BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
This is all in a juicy news story from Wheel Giant’s ‘Bike Market’ emailed newsletter (25th Jan 2002).
"Having used three bicycle guides for many years (TBS and two TBGs), Taiwan’s
cycle suppliers have been forced to spread their marketing resources thin
and foreign buyers have never known who to trust," reported ‘Bike Market’.
"In light of this undesirable situation, plus the global recession and manufacturers’ razor-thin profit margins, limited marketing funds, and aversion to waste, the Taiwan Bicycle Exporters’ Association (TBEA) has evaluated Taiwan’s three cycle publications…and unanimously decided that Wheel Giant’s TBS(Taiwan
Bicycle Source) would be the sole TBEA-approved Official Guide of the
industry."
The three Taiwanese trade magazines – two of whom are now no doubt spitting blood – were evaluated on being the most authoritative and the most professional. Publishing capability and good contacts with the industry were also taken into account.
A happy ‘Bike Market’ reported:
"TBS will certainly be the best and the biggest advertising vehicle for the industry, and will unquestionably give firms the most bang for their advertising buck. The industry has long hoped and prayed for such an integration of marketing resources…To avoid the redundant expenditure of resources on similar cycle publications, TBEA and Wheel Giant appeal to firms to join together and support TBS."
