Limited editions for the masses

Last month’s column was yet another UCI/ASO pontification and the one before that was banned by the Tour of California, so it’s been a while since my last update on the goings-on at Kadisco HQ. Thanks for feigning interest.

First, though, I’d like to mull over a trend that’s popped up this spring: the fashionization of cycling. I don’t mean to say that what my girlfriend calls our “little costumes” have become fashionable; we still look ridiculous in our logo-festooned kits with the shoe covers to match. Rather, what I’ve noticed is that concepts from the fashion world are making inroads into the bike industry.

Particularly in streetwear, releasing existing products in limited-edition colors and patterns, often inspired by prominent artists and cultural touchstones, offers a sense of exclusivity to consumers who value sneakers and clothing that reflects their individuality. Perhaps due to the urban track bike culture that has strong ties to the streetwear scene, we’re seeing more of these limited releases creeping upmarket into high-end road bikes, like Look making 50 of their 586 frames in a colorway based on the work of Dutch artist Piet Mondrian. Coincidentally, Nike also released a Mondrian version of their classic Dunk model this spring.

Even for smaller items, there’s been an influx of color options for fancy bike bits. Ritchey has a carbon handlebar and stem in “wet white”. Fi’zi:k came out with versions of their Arione saddle inspired by six of their sponsored teams. Several companies are selling Campy, Shimano and SRAM brake hoods in a variety of colors.

I think there are a few factors at work here. One is just the general pattern of older audiences appropriating youth culture. Another might be that there’s always been demand for, say, red brake hoods but the industry didn’t realize it. Also, it could be partly that the marketing of road bikes is becoming less driven by pro teams where every rider’s bike is the same. If you’re selling an image that’s more about the person buying the bike, then personalization becomes more important. What do you think?

When not pondering such matters, I’ve been thinking about how brands can take advantage of social media channels to distribute content. The short answer: Kyte, at least as an example. To explain, I’ll start with something you’re doubtlessly familiar with: a YouTube clip. Take that that embeddable video player and add the ability to browse through all of that user’s videos while a clip is playing. Then, add viewer-to-viewer chat via text, audio and webcam. Next, enable it to play live video and integrate it with a mobile phone. Finally, make it so anyone watching can add their own video clip to the mix. That’s Kyte.

With it, you could shoot a 15 second interview on the start line of a race with your cell phone and have it viewable online in real time. Or you could host a live studio show where a global audience can interview a star rider. Or you can just upload a prerecorded and edited video. You can weave your channel into the fabric of your own website, and viewers can embed it anywhere else.

I’m not just trying to tell you how awesome Kyte is; there are plenty of similar tools that do the same thing for video, text, photos, audio, even PowerPoint presentations. The point is that cycling brands – which could mean manufacturers, events, or teams – could do a lot more in this space. Jonathan Vaughters’ use of Twitter on the Slipstream site is an exception, and a great example of how new social media technologies can bring fans closer to the action. Jittery Joe’s also had some good videos from the Tour de Georgia. TdG’s live video and Tour Tracker, by the way, are different from what I’m talking about in that they require production crews and proprietary technology. Anyways, most cycling marketers are still content to post text race reports and maybe a YouTube video once every couple months.

The benefits of a good social media strategy are that you can offer personal, conversational and immediate information while giving your audience access to the same tools that you have. The key is to be consistent with new, compelling material at least once a day to build an audience over time.

Pretty soon, you’ll be able to get this kind of content from some of the top teams in the world, with access to the best riders behind the scenes at the biggest races. I can’t say much yet about the project but you’ll definitely see it in July.