- Acknowledges the surge in social, community-oriented fitness (like running clubs—even for dating!).
- Recognizes the shifting definition of fitness (influenced by trends like GLP-1 medications, generational shifts), emphasizing personalization as the answer for evolving needs and life stages.
"Running is having its all time high again because it's social ... that's what running is becoming used for right now."
— Kirsten, 19:00
Life at a PE-Backed Company: Challenges & Opportunities
Timestamp: 19:43–22:17
- PE-backed firms raise the bar on analytical rigor: CMOs must pair technical prowess with storytelling.
- Increased focus on measuring marketing effectiveness and justifying spend.
- The upside: Access to resources, high standards, and aligned incentives.
- Balancing performance marketing with longer-term brand building is crucial.
“The bar for CMOs to be really analytical has been raised ... But ... it’s important to ... bring balance to that storytelling angle.”
— Kirsten, 20:35
What’s Next for iFit?
Timestamp: 22:21–23:18
- iFit’s Altra One treadmill made Time’s Best Inventions List.
- Following the acquisition of ReformerX, expect expanded Pilates offerings.
- Hints at new, soon-to-be-announced features and innovations.
“We have a couple of really exciting things happening ... pay attention ... We may have a couple things coming down the pike on the iFit side in the new year.”
— Kirsten, 22:31
Leadership Style and Reflections
Timestamp: 23:30–24:19
- Self-described as “bold and blunt, but in a loving way.”
- Operates mostly remote, values directness combined with “in your court” support.
- Leadership built on high trust, not micromanagement.
“I will just say things as they are, but I will be there to help you work through and problem solve ... I’m not here to micromanage.”
— Kirsten, 23:30
- Fun fact: Was a rower, typically in stroke seat; compares her marketing leadership to setting the pace and collaborating closely with her team, akin to rowing teamwork.
Highlight: Marketer Admiration
Timestamp: 25:50–26:18
- Cites admiration for the group behind "Together," a media company for women’s sports with an investment-focused, innovative business model.
- Praises their blend of investment acumen and media vision, working at the frontier of cultural change.
Notable Quotes & Timestamps
-
On entering marketing today:
“You not only have to be a technical expert, but you also need to be an artist in your storytelling, and that is a lot to take on.”
— Kirsten, 00:33 & 11:41 -
On navigating rapid change:
“As marketers, we also have to learn a bunch of stuff on the go all the time.”
— Kirsten, 10:51 -
On the value of social listening:
“Listening to that periphery has been helpful, particularly in moments of culture.”
— Kirsten, 13:05
Episode Flow & Timestamps
- [01:03] Kirsten’s background and path to iFit
- [04:33] Overview of the iFit brand network
- [06:39] AI, personalization, and iFit’s competitive edge
- [09:06] The post-COVID fitness/marketing landscape, Peloton learnings
- [11:46] How iFit knows its audience—tactical insights
- [13:16] Use of economic data and understanding generational shifts
- [15:44] Talent, team dynamics, and organizational culture
- [19:43] The context and upsides of being PE-backed
- [22:31] Product innovation and what’s next for iFit
- [23:30] Leadership approach and analogy from sports
- [25:50] Admiration for "Together" in women’s sports media
This episode is packed with candid insights for marketers, operators, and brand leaders navigating today's demanding and ever-evolving business environment. Kirsten’s mix of practical tactics and high-level perspective—rooted in trust, adaptability, and relentless customer focus—offers actionable wisdom whether you’re scaling a startup or steering a global brand.