About STRIDE FITNESS

STRIDE Fitness is a fast-growing boutique fitness franchise built around a high-energy interval training model that blends cardio, strength, and recovery. Founded in Huntington Beach, California, STRIDE offers a results-driven workout experience in a community-first environment, featuring signature recovery rooms with leg compression and massage guns, alongside its performance-focused programming. With franchise expansion underway into new states, STRIDE is positioning itself as one of the most compelling boutique fitness concepts in the country, attracting members, entrepreneurs, and investors alike.



1.56 Million

Estimated Views

46

Pieces of Coverage

$1.5 Million

Publicity Value

Their Challenge

Despite a compelling concept and growing momentum, STRIDE Fitness needed to break through a crowded boutique fitness marketplace and establish national credibility beyond its California roots. The brand required a focused PR campaign to position its founders as authoritative voices in fitness and franchising, generate consumer awareness, and attract prospective franchisees, all while building the media infrastructure needed to support rapid multi-market expansion.



Our Challenge

Dunn Pellier Media was brought on to lead a comprehensive earned media campaign to elevate STRIDE Fitness from a regional studio concept into a nationally recognized boutique fitness brand and franchise opportunity. Using strategic storytelling, DPM built a multi-layered narrative that connected fitness consumer trends, franchise entrepreneurship, founder credibility, and community-driven wellness, creating compelling angles that resonated across lifestyle, business, trade, and franchise media.

A core challenge was establishing STRIDE’s voice in a saturated fitness media landscape while simultaneously serving two distinct audiences: fitness consumers discovering the brand and prospective franchisees evaluating the business opportunity. DPM needed to generate high-quality national coverage that served both goals without diluting either message.

Goals

POSITIONING STRIDE FITNESS AS A LEADING BOUTIQUE FITNESS FRANCHISE

DPM set out to:

  • Build national brand awareness and establish STRIDE Fitness as a credible, modern boutique fitness destination
  • Position founders Shaun Grove as authoritative spokespeople in fitness entrepreneurship and franchising
  • Secure high-impact press placements across national fitness, lifestyle, and business outlets to drive both consumer interest and franchise lead flow
  • Differentiate STRIDE from competitors by emphasizing its unique cardio-strength-recovery training model and community-driven approach
  • Lay the media foundation for franchise expansion coverage, including new market launches in Philadelphia and Tennessee
PR Strategy

EARNED MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO LAUNCH, SUSTAIN, AND SCALE BRAND AUTHORITY

DPM crafted a targeted earned media campaign to maximize STRIDE’s visibility simultaneously across consumer and B2B audiences.

The team activated a founder-led founder-led strategy that leveraged Shaun and its President, Anthony’s authentic credibility and entrepreneurial journey to open doors with top-tier national publications across fitness, lifestyle, and business categories. Story angles were developed around STRIDE’s differentiated training model, franchise growth narrative, and the Huntington Beach flagship’s role as a community fitness hub.



DPM also built a robust podcast pipeline, positioning Stride Fitness founder Shaun and president Anthony as go-to voices in fitness entrepreneurship and franchise development, generating long-form visibility among fitness consumers and prospective franchisees alike. Outreach spanned Tier 1 national outlets, regional media, and niche trade publications, ensuring STRIDE maintained a consistent presence across all key media categories throughout the campaign.



Results

Our Results

DPM delivered a substantial earned media footprint, establishing STRIDE Fitness as a credible national voice in boutique fitness and franchise media.

90%+ of all coverage was entirely or substantially focused on STRIDE Fitness brand-led storytelling, not peripheral mentions. Key campaign messages appeared in 100% of earned media placements, demonstrating exceptional message discipline and PR execution. The average Domain Authority of secured placements was 66, reflecting consistently high-quality, credible media sources that outperform industry benchmarks.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Top-tier earned media placements across national fitness, lifestyle & business outlets:

  • Time — National feature coverage
  • Shape — Ad Value: $78,995
  • Yahoo Health — Ad Value: $9,065
  • Yahoo News — Ad Value: $9,527.50
  • Bustle — Ad Value: $476,375
  • AOL — Ad Value: $2,247,750
  • LA Times — Ad Value: $151,700
  • Orange County Register — Ad Value: $28,490
  • Athletech News — Trade feature coverage
  • Franchise Times — Franchise media coverage
  • Club Solutions — Trade feature coverage
  • …plus 20+ additional placements across regional, trade & niche fitness media

This PR campaign didn’t just generate coverage, it strategically built the media foundation STRIDE Fitness needed to scale. By leading with founder authenticity, franchise growth momentum, and a differentiated fitness concept, DPM established STRIDE as a nationally recognized boutique fitness brand across consumer lifestyle desks, franchise trade press, and business media alike.



Media Coverage