A digital and retail campaign to boost underperforming models and sales by aligning Mike's Bikes' inventory with customer interest.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Client: Mike’s Bikes

Mike's Bikes is a chain of 20 cycling retail stores located from California to Colorado, along with a direct-to-consumer online business. They focus on serving riders of all experience levels and price points, providing approachable environments and knowledgeable staff.

Responsibilities:

Campaign strategy
Brand partnerships
Art and creative direction
Scriptwriting and copywriting
On-screen presentations
Freelance and talent management
Photography and location scouting

Following a sales slowdown post-pandemic, Mike's Bikes needed to boost visibility for its existing inventory in stores and online. The goal was to promote bikes and equipment that occupied significant space in their retail locations and warehouses.
Data Analysis: We analyzed sales data, email click-through rates, and online traffic to identify two key metrics for success: new email sign-ups for the campaign and increased conversion rates for featured bike models.
Product Focus: We targeted the top three categories—Trail Mountain Bikes, Road Race Bikes, and Gravel Bikes—focusing on models with high inventory and customer interest despite overall market slowdowns. We chose bike models and equipment that had the highest inventory and sales velocity. While the industry was experiencing a sales slowdown, we identified that many models still attracted customer interest. However, the pandemic has led buyers to wait for sales before purchasing. Our focus was on prioritizing models with strong engagement but slow sales while steering clear of those that generated less interest.
Brand Partnerships: We secured partnerships with bike brands to subsidize campaign costs, covering 90% of expenses.
Content Creation: Each category featured a video review to be shared across multiple platforms, including email, product pages, social media, and in-store displays. This maximized asset usage within a limited budget.
Campaign Rollout: The campaign followed a timed editorial calendar, releasing videos weekly during peak buying seasons. We ensured consistency between online and in-store visuals, enhancing the shopping experience.
This strategic approach aimed to effectively promote underperforming models while driving engagement and sales, bridging the gap between Mike's Bikes' inventory and customer interest.

Digital

We created a digital strategy that featured new models every week. Each model had its own section on the campaign webpage, which included a video, a written review, product images, and a summary of its main features.

Along with the release of each model, we also launched email and social media campaigns that highlighted these individual models and shared information about their key features.

Web:

Each category has its own unique webpage that was created to provide a consistent experience. These webpages were where our ads, social media posts, and in-store signage were linked. This setup helped us see how many visitors the pages attracted and how well the products showcased on these pages were selling.

Product Reviews:

We created a way to highlight the strengths of each model without comparing them directly to one another. Instead of ranking them, we used a point system that added up to 100 points, which could be shared across different features of the models. This method helped us to emphasize a particular area where one model stood out, while still appreciating the other models in our campaign.

Social:

We focused on creating content for YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook that highlights our chosen models in a way that fits the style of each platform. Since our Facebook and Instagram accounts don't reach many people organically, we decided to use our advertising budget to promote these posts and bring more visitors to our main website.

For YouTube, we made sure to show the features of the models clearly. This strategy helped us to use those videos on our product pages, making it easier for customers to find information and make informed decisions while shopping on our website.

Retail

We have 20 retail stores in California and Colorado, and our goal is to bring the same great online shopping experience to our physical locations. To achieve this, we provided each store with special kits that included display stands, posters, and tags to highlight particular bicycles and gear for sale.

Each item also had QR codes, which customers could scan to access our online features. This way, shoppers in the store could easily connect with our digital offerings and explore more options.

Bicycle Hangtags

These items, which are attached to the handlebars of the bicycles on the sales floor and helped customers recognize the products included and access a digital experience.