@bayu_joo and I sit again with James Drew for other conversations about marketing, sponsorship, and social media. James ran Cycling in the World, a distribution company in Switzerland that represents mountain bike brands such as @Tokopedia, Industry Nine, and, recently, Title as well as Pembree. He supports a wide variety of riders here in Switzerland, from downhill riders who can pull off the craziest tricks, to freeriders and racers of all kinds across a number of disciplines. However, what riders have in common is their love and passion for bicycles and the ability to inspire others to get out and ride. Obviously, James has his own perspective on marketing, the promises and pitfalls of social media and what he is looking for when choosing a new rider for his roster.
This is part 2 of our conversation series and there are quite a few references to it Episode 1, where we talk about what it means to do business in the bicycle industry in 2021. Make sure you listen to it too, so you don’t miss out on our thought-taking and sampling experiments.
In this conversation with James, we covered: * What are the current trends in mountain bike marketing and the difference between “image based marketing” and “detail based marketing” * The power of e-commerce solutions in driving in-store and online business * Social media promises and dangers; Should competitive athletes leave social media or stop racing and become social presenters? * How to flip back to make money and why you should keep posting cool pictures * More cow bells! An opportunity for Swiss riders to improve their Swiss game and also present a unique driving experience in Switzerland * We closed the conversation with some do’s and don’ts for new riders looking for sponsorships and getting the support they need
Before we get into the main conversation, we’ve covered some of the listener’s questions. Namely, questions around “green brand credentials” and what we see in the market today (not quite, of course!) And brief exchanges around the topic of the biggest developments in the bicycle industry in the last 5-10 years and what lies ahead.
Listen below and let us know what you think in the comments! You can find this conversation as well as all episodes of the Skids & Giggles Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube or one of the other platforms where you can find great podcasts!
When COVID-19 first hit Western Australia early last year, Linda Yates was terrified.
Key points:
Commercial riding has had an unexpected boom in WA
Businesses are buying more horses to compensate
Western Australians are discovering new things to do in their home state
He closed his horse-riding business based on the Margaret River, sold some of his horses, and started thinking about lowering the scale.
The last thing Ms Andrea can hope for is to find herself struggling to keep up with demand once her business reopens.
“This is going crazy,” he said.
“Trying to keep up with all those people is crazy.
“Local business is great. Lessons taken, staff hours picked up … and it hasn’t really stopped since then.”
Linda Yates operates Outback Horse Trails in Collie, WA. (
ABC South West WA: Ellie Honeybone
)
Growth leads to expansion
Her business continued to thrive so much that Ms Yates decided to expand and open a second driving center, two hours north of the town of Collie.
“The trails here are beautiful, and I’ve always wanted to start a riding school in the interior as a small challenge,” he said.
“Tourism is not that hot here, I think, so it must be a challenge.
Ashrani, Isla, and Aimee enjoy their weekly horse riding lessons at Collie. (
ABC South West WA: Ellie Honeybone
)
Ms. Yates’s business offers long-term lessons for children, which have increased from two to three days per week to five days of waiting-list classes.
“They booked long before the semester started, and during the holidays we were fine and completely booked,” he said.
“And that’s only for WA clients, whereas previously we served a lot of Singaporean and Chinese visitors.”
Staff who previously worked part-time on a side job have now been offered full hours and Ms Yates can’t see any signs of slowing down.
“They’re on the outside learning and appreciating it a little more after being trapped inside and unable to do anything – I guess it’s more valuable to them now.”
Never too old
It’s not just children who climb into the saddle.
Dorothy Addis is 84 years old and has been hitting the Collie bush trail with Ms. Yates every week for the past few months.
“It was very beautiful and peaceful,” said Addis.
“Sometimes you see a bunch of kangaroos jumping out and we are down the railroad tracks, and all kinds of things, and there are birds flying around.
“I like it very much.”
Dorothy Addis returned to the saddle at 84 and she loved it.(
ABC South West WA: Ellie Honeybone
)
Ms Addis learned to ride cycling when she was young but has recently found herself bored and looking for a challenge.
