BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Muc-Off, winner of P&A Brand of the Year at last year’s BikeBiz Awards, tells us what it means to win, how it adapted to 2020’s challenges and what’s in store for the year ahead
2020 presented some challenges for the cycling industry – how did Muc-Off adapt to the changes, and how were dealers supported?
2020 has required a number of adaptations due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Muc-Off mobilised quickly, and, responding to the global shortage of hand sanitiser, launched our anti-bac range back in April.
We went on to support front line workers with luxury chamois cream to reduce mask friction and we worked with local businesses to provide anti-bac and moisturising support, as well as PPE.
Despite challenging conditions, we have recruited heavily across the business, and have committed to an increased marketing budget in 2021.
We have seen large numbers of people take up cycling in the last 12 months, and we want to support them in their journey to keeping their bikes in great condition.
With regards to dealer support activity – we launched our ambassador store programme, where we supplied free workshop products, a box of Muc-Off swag and in-store branding.
Are there any products that have performed better than others in recent months, and if so, what do you attribute this to?
The key seller for bicycle this year has been the pressure washer – the technology developed for this product simply makes it the best tool for the job. It’s proved hugely popular since launch, and it continues to be one of our hero products.
Muc-Off won P&A Brand of the Year at the BikeBiz Awards again in 2020 – what is the secret to the company’s success?
The key reason is our investment. We have made investments into people, infrastructure, R&D and into our green initiatives. We’ve invested heavily in marketing and sponsorship activities, from grassroots up to elite, we’ve invested in the industry with initiatives such as ‘Bike Is Best’ and our Trash Free Trails partnership. And finally, we’ve invested in our retail partners with extensive POS and social media support.
Additionally, our products are developed by riders for riders. We have a dedicated team of passionate, talented and enthusiastic people, which means we’re constantly innovating and obsessing over the finite details to take a product to the next level.
We’re investing heavily into state-of-the-art testing facilities, meaning we can rigorously test our products to make them the best they can be. We also have a strong grounding in our focus on sustainability. Our Project Green initiative is saving tonnes of plastic from going to landfill each year. It’s something we’re very passionate about and our consumers tend to share our views.
We invest heavily in athlete and team sponsorships. Being able to support the highest level of the sport across multiple disciplines sets us apart from the rest, and of course, it’s awesome to watch!
What are your expectations for the year ahead, both for the business and the industry?
2021 is set to be an exciting year for Muc-Off and the industry. We’ve seen big increases in global participation in cycling which we’re looking forward to supporting them with.
There is, of course, the potential for Brexit to impact us, particularly with our supply chain, but we feel equipped to deal with it; it’s one of the benefits of working for a dynamic business.
We’ll have more activation through our expanded athlete sponsorship programme, more content than ever for our fans to enjoy and more educational campaigns to support new riders, joining the sport.
And of course, there will be exciting new product launches to keep our fans excited.
