Equinox Taps New Chief Marketing Officer
Equinox has named Peter Giorgi chief marketing officer.
Giorgi takes over some of the responsibilities that were previously handled by Seth Solomons, who has exited the company after a two-year run. Unlike his predecessor, Giorgi also handles marketing for Equinox Media. Solomons is now chief executive officer at Eastlake Advisory Group.
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During an interview Monday, Giorgi said he was most inspired about working with the many “super-talented leaders at the company, who are so passionate about the brand and are so eager and motivated to chart a new future for it.”
Giorgi added that another plus is how Equinox has “this history of leading a whole category and leading kind of a whole culture around such a big part of people’s lives through wellness and fitness.”
He previously served as Celebrity Cruises’ chief marketing officer. During his tenure there, he worked to debunk the belief that all cruise ships are the same and to “separate the Celebrity Cruises brand from the rest, to build equity, explain what the experience is like, how it is different, get people to value it and pay more for it. I think some of that experience strategically will really be helpful here,” he said.
Prior to that, he worked as global head of advertising for Airbnb. Asked if he is looking into any rental features for Equinox members or prototype models, he said, “Nothing like that has crossed my desk just yet, but it is still Day One.”
After relocating to New York from Miami, Giorgi is temporarily staying at the Equinox Hotel at Hudson Yards, an elevator ride away from the corporate office. “It is the shortest commute that I have ever had. I am truly living the brand right now — working here, being here and working out here.”
Earlier on in his career, Giorgi worked at the advertising agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky, working with such clients as Volkswagen, Jose Cuervo and Vitaminwater.
The fitness industry is no longer paralyzed by the pandemic shutdown with many clubs and boutique classes up-and-running again across the country. But some Peloton devotees and other at-home workout enthusiasts have forgone or postponed returning to their fitness clubs of choice. How the marketing may adapt to that, Giorgi expects Equinox’s approach to be more multifaceted and omnichannel. “I don’t see clubs competing with apps or event-based sort of things. I know I am looking forward to the opportunity to be together and to experience the community. That’s one of the most beautiful things about what we do here — is to experience the clubs in a more personal way, recognizing people. I also love what we do digitally…it’s just adding layers for our members, who really want to lead a very high-performance life to get the best out of it. I’m excited to figure out how we tell that story because it’s been one or the other in this category for a long time. It’s gong to converge more than stay apart,” Giorgi said.
Earlier this year, Equinox tapped the digital-minded Will Mayer to be its executive creative director.
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