Archive for 'Trends'

Postmodern road cycling and VDB

Posted on 22. Oct, 2009 by Josh in Bike industry, ROAD Magazine, Trends | 1 Comment

Postmodern road cycling and VDB

Here are a few excerpts from my next column for ROAD Magazine. The topic is the new dichotomy in cycling between the hegemonic modernism – driven by the notion that high-end cycling consumers want increasingly high-performance, race-proven equipment – and the new postmodernism – which filters simplicity, camaraderie and iconic elements of cycling’s past through an artistic lens. I’ve also collected a few thoughts about Frank Vandenbroucke’s passing.

Interbike’s most surprising exhibitor

Posted on 01. Oct, 2009 by Josh in Trends | No Comments

Interbike's most surprising exhibitor

The sole member of the Big Three to avoid bankruptcy displayed the new Transit Connect, a compact van with a customizable interior intended for commercial use. Ford’s presence at Interbike is perhaps a further indication of the trends that bicycles have come to signify to the outside world. They’re environmentally friendly, inexpensive, and have (or at least are perceived to have) a now-stylish European/urban sensibility.

Puma: Coming soon to an IBD near you? (updated)

Posted on 26. Sep, 2009 by Josh in Bike industry, Trends | 3 Comments

Puma: Coming soon to an IBD near you? (updated)

Back in December 2008, I interviewed Puma CMO Antonio Bertone about how that brand has become involved in bike culture on multiple levels. He had less than glowing things to say about the bike industry. So, 9 months later, I was surprised to see Puma exhibiting a fixed-gear at Interbike. My interpretation is that, despite the bike industry’s growing efforts to reach the new urban consumer, Puma sees interest in bikes increasing even more quickly.

Influx Curated recap

Posted on 12. Jun, 2009 by Josh in Marketing, Trends | 1 Comment

Influx Curated recap

If someone gave you 5 minutes to inspire a room of 200+ people, what would you say? That was the directive at the Influx Curated conference that I went to yesterday. Ed Cotton – the guy who organized the event, writes the Influx Insights blog, and interviewed me about bikes – picked 10 speakers. Each of them picked two additional speakers. There was a 5-minute time limit and a simple directive: to inspire.

Print advertising as sponsorship

Posted on 04. Jun, 2009 by Josh in Marketing, Sponsors, Trends | 7 Comments

Print advertising as sponsorship

Streetwear and sneaker design tastemaker Jeff Staple has launched a print magazine called Reed Pages (his store/gallery is called Reed Space). It’s a good-looking mag, although visually it doesn’t stand out from the rest of the modern design genre. That said, Reed Pages takes a fresh approach to content where all stories are given equal billing and organized alphabetically. But what’s most interesting about Reed Pages is its approach to advertising. According to Staple, there isn’t any.

Gone from performance cycling, adidas goes fixed-gear

Posted on 19. May, 2009 by Josh in Bike industry, Trends | 1 Comment

Gone from performance cycling, adidas goes fixed-gear

The sneaker world has been abuzz this week with news of a limited-edition adidas fixed gear shoe, which is an interesting development given adidas’ departure from the cycling business at the end of last year. Granted, adidas Performance and adidas Originals are very different brands and separate parts of the company. But symbolically, it’s an intriguing statement for the bike industry

More on bikes and social media

Posted on 07. Apr, 2009 by Josh in Bike industry, New Media, Trends | 7 Comments

More on bikes and social media

The bicycle isn’t something about which we have a common cultural understanding in the same way that many of us instinctively understand cars or baseball or that you’re not supposed to eat ice cream for breakfast. Beyond simply learning how to ride as a kid, cyclists rely on sharing individual experiences with each other. That’s why social media has been so significant in both professional cycling and the more utilitarian uses of bicycles.

Kadisco Interview: Meredith Giske & the Tour de Fat

Posted on 30. Mar, 2009 by Josh in Trends | No Comments

Kadisco Interview: Meredith Giske & the Tour de Fat

Most non-bike brands that are involved in various cycling communities are trying to reach cycling’s audience through the traditional sponsorship channels. But some are creating their own channels and using the image of the bicycle to reach their own audiences. Following my first interview in December with Puma CMO Antonio Bertone, I spoke with Meredith Giske of New Belgium Brewing, the folks behind Fat Tire Ale and the Tour de Fat. In addition to being a great time, the Tour de Fat has created a whimsical, quirky image of bicycling that’s become almost a branded subculture unto itself. In the interview, Meredith talks about that, sustainability, and the bicycle’s role in New Belgium’s story and personality.

RIP, pass-along rate

Posted on 20. Mar, 2009 by Josh in Marketing, Trends | 1 Comment

RIP, pass-along rate

For PR firms – people whose job is to get editorial media coverage, as opposed paid advertising, by sending out press releases and the like – the demise of the newspaper carries with it the demise of one the industry’s most powerful tools: the pass-along rate.

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