BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
We’ve received a press release from The Bicycle Council of America (mission: ‘promote the activity of bicycling to consumers’) concerning their how-to book on attracting more customerss through publicity, community relations and integrated marketing programs.
"Getting Them In The Door – How To Easily Attract New Customers
Through Powerful Grass-Roots Marketing and Public Relations" is based
on four years of professional marketing campaigns the Bicycle Council conducted for
US IBD groups.
The manual contains information specifically drawn from the "Atlanta
Template" program, which the Council conducted in 1999 and 2000 with the
North Georgia Bicycle Dealers Association (NGBDA). These GET BACK ON
A BIKE! campaigns resulted in increased foot traffic in stores; most
participating retailers reported significant sales increases, from 10
to 49 percent, contrasted with the same months in previous years when
the programme did not exist.
"We’re urging bicycle retailers to organize like the NGBDA did, and
then to create programs that bring new customers into their bike
shops," says Fred Clements, executive director of the National
Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA), which co-sponsored the Atlanta
Template and the manual’s production with Shimano.
"`Getting Them In The Door’ uses the power of tested promotional approaches that can give bicycle retailers the tools they need to grow their markets."
"We learned a lot from our campaigns in Atlanta; now other retailer groups can benefit from this experience rather than starting from scratch," says TBC President Harry Manko.
"The manual’s ready-to-implement program allows retailer groups to get their own
campaign up and running in no time."
"Getting Them In The Door" stresses the benefits of creating retailer
groups or associations, so an alliance can be formed to expand the
local customer base."
"Getting Them In The Door" contains chapters on generating free media
coverage through publicity, building a strong local presence through
community relations, and increasing exposure through various types of
media with an integrated marketing approach. A final chapter
demonstrates how bicycle retailers can map their own campaign, and
includes a marketing planning calendar so they can plan their efforts
in advance.
In addition to the chapters’ step-by-step instructions, the handbook
also contains a CD-ROM with the logos, graphics, usable photos, media
pitch templates, press release templates, and authored articles used
by the NGBDA. This information is available in a cut-and-paste
format that is adaptable to any local bicycle retailer association.
BikeBiz will ask for a copy.
