Just Riding Along

Article on e-commerce doesn't mention blogs

For some reason I just received my August 15 issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News Magazine (BRAIN).  It must have gotten lost in the mail.  I still think it's crazy they don't have more content on their website, but I digress.

I read with interest a cover story titled: "Internet Sales, Marketing Continue to Blossom."  It was a good article but I was quite surprised to not see blogs mentioned in any way, shape or form...not even a passing reference.

Does anyone else think this is strange?   Haven't blogs had an affect on consumers' buying habits online? 

According to a Marketing Sherpa survey from October 2004, when people were asked where they go online first to "find out more about a product or service," 64% of them said a search engine.  Now, given that we all know how blogs are frequently among the top results for many search queries, I think this fact alone is testament to how blogs have affected e-commerce.

I know at least one webmaster from a major bike brand reads this blog.  I'm curious as to how much inbound traffic they get to various product pages from blogs.  I imagine it is more than a significant amount.

So which is it:  Does a large part of the bike industry still not fully understand this new medium?  Or are my glasses covered in blog fog, making it impossible to see the picture clearly?

What's not hot this year?

I don't see how things can get any better for the bike industry.   Seems like everything is on the upswing.

I'm just looking through the latest issue of BRAIN and I'm blown away at what's been happening in the freeride scene throughout the country.  I had no idea so many sanctioned riding parks had been built.  There's no doubt freeriding will continue to blow up in '06.

Then there's the whole 29er thing.  Even MG over at Tram Line agrees they're set to get huge next season: "2006 will be the year of the 29 inch mountain bike." 

And of course we can't forget about the high-end road market.  Seems like not a day goes by without some company announcing a new carbon road bike in their line-up (Diamondback being the latest).

And city/commuting bike makers have to be loving the recent oil debacle, continuing bad news about obesity, and millions coming from the Feds to improve the bike infrastructure of our cities.

Should be an exciting time in Vegas.  People tend to be in better moods when business is good.

Old school vs. "neo" marketing

From the Creating Passionate Users blog, comes this great comparison of "old-school marketing" and what they call "neo-marketing".  Every marketing, PR, and sales person should print this out and stick it in their cubicle.  These are not just buzzwords and trends, they are the new reality.   

The larger, dominant brands in the bike industry that are still clinging to the old-school paradigm are at risk of slowly but surely losing market share.  And do I even have to mention that a well-executed company blog can achieve everything in the neo-marketing column? 

When you read through this, which brands come to mind?  Is your company still "old-school"?

Soma Fab buys ad on blog directory

Just noticed that Soma Fabrications is the first bike company to purchase ad space on this popular bike blog directory.  Currently, the "Bicycle Blogs" directory lists 168 blogs, making it the most comprehensive directory on the web (although a new one has recently sprouted up).

Is this the first ad buy from a bike industry manufacturer on a blog-related site?  If it is, kudos go to Soma for leading the charge.  This trend will continue as more of the industry realizes that blogs are reaching an ever-increasing number of their potential customers.

Fisher 29ers at SSWC05

Apparently Fisher's commitment to the 29" wheel platform is paying off.  According to Michael Browne over at Dirt Rag Magazine, Fisher's  "Rig" 29er model was by far the most popular bike at the recent Single Speed World Championships last weekend in Pennsylvania.

In fact, the bikes were so ubiquitous that riders had a tough time finding their own bikes after the Le Mans-style running start.  One poor soul even ended up doing the entire race on someone elses "Rig".

According to Browne:

"The Rig is the only production 29” bike available around the country. Sure, smaller builders make them and have fueled the passion for the movement, but this bike has brought it to the people, for a very reasonable price."

I expect to see all the major brands at Interbike showing new 29" models and I'm sure there will be a slew of new 29" compatible parts.  Will it be the shot in the arm that the XC-MTB market has been waiting for?  I sure hope so. 

SSWC05

First look: Preem Cycling Review

A while back, I posted about a new "magalog" looking to tap into the ultra high-end market.  Well, The Preem Cycling Review arrived in my mailbox yesterday.

Publisher Alan Friedman has put together some obscure, high-tech, and high-end products that are not readily available in retail stores and the catalog itself has an impressive "look and feel".  Featured products include:

• M5 Super Lightweight Brakes - $357
• M2 Racer Carbon Saddle - $358 (add $36 for gel padding)
• Extralite E-Bones Cranks - $489
• Schmolke Handlebars - $599

But the question remains...is there a big enough market out there for this stuff?  I don't think anyone knows because these parts have never been known or available to the general public.  In the past, anyone into these types of parts would have to seek them out, spending time in Internet forums and trying to translate European websites.  Preem provides value to their subscribers by doing the legwork and offering technical and purchasing information all in one place.

