#bikebrand in All Its Glory

what is #bikebrand?

#bikebrand is a running conversation about the relationships between the different bike brands at the different levels (OEM, IBD, Component, etc) and how they should be communicated in the marketplace to maximize the effectiveness of brand awareness, loyalty, and advocacy with the end cyclist.

the brand relationships.

The following presentation is an overview of how the different level brands are defined in the marketplace today.

the conversation.

The following .pdf is a transcript of the entire initial #bikebrand conversation that took place on Twitter on Thursday, May 21, 2009. Special thanks to The Archivist for the documentation.

continued conversation.

Now that you have the background of the #bikebrand conversation, you can now carry the torch forward. What are your thoughts of the issue at hand? Who is in charge of the brand the IBD or OEM? How do you want to be communicated to as a cyclist?

thank you.

This issue is one of great importance in the cycling industry as we move forward with the two-way communicated marketplace that technologies like social media are creating. The cyclists now have an equal voice and want to be communicated with. Brands need to engage in conversations correctly or may confuse or irritate the customer. Thank you in advance for your participation in this conversation.

#bikebrand: A Conversation About Brand Communications in the Bike Industry

After 15 pages (so far) of conversation from multiple voices within and around the cycling industry, we stand in front of a tricky situation when it comes to brand communication throughout the bike industry supply chain and into the marketplace. Over the past several months, I have been talking about what actually defines the brand at the different levels in the cycling brand hierarchy, who each brand needs to communicate with, and how they could use social media to enhance these communications.

the question heard round the world.

As you can see from the conversation the answer to the question of “Who Own’s the Brand?” is it depends on the individual. The actual definition and positioning of the brand is created in the cyclist’s mind. This definition is based on many characteristics, but the end cyclist takes the information that is relevant to their particular cycling life to build the position of the particular brand.

some comments on communication.

Through this conversation, we can see that the individual behavior of brand definition carries over to the communication realm. There needs to be an open communication throughout the industry (IBD:custy, IBD:OEM, OEM:custy, etc). This communication will allow for complete brand permeation and allow the cyclist to decide and define what products and services, not only fit their cycling lifestyle but also defines them as a cyclist.

keep it going.

This conversation is and will be a major conversation in the years to come. We, in the industry, need to keep it alive and in the forefront to keep the industry growing. If you are on Twitter, feel free to use the hashtag #bikebrand when talking about this.

thoughts?

What are your thoughts on the conversation or the issue?

Cycling Brand Relationship Series: An Overview

Over the past few weeks, I have had some great conversations both online and offline about the Brand Hierarchy in the cycling industry. Who is in charge of brand loyalty to the end cyclist? Is it the OEM (bike manufacturer? The LBS (local bike shop)?  The component or part brands?

During a conversation with @GStech yesterday, we realized that the dynamics of the relationships throughout the cycling industry supply chain varies from company to company, relationship to relationship, cyclist to cyclist. Over the next week or so, I will be going into detail about each level of the cycling industry supply chain to unfold what part of the cyclist experience each company is in charge of. During the series, I will discuss:

• What characteristics define the brand
• Who are the different customers that need to be communicated with
• How can the brand communicate effectively with each customer
• How social media / branding could facilitate this communication

With the increase in cyclist communication and the rise of cycling communities, cycling brands need to know where they fit into the lifestyle of these cyclists to build loyalty, advocacy, and evangelism. Hopefully this series will shed some light on this topic and begin to open eyes as to what needs to be done and what is possible.

encouraged communication.

This being such a dynamic topic, I encourage you to interact with me and one another on the coming posts. Agree, disagree, raise questions, dream big… Be sure to subscribe to the feed and invite your friends to follow along too. The weather is perfect; It should be a great ride!

The Felt Bicycling Brand Badge

Photo Courtesy of fenlandsnapper on flickr.com

As you know by now, I think that with the increase in public interactions with brands and a more intimate relationship between consumer and brand, we, as consumers, will begin to wear brands as badges that help define a certain aspect of our personality.

A couple of weeks ago, I raced in a bicycle race. My affinity toward cycling and the passionate culture which surrounds it always peaks my interest when watching riders interact with each other, talk about their trusty bike, and watch the human behavior as these riders “wear” their favorite cycling brands as badges. One thing caught my eye and stands out.

I have to admit, I love the craftsmanship of certain bicycles these days. I don’t think there are too many prettier things out there than a beautiful time-trial bike. Walking down the cyclists row, I noticed a car with two beautiful Felt Time Trial bikes sitting on a rack. Being a Felt rider myself, I stopped and stared, checked out the components, and began to wish I could afford the $4000+ piece of machine. It was a sight that anyone (cyclist or not) could appreciate; sheer beauty.

The funny thing about those bikes is they were not legal to ride in the race that was going on. The race was a road race which banned the use of time trial bikes.

The Point

Why is this so interesting? The race took place 45 miles outside of Kansas City in the middle of nowhere. I began to think, why are these bikes even here? Then it dawned on me…This particular rider has such an affinity to the Felt Bicycle brand, they loaded up their two beautiful time trial bikes just to wear the Felt brand as a badge in front of their cycling peers. What a connection Felt has with this cyclist! Can you imagine having such passionate, “cult-like” followers for your brand?

What brands would you wear proudly in your day to day life? Have you ever witnessed anything like this?