Kadisco Interview with Puma CMO Antonio Bertone

(A follow-up post about Puma’s 2010 bike  line is here.)

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the increasing role that companies outside the bike industry have in shaping the way that people think about bicycles. I want to explore that trend and share what I find, so I’ll be posting a series of conversations with influencers from non-cycling companies that are leveraging bicycles in non-traditional ways. The first interviewee is a major force behind the phenomenon: Antonio Bertone, chief marketing officer of Puma AG. Antonio is a lifelong bicyclist and has made bikes a major part of Puma’s marketing strategy, from sponsoring messengers over a decade ago to launching a utilitarian Puma bike in 2007.

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This 9-minute interview covers Puma’s approach to bikes and how it’s changed over the years, Antonio’s critique of the bike industry, and his views on the bicycle’s fundamental appeal. A couple of topics that didn’t make the final cut were the growth of bikeshare programs and Antonio’s opinion that health and fitness will ultimately drive the growth of bicycling more than environmental concerns will. As a point of reference, I mention the I-Cycle video series that you can watch here.

My take: Antonio has been a great predictor of trends in urban cycling, from fixed-gears to folding bikes. Essentially, what he’s saying to the bike industry is that the bicycle is universal enough to succeed outside of traditional bike shops. In a sense, it’s like sneakers; you can find them in sporting goods stores, department stores, skate shops, and specialty sneaker boutiques, it’s just that each channel carries different styles. Maybe there’s an opportunity for the bike industry to segment in a similar way through non-IBDs. That said, specialty retailers play an important role and industry as a whole is doing a much better job than what Antonio describes. There’s always room for improvement, but I see that the efforts of retailers and brands to be more inclusive and embrace the urban category are paying off, especially at the local IBD level.

I’m curious to hear your responses. Stay tuned for the next interview with Meredith Giske of New Belgium Brewing Co., the folks who bring you Fat Tire Ale and the Tour de Fat.