PROJECT SUMMARY
Client: Specialized Bicycles
Specialized Bicycles is a leading brand that designs high-performance bikes and gear, focusing on innovation, quality, and meeting the needs of riders across various cycling disciplines.
Responsibilities:
Campaign strategy
Product Marketing Strategy
Brand partnerships
Sports marketing / Contract negotiation
Creative direction
Product Development
Freelance and talent management
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We noticed that women weren't engaging with our brand as much as we hoped, especially in the bicycle and equipment categories, even though we had plenty of stock. Our support for women's race teams also showed lower engagement compared to the men's teams. We think the issue is that we're not creating content that feels approachable for new or casual riders.
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Sports Marketing: To address this, we wanted to find athletes who could connect with women both online and in person. After interviewing about 20 athletes, we chose Sarah Sturm from the USA and Ruby West from Canada to represent the brand.
Product Focus: We teamed up with Tenspeed Hero to create a line of cycling apparel and equipment, including shoes and helmets at different price points, all designed with the team's look. We used a direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategy, selling through Specialized's online store.
We also worked with key retail stores to display the collection, with the main highlight being Tenspeed Hero's flagship store in Chicago. To promote the products even more, we created a traveling pop-up shop that went to events with the athletes, allowing us to sell merchandise and promote the athletes during races.
Brand Partnerships: We partnered with Tenspeed Hero to co-create the product collection and worked with both Tenspeed Hero and SRAM to help cover creative costs and boost the campaign's reach.
Campaign Launch: We launched the team in partnership with Tenspeed Hero and SRAM just before the cyclocross season. Throughout the season, we kept fans updated on the athletes’ performances and upcoming races.
Content Creation: Our goal was to showcase the athletes' unique personalities in a way that felt relatable to women, while also promoting our products.
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We saw higher engagement from women on social media compared to other campaigns, and we successfully sold out of all our limited-edition products.
