New Year recap: Digibike 2022, Hotlines and Hornit, NBDA study and French car ads must promo bikes
As we emerge from the downtime of the Christmas through New Year break, CyclingIndustry.News wishes all our readers a happy and prosperous 2022. Here’s what you may have missed over the past 10 days if you were braving the rain and getting out an about for a few well earned rides…
First up, it’s news that Madison’s annual IceBike event is once again set to be digital in the face of ongoing Covid pressures. It’s not what the distributor (nor any of us) had hoped for, but the Digibike has been a solid attraction in Covid years thus far and was set to run alongside the physical event regardless. It will now run all the way through Monday 21st February all the way through to Friday 18th March, giving accounts plenty of time to log on and catch up.
Lengthening the show isn’t the only change Madison Sportline has made. After listening to feedback on last year’s digital showcase from suppliers and dealers, there are several other improvements planned, including:
- More professional filming of engaging content
- A better range of promotions and incentives
- Easier retailer access to the digibike* platform
- Direct linking of digiBike* orders to the Madison B2B system
- The ability to comment on the site/product pages
- Offer codes featured in videos
- Show only offers
Dominic Langan, CEO of Madison, said: “iceBike* is a great annual event and looked forward to by many, but it is a significant investment for the business, and just like last year we once again face a high level of uncertainty and it is just too much of a gamble. It is so unclear whether there will be any appetite to attend a trade event and socialise or if our suppliers from all over the world will even be able to travel to the UK, when the virus could still be so prevalent. We have to put safety first. However, we believe we will have a great digibike* experience lined up for you and your staff and some great offers and promotions to kick start your 2022 season!”
Registration for digiBike* is open now at https://www.digibike.co.uk/.
Hotlines take on the distribution of Hornit
Hotlines has announced an exclusive distribution agreement with Hornit for the UK and Ireland.
Hornit produces a range of bike storage solutions and cycle accessories which are designed to make cycling ‘safer, easier and more fun’. The recently expanded product range includes the CLUG and CLUG PRO (the world’s smallest bike rack) and the world’s loudest bike horn – the dB140. The brand also has a range of children’s helmets and a light and sound effects toy for scooters and bikes.
For further Hornit product information, dealer packages and launch incentives, contact info@hotlines-uk.com or 0131 376 1838.
NBDA makes available its consumer research to retailer members
Heather Mason, President of the USA-based National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA) announced the availability of its’ Bicycle Buying 2021 Consumer Research Study for Bicycle Retailer Members.
The Bicycle Buying 2021 Consumer Research Study; considered a landmark research undertaking in the USA, consists of 66 PowerPoint slides and companion Excel file containing 27-columns combining a total of 9,716 lines and 174,854 cells of data analysed and prepared by Keith Storey and his team at Sports Marketing Surveys. The complete Supplier Report was announced as available in late December on the NBDA website for $5,000.
“What we are announcing today is availability of the NBDA Bicycle Buying 2021 Consumer Research Study version for Bicycle Retailer Members for $399, delivered as a .pdf file starting this Wednesday, January 5.” stated Mason.
“We realized many retailers may not have the staff or the time to review and analyze the complete Supplier Report version in time to still be useful for the coming season and business planning cycle. We wanted to provide bicycle retailers a compact and concise analysis of the complete research report, with suggested action items and business tactics and strategies prepared specifically for bike shop members by the Human Powered Solutions team,” concluded Mason.
The NBDA Bicycle Retailer Member cost of $399 includes access to a four-part Educational Series presented by the NBDA, and Jay Townley, Resident Futurist at Human Powered Solutions.
The first online seminar in this series, scheduled for January 19 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, is open to all retailers and members of the industry, regardless of NBDA membership.
Parts two and three of the Education Series are scheduled for January 26 and February 2 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern and are open to NBDA members and others who have purchased the Consumer Research Study. Part four is scheduled for February 16 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern and is a Roundtable open to NBDA members and others who have purchased the Consumer Research Study – and will feature Keith Storey, President of Sports Marketing Surveys and principal researcher and author of the research study.
One week remains for CyclingIndustry.News annual UK market study + Simon Cox joins the editorial staff
Back in the UK and in-house here at CyclingIndustry.News our new staff writer Simon Cox comes on board from today and is now contactable by email here. Based in the prime cycling country of Harrogate, Simon will be CI.N’s voice in the north of England.
Alongside our new recruit, CI.N comes out of the blocks in 2022 with a final push on our annual market research effort, which remains open for one more week. Open to UK-based indie bike shops, workshops and mobile mechanics, there are a range of prize incentives to take part, ranging locks and lighting through kids’ bikes, as well as the report itself delivered to the inbox of participants. All data gathered is anonymised for the purpose of the report.
For those looking to better understand the marketplace and the forward-looking trends, the 2022 study will be available to purchase for £800 later this month. To pre-register your interest, email the editor here.
French car ads most now promote active travel too
Having previously seen its advertising standards agency slap down a cycling advert questioning motoring’s dominance in the modern world, France has done a u-Turn.
Starting next March, automotive adverts run in France will now be required to include a short message promoting active travel means and public transport for short journeys. This new piece of legislation is in place across TV, Print, Radio, Internet and all other forms of advertising.
