CI.N Podcast: Shift’s Rachael Burnside talks turning points for women’s cycling

This month on the CyclingIndustry.News Podcast we have had the opportunity to hear from Shift Active Media’s Business and Marketing Director Rachael Burnside on subjects ranging engaging girls in cycling, marketing with data, the astonishing growth in women’s cycling viewership and how bike brands can get ahead with the mass market consumer.

Part of the team that recently implemented Zwift’s headline backing of the Tour de Femmes, Rachael has been particularly well placed to see the returns for clients investing in an area of the industry so long overlooked. Having drawn over 20 million viewers in France alone, the premier women’s cycling race’s stats have mirrored and even surpassed the record figures noted in women’s football leaving in no doubt the value of this untapped audience to sponsors.

So have we finally hit a turning point in the bike industry where some a move toward parity of the sexes is emerging?

Rachael says: “Every single brief I have had, I’d say in the last 18 months, has had a women’s strategic pillar, they are absolutely focused on it, from product to marketing; Be it fi’zi:k and the saddles they are creating; Rapha has got a vast array of women’s jerseys, bibs and sponsorship; through to Brompton, they’re very much aware that different genders have different wants and needs from the products and ultimately their commute.

“We know that women are more likely to want to ride fresh on their commute which is based on research, data and social listening that we’ve done. It’s good to be part of the conversation where brands are asking ‘how do we communicate slightly differently’. It is no longer about tokenism these days, it’s driven by demand. We’ve had more research briefs from clients than ever before wanting to understand the women’s space.”

To tune in and hear Rachael’s thoughts in full, hit play below, or on tune in on Soundcloud or Spotify here. For further episodes with a plethora of guests covering a variety of industry, political and advocacy subjects, head here.