Goop Goes After Guys

Love it or hate it, Gwyneth Paltrow has built a wellness empire under the Goop banner.

As the quintessential example of celebrity-driven pseudoscience, the company has been met with widespread criticism and even litigation. On the flipside, Goop has been valued at more than $250M, making it difficult to argue with the business chops behind their content, commerce, and events formula. The success is all the more reason for Paltrow to keep doing exactly what she’s doing. And even produce more.

Now, Paltrow is fixing Goop’s crosshairs on guys. Introducing: Goopfellas.

Starting with a podcast before launching a newsletter, a dedicated section of the website, and a collection of men’s clothing in the coming months, Goop will cater to the 20% of guys who already read their content while recruiting new ‘fellas’. The team is also said to be considering an events series.

Pointing to blurring gender lines and the willingness of guys to seek out skincare, hair loss, hygiene, and sexual health solutions, Goop thinks they’re well-positioned to build a broad audience. As Elise Loehnen, Goop’s chief content officer, told Fast Company, “If we can package Goop into a slightly more masculine package, then we can bring men into this journey too.”

A Cult Following

Back in Issue 19 of Fitt Insider, we explored the cult following of brands like Goop, SoulCycle, and Glossier.

Sometimes, a brand’s loyal customer base is compared to an obsessive cult. Sure, most of the time it’s just hype, and other times it’s in jest, but in the rare instance that a brand actually achieves a cult-like following, there’s no higher compliment that can be paid. And as it relates to fitness and wellness companies seeking to compete in an increasingly crowded space, it might be the holy grail.

“The key is customer love. The emergence of a close-knit community early on is something that we look at very closely.” — Frederic Court, Felix Capital

In Goop’s case, Frederic Court, founder of the venture firm Felix Capital and an investor in Goop, viewed the company’s community as an early indicator of their potential.

Similarly, this wellness empire wouldn’t have weathered various controversies without the love of its community. As detractors called foul, Goop fans dug in their heels. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, Goop maintained its perspective and launched new verticals—like products, events, retail shops—tailor-made for its core audience. In that way, they’re everything to everyone who gets them — which is exactly how a cult community is built.

Read more on the making of cult brands >> Fitt Insider Issue 19: How to Start a Cult