And if there was ever a time to offer such high-zoot bike porn, now is the time to do it.

The major chink in Preem's armor is their all-Flash website.  I realize they're going for ultra high-end but I wish they would have resisted the Flash temptation.  Sure, it looks pretty, but the web is about usability just as much as presentation.  What if I want to send a link to a friend of a certain page?  Can't do it because there are no individual page URLs.  What if I'm a journalist or prospective buyer looking to copy/paste some text?  Not possible on Flash pages.  My advice would be to offer a non-Flash version of the site.

In the end, I respect Preem's guts in taking a risk on an unknown market, and doing it with panache and total commitment.  We'll have to wait and see how it goes.

Bicycle industry media can't ignore blogs

Steve Rubel of Micropersuasion is one of the most respected observers of blogging trends and the media.  His recent post, "Big Media, It's Time to go All Blog" touches on a very similar idea to what I have presented on this blog in recent weeks.  That is: consumer expectations are changing and the longer the traditional media and businesses wait to adapt and change with them, the more they are at risk of becoming irrelevant and losing market share. 

Here is an excerpt from Steve's post:

"a new way of communicating is beginning to resonate with audiences. As blogging and other forms of consumer generated media surge, people will begin to expect the same tone of voice from all the sources they “consume.” What's more, they will also expect to have a say in what media covers and the ability to give transparent feedback. The Cluetrain is going to hit big media just as hard as it hits corporate communications...Social media is not an add-on. It's not a feature. It's a way of life that evolves journalism from monologue to dialogue.

I think publishers like Rodale (Bicycling, Mountain Bike), Inside Communications (VeloNews, Inside Tri), the NBDA (BRAIN), Challenge Publications (Roadie Int'l, Mountain Bike), and Hi-Torque (MTB Action) are sitting on a vast amount of untapped potential.  They should leverage their deep industry knowledge and talented staffs by adopting more blogging into their mix.

Why keep talented writers and journalists like Joe Lindsey, Dan Koeppel, Chris Lesser, and so on from their full potential?  Isn't their business (besides selling ads) to gain attention for their content?  Are these publishers afraid of blogs?...or do they just not understand how they work?  Do they think blogs are just an overhyped phenomenon that will go away?

Even Kryptonite -- whose business suffered millions of dollars in losses and whose brand suffered irreparable harm at the hands of bloggers and forums -- still does not have a blog.

The cycling media and industry needs to begin to take blogs seriously, both as a source of market research, and as a vital part of their marketing communications strategies.  It's not just a matter of their success as a business, it's a matter of the success of our industry as a whole.

Bicycles selling "like hotcakes"

A Reuters story just hit the wires with the headline, "Bicycles selling like hotcakes in U.S. stores."  I know there has been a ton of these stories in the media lately, but this one has some interesting tidbits that stood out to me:

Americans purchased more bicycles than new cars and trucks combined in the past year

"Our sales have almost tripled in the last couple of years," said Bob Ippolito, executive vice president at Pacific Bicycle, the largest bicycle distributor in the United States.

Tripled?  That's a big deal.  This sure is an exciting time for the U.S. bicycle industry and for cycling  in America in general.  I'd love to hear from the shop trenches about the type of people that are walking into shops these days.  Are you seeing a ton of newbies?  What is their general perception of cycling?  Is it really all just because of Lance?  Thanks for any feedback.

Charity rides reach tipping point

Most of us have seen it happening for a long time.  But now since the NY Times has written an article on charity rides, I think it's safe to say this phenomenon has reached a tipping point.  Seems like everyone is doing something to raise money for someone.

My next door neighbor trained religiously with her Team in Training crew and had a great time at her first triathlon. The result?  Not only is she in great shape but she's fallen head over heels in love with cycling (and Lance Armstrong).  This weekend I'm helping her decide on a new bike (something all carbon, for around $2,000).

The real irony is that these organizations are doing a much better job at getting Americans on bikes than the bike industry ever has.  I think we should be thankful that these charity organizations are doing so much marketing and recruiting for our sport.  Dealers should stay abreast about charity rides in their area and plan their marketing, promotions and product selection around them. 

This charity riding trend might fizzle out, but once we've hooked people on riding bikes, they'll be enthusiasts for life.