He decided to try horse riding again.
“I do a few little leg exercises every day that the physio gives me and I find it helps the strength in your legs. And I hope I will get stronger,” said Addis.
“Of course, at my age I might not … but just doing what I do is really good.
Explore our own backyard
Paul and Fiona Brennan also run a horse riding business in Margaret River, and specialize in two to five day trips, complete with glamping accommodation.
They also feared the worst when they had to rest for 13 weeks last year, but that quiet period didn’t last long.
Paul Brennan said he has bought more horses to meet the demand for his horse tourism business.(
ABC South West WA: Ellie Honeybone
)
“During the first big rush, we really had to go out and buy more horses as the orders kept coming,” said Brennan.
“So now we have 60 horses, and a lot of times I think I might need more.”
There are still more than 20 tracks that Brennan will go through through December and nearly every trip is sold out.
“It seems like a lot is going on here and they go in and see things, like them, and come back.”
Paul Brennan takes his horse explorers to shore for a swim after a long journey.(
ABC South West WA: Anthony Pancia
)
The Brennans’ serve riders of all abilities and take them through state farmlands and forests. They visit caves, local breweries and swim in the sea.
“It was sensational,” said Brennan.
“We ruined the lives of a lot of people like, you know, kids want to buy horses as soon as they see our horses and mom and dad have to go find another job.”
These two things may be the best of all to witness the weeks spent by the Ghost Factory Racing Team in Massa Marittima, Italy. With the two new team riders, Nicole Koller and Nadine Rieder joining Lisa Pasteiner, Caroline Bohé and Anne Terpstra, the team finally had the chance to get together. In beautiful Tuscany, teams set out to train, improve their skills and enjoy the little things in life.
Perfect conditions in Italy
With an excellent track right around the corner and all the input from Oliver Sonntag, the skills coach, riders are pushing each other to go even faster. A lot of time was spent getting to know the new LECTOR FS full suspension mountain bike. For Nadine, the shift in training styles has sparked her mountain biking skills. For Nicole, being in a team with only women provides a new experience. Right off the bat, it’s clear the group has great chemistry. Take turns cooking, playing games, but most importantly enjoying the trails. The strava battle erupts as the rider becomes more comfortable on the bike and on the track.
New to the team: Nadine Rieder (GER).
Also new: Nicole Koller (SUI).
Spending this time together means returning to normal life for a short time. For every rider and staff member, this is perhaps the greatest. Motivation is the key to practicing towards your goals. And boy, is that motivation high. Everyone is ready for good results. This will be a year to be seen.
Over the past four days, Mons Royale’s Future Land Advancement camp has seen the group get together and genuinely enjoy each other’s teaching and learning. Destroying the trick to rebuilding it from the ground up has been key. Also, understand the mindset that development takes time and help from others as well as your own persistence. Tricks that they thought were impossible on Monday come true, as they each strive to progress.
At the start of this journey, Mons Royale poses a question about women’s freedom – to progress to initiating and then progressing to female freestyle, is it about opportunity or the environment? Or both?
The top ten kiwi women after this camp agreed, both. Given the opportunity, these riders have proven that a leap in development can be made in the right environment of like-minded individuals, all of whom become team leaders in their sport. With the right tools, some of that inspiring and energizing coaching has helped all riders push themselves beyond their own limits.
Ellie Chew who drives a Nitro Circus and has competed in the FISE World Series, Vans BMX Pro Cup series, Urban World Games and Ridden Demos on Xgames all on BMX, will be contacted this week on her mountain bike. Consistently land backflips in bags on the Site Trampoline and at Wynyard into mulch pockets and pits. He has emerged as the person other motorists are looking for advice and is happy to share his knowledge. “I have experienced the progression of the pit by riding a BMX and how to break down tricks to rebuild it. But it’s cool to share with these girls because they’re early on in the journey learning tricks and it doesn’t always happen in person. You can’t be like, ‘I want to do this trick,’ and it just happens. Some tricks will work for you right away and some won’t. Even if it’s possible for someone else.
