Podcast: Peloton and the addictive experience dilemma

In July 2021, author, customer experience strategy director and behavioural scientist Jen Clinehens posted a video to her YouTube channel titled 10 ways Peloton used psychology to make exercise addictive. The video is a fascinating insight into the behavioural science concepts and tricks Peloton leans on in designing an experience that encourages addiction in its users, as well as focusing on the value of designing addictive experiences and questioning whether designing an addictive experience is always fundamentally a negative action. 

Addiction is of course a complex and serious topic and fundamentally the idea of addiction is not one to take lightly. However, in this podcast we speak with Jen to address the idea that brands are actively ‘designing’ addictive experiences, what addictive experiences actually are, whether there are pros as well as cons to an addictive experience. We also discuss:

• Why Peloton is an example of a brand that blurs the lines between a positive and negative addictive experience
• If Netflix, Amazon, Facebook and other megatech companies are arguably examples of the opposite 
• If addictive experiences differ from 'dark patterns' created by brands such as Netflix and Amazon
• Why ‘ethical habit loops’ are a vital part of creating experiences that are addictive, but for the benefit of the user rather than the detriment.

We also discuss whether there are positive, ethical ways CX and service leaders can design experiences that encourage habitual, repetitive actions in their customers.