Venge

The Specialized Venge was designed to give top bike racers an edge by focusing on aerodynamics and speed, prioritizing performance over comfort or everyday use, all with the goal of winning races.

Client

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

  • Creative direction / Strategy

  • Market research

  • Sports marketing liaison.

  • Scriptwriting and copywriting

  • The Venge was created for professional racers but sold in low numbers to the public because of its harsh ride. We needed to find a way to communicate the new technologies and manufacturing methods used in the Venge and explain how they could make all Specialized bikes better for everyday riders.

  • Market Research: The new Venge followed a previous model that didn’t perform well in the market, despite success in pro races. The old bike had reliability and usability issues. We aimed to understand two main groups: 1) Customers who bought the previous model and what changes they wanted, and 2) Customers who bought other Specialized bikes and what made them choose Specialized.

    Our research revealed that existing Venge owners wanted a faster bike with better aerodynamics and integrated features that were easier to maintain. Customers of other Specialized bikes liked the brand for its quality and reliability, trusting that Specialized bikes would last.

    Product Marketing: We identified three key technologies developed for the Venge that would also improve future Specialized bikes. These technologies needed to be explained in a way that was engaging and could appeal to a broad audience, not just potential Venge buyers. The three concepts were:

    • Aerodynamics: "The Tube Library"

    • Carbon fiber manufacturing: "Rider-First Engineering"

    • Component integration

    Sports Marketing: We partnered with Quickstep, a world tour racing team, and used sprinter Fernando Gaviria in our campaign. His contract allowed time for the shoot, but we also had to convince him of his role in the project.

    Content Creation: We created two main types of content. The first focused on three short films explaining the technology behind the Venge, while the second highlighted the bike's performance and the rider's motivation. To reach a wider audience, we used abstract storytelling for the bike's experience while keeping the ride characteristics more traditional and using sports marketing assets to connect with performance-focused riders.

    Campaign Rollout: We launched the Venge globally at the start of the Tour de France in July, when the bike was first used in competition, generating organic visibility. Digitally, we targeted competitive riders and directed them to a landing page featuring details on the bike’s technology and other bikes using similar innovations.

  • The new Venge model far outperformed its predecessor, quadrupling global sales and driving growth in other road bike categories. Despite its focus on competition, the bike was seen as more user-friendly, with major improvements in usability.