Shift Active Media launches dedicated industry research panel

Shift Active Media’s 2022-launched Rider Research Hub is to be made available for cycle brands to gain insights on industry trends and consumer behaviours.

The Hub, covered in detail in a recent CI.N Podcast, consists of over 5,000 riders in nine countries and has been designed to help brands and organisations in the industry to guide strategies, product development, communications and more. This latest expansion of the data-driven offering will see the dedicated research panel give cycle brands insights on industry trends and consumer behaviours.

Each month, members are invited to to share their opinions, expertise and knowledge by engaging in a range of surveys, polls and discussions. As well as having a voice and helping to shape the future of cycling, they are rewarded for participation by gaining points, enabling them to enter a range of prize draws and other incentives.

Shift is offering four options for brands looking to gain insights through the panel:

Quantitative Research – Builds on statistically robust surveys with cyclists to compile in-depth studies on brand equity, purchase drivers for specific categories, needs and requirements of new products, customer segmentations and market sizing.

Qualitative Research – Offers in-depth discussions with cyclists to gain a greater understanding to complex questions, such as barriers to product usage and their emotional relationships with brands.

Quick Polls – Allows brands to ask up to three questions to a guaranteed sample of cyclists to provide quick responses.

SHIFT Cycling Category Tracker (coming soon) – The category tracker will provide brands with access to a cost-effective, easy-to-use, ongoing cross-industry tracker, with a quarterly delivery of key brand health information, cyclists’ current attitudes and behaviours, and future purchase intentions.

Doug Baker, Chief Strategy Officer at SHIFT Active Media, said: “Our ambition with the Rider Research Hub is to better connect riders and their perspectives with brands and businesses in the cycling industry. We wanted to create a panel that was engaging and rewarding for riders, whilst also offering our clients the access to the kind of data that can inform critical business and product decisions.”

As the years roll by, the cycle industry’s data has improved. In days of yore, there was import data and occasional Mintel reports to work with (in the UK at least) but these days there’s more data for brands, manufacturers, retailers and distributors to use to supplement their own sales numbers. There’s (cough) CyclingIndustry.News’ annual Market Data (we regularly supply readers with insights from this, most recently revealing bike retailer’s spending priorities). The Bicycle Association launched its own Market Data service in 2019  and of course there is the aforementioned Rider Research Hub.