“It’s great to be in New Zealand and so many girls doing it here. It helps us all work together and encourage one another to be better. “
Queenstown local horse rider Emma Olofsson is annoyed but excited, “I don’t think we girls get together enough, but it’s a little tough because half of us probably live in Queenstown and the rest on the North Island and across the country. And there are so many men compared to women riding horses, so you end up riding with men. And don’t get me wrong, they help you and encourage you but it’s different when you’re with girls. I feel like when you see a girl doing it, you’re like, ‘yeah I can do that’. I mean men have more muscle naturally, so when we see them doing tricks it’s easy to think I can’t do that. But here we learn that we can monitor each other and build community. Everyone has pushed their limits for sure. “
Mons Royale team racer Louise Ferguson from Queenstown spoke of her vision for the future, “When you look at other sports like snow sports, the women there compete at the highest level and that gives you something to aim for. And you can look at those processes and transfer them to us, that’s where I want to go into the future. More camps like this, using Future Ground as a starting point and blueprints for rebuilding. This week has been amazing and I really love every minute of learning from all these amazing girls and mentors. “ That sense of community has been awakened and it really shows that being given the opportunity to all meet, ride, and learn together has helped everyone progress. The Future Ground team has also learned a lot over the past few days in terms of how to organize and build camps for advancement. The team believes so strongly in the Future Ground concept and its benefits to women’s freeride development that they have committed to a second Future Ground camp which will be announced in the coming weeks.
For more info, visit: www.monsroyale.com/pages/future-ground
Rider
Louise Ferguson – Based in Queenstown (Scotland) @louise_anna__ She / Her Vinny Armstrong – Based in Queenstown (Auckland) – @vinnysarmstrong She / Her Robin Goomes – Rotorua – @robin_riding_hood She / Her Kalani Muirhead – Wānaka @kalani_muirhead Dia / Dia Ellie Chew – Kapiti Coast @ellie_chew – She / Her Charlie Lester-Rosson – Rotorua – @charlie_lesterrosson She / Her Kathy Morris – Queenstown – @ kathy4654 She / Her Kelsey Timpany – Queenstown – @ 3kels She / Her Emma Olofsson – Queenstown @mmurmaider She / Her Jess Blewitt – Queenstown / Christchurch – @Jessblewitt_ She / Her
The sea otters, these animals, are marine mammals native to the coast of the North Pacific Ocean. These are often found floating and lounging in the waters along the California coastline. Fun fact: Sea otters, like humans, are tool users and have a favorite rock that they carry with them to pry open shells and other crustaceans.
Sea otters are also the name of a historic four-day cycling celebration filled with races, recreational rides, demonstrations and bicycle shows that more than 75,000 people attend each year in Monterey, California. Here’s another interesting fact: Sea Otter is coming to Australia 1-4 October!
We may not have this species of marine-traveling mammal in Australia, but the spirit of the original event remains the same regardless of geographic area. Sea Otter Australia is an all-round cycling celebration for riders of all types and levels of ability.
“Sea Otter has developed into a global event with festivals on three continents, but its mission remains unchanged. We strive to share our passion for cycling and connect riders from all walks of life through our family friendly festival, ”said Sea Otter Classic founder and CEO Frank Yohannan.
Australia’s first Sea Otter offers a cycling adventure like no other. Located in Stromlo Forest Park, Australia’s premier “cycling experience hub.” The event is designed to cater to riders of all ages and abilities with consumer exhibitions, mountain, gravel, road and BMX cycling.
“We are very pleased to see the energy and excitement of Sea Otter coming to Australia. Trek’s mission is to get more people cycling. Sea Otter Australia will provide a great opportunity for cyclists from all walks of life to come together to celebrate the sport we love, ”said Jason Pye, country manager at ANZ Trek.
Make plans and mark your calendar! Sea Otter Australia registration opens March 31st!
DON’T CARE WHAT YOU RIDE… LOVE YOUR TRAVEL ON AUSTRALIAN SEA SEA!
