Bike industry marketing gets creative with cost of living crisis

Segments of the bike industry, plus some local authorities are seizing the opportunity to present the bicycle as a cheaper and more efficient vehicle amidst the cost of living crisis that has seen pay falling in real terms and inflation spiraling.

Specialist bike industry marketing business Fusion Media, the creatives behind the voluntary industry campaign #BikeIsBest, has again partnered with Specialized to deliver an urban campaign, this time at the fuel pumps where prices are creeping towards and sometimes exceeding £2 per litre.

Adam Tranter, the CEO of Fusion Media services and recent podcast guest right here on CyclingIndustry.News told us of the campaign: “Specialized are targeting Bristol to encourage Bristolians to choose eBikes for their urban journeys. Through targeted city-centre advertising placements and a localised message, they hope to make urban dwellers consider an eBike as their next vehicle purchase. These placements included billboards, bus stops and local petrol pumps. The campaign will run over a period of six weeks. Advertisements appeared in all of Bristol’s key boroughs, as well as the main thoroughfares in and out of the city, such as the M32.”

Despite the complaints of motorists about rising fuel prices, when benchmarked against public transport analysis of ONS data by the RAC Foundation shows that drivers have it easy. In the ten years spanning May 2011 to April 2021, benchmarked against the 28% rise in the cost of living, motoring has risen just 9.1%, while rail fares are up 37.3% and bus or coach fares vastly ahead at 75.3%.

Last week, research by YouGov on behalf of Cycling UK found that the youth are presently highly receptive to changing transport habits in the face of spiraling costs. The cycling org called on employers to do more to cater for end-to-end active travel by installing facilities such as secure bike parking. 43% of 18 to 24 year-olds (the UK’s lowest paid at average mean earnings of £12,275) are now strongly considering their transport options.

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire County Council currently has a cargo bike spotted moving between Skipton and Selby that is promoting active travel means for short journeys. “If it’s not too far, could you leave the car?” asks a slogan that has been seen on High Streets, by retail parks and adjacent to traffic jams.

Little to do with the cost of living crisis or the traffic jams costing motorists time and money, cycle insurer Laka has got creative lately with a unique guerrilla marketing promotion that pressure washes a stencil message into dirty pavements, we presume cleverly bypassing any laws that apply to graffiti.

Found next to bikes that have fallen victim to theft of components, the stencil message reads “Hate the kn*b who nicked your bike, love Laka bike insurance, visit Laka.co.”