[Dajianshan]

This is where Giant is going with their marketing toward women. It is called Liv/giant
Link:http://www.livgiant.com/tw/index.html

Because:

“To get more women on the road, we have to get them to think of these things as accessories... Natural, everyday accessories, like handbags."-- Bonnie Tu, Giant CFO

What do you all think?

 

[nonsleepingjon]

I bought my wife a Giant Yukon a few years ago (running slick commuting tires for road riding). I can guarantee without even asking her that these ads will not inspire her to ride any more than she does now (which is not very much).

 

[Dajianshan]

My thought was that the campaign is a patronizing male caricature of women and does not focus on women's strengths, abilities or intelligence to select a bike on its merits, but rather reinforce extant insecurities. Furthermore, selling bikes as an accessory is a waste of resources. Bikes are to be ridden. None of the women look like they ride a bike. Who'd ride in those outfits? In only 4 of the frames on their little 10 frame Flash montage can we even see a bike. The rest is about women on boats wearing high heels. If I were a female cyclist I'd be upset.

 

[il sogno]

They'd have more success if they had Cancellara in those ads instead. Rowl!

:arf: :ihih:

 

[nonsleepingjon]

My thought was that the campaign is a patronizing male caricature of women and does not focus on women's strengths, abilities or intelligence to select a bike on its merits, but rather reinforce extant insecurities. Furthermore, selling bikes as an accessory is a waste of resources. Bikes are to be ridden. None of the women look like they ride a bike. Who'd ride in those outfits? In only 4 of the frames on their little 10 frame Flash montage can we even see a bike. The rest is about women on boats wearing high heels. If I were a female cyclist I'd be upset.

Speaking personally, my wife would ride more if (A) it was not 100*F here during the summer, and (B) the bike was more utilitarian so she could ride to the local store, ride to yoga class etc. Basically, more similar to the Dutch style of riding than a fashion magazine.

// And, as Sogno points out, some cute guys in tight lycra wouldn't hurt either.

 

[Marcus75]

Asian Ad

Over there the women's market are not even developed so they approach this as like any other women's products? Pretty funny what the CFO said.

 

[Dajianshan]

The market is quite developed. As much as anywhere. Lots of women's race teams and co-ed teams. We had one young girl die in a rough crit race a couple months back. We don't have much utility cycling though. I actually ran into Bonnie Tu on Saturday. I didn't talk to her about this though. It was all very awkward. She calls herself the "godmother" of women's cycling.

My wife, who is looking for a bike, felt insulted.

 

[Cadent]

I was trying to figure out how the lady in the first shot clipped in....

I was volunteering at a rest stop over the wkend for a local pelotonia, and saw some _very_ serious female riders pass through - I don't think this marketing concept would have resonated with them....

Still, motorcycles are having the same issue. One approach, by a mfg. of riding gear for motorcyclists, is to have a line of pink leathers. It is an idea...not saying a great one, but its an idea.....

 

[ColoRoadie]

Who exactly is this add campaign supposed to appeal to? Looks like a failure to me.

 

[Hank Stamper]

Probably smart marketing if they are targeting women who currently don't have a bike and wouldn't be into biking otherwise. Anyone who likes bikes already and is into it would be turned off, I'd guess.

My first reaction was it's friggin' stupid but then I thought about how many city guys who have never been further off the road than a rest area to take a wizz are driving around in 4 wheel drive pick-ups because of a marketing of a male image.

 

[aengbretson]

Giant needs something that's gonna pull those kids away from their Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Spirographs, Moby Grape, and 90210...

I guess the thing is, what are they aiming for? The profit margin for high-end racing bikes is quite high, but they're low-volume. The converse of that situation is high-volume low-margin bikes, and these are how most companies make money (think of VW making lots of Golfs and Polos to be able to make the Bugatti Veyron, which sells for a loss). There are way more people out there who will buy a utilitarian bike than will get a high-zoot carbon racer. Add to that the number of people who own a racing bike AND a commuter and you get the idea that they want to sell these lower-end bikes.

Now let's look at the market and their buying preferences. It's not hard to sell guys bikes. There are fewer societal pressures to maintain a perfect appearance, generally shorter hairstyles are either not mussed by the air or can easily recover from wearing a helmet. I think females are a huge untapped market as far as selling bikes go. Now how do you get someone to pay $500 for a bike? Well how do you get someone to pay $500 for a handbag? Make it glamorous. True this advertising campaign fails, but I think they have the idea. I don't know about everyone here, but I'm willing to bet we that because this is a "road biking forum" we have people who ALREADY like riding bikes, whether it be for racing, fitness, or commuting (or all of the above!). They're trying to sell to people who aren't of our mindset and so who knows, maybe it appeals to them? I think they have the wrong bikes in those pictures though. Look at the bikes that are being sold in downtown NYC, those are the ones that people seem to want to buy, not a mountain bike with suspension...

 

[seemana]

Kind of off topic, kind of not, but this thread has brought back a great memory for me. My younger sister had her bike stolen at college a few years back. She asked me to look around for a nice used bike for her... something comfortable and not too gawdy. I was lucky enough to find her a nice, used Giant Butte. She's still pissed at the implication.

 

[Sojourneyman]

they're doing it wrong:

FWIW, I like accessorizing my bike

 

[seemana]

Sojourneyman
Bringing the weird

enough said

 

[Borti]

they're doing it wrong:

FWIW, I like accessorizing my bike

^ This is how you sell bikes.

 

[Kuma601]

A glamor type stick figure model...:frown2:

Depending on the target, I'd pick some of the domestic drama actors/actresses to promo these. As much as the TV/movie celebs don't impress me, super model types are more removed from common folk reality. Not that there may not be some model types who can ride, this doesn't seem as believable they will be commuting on one.

 

[skyliner1004]

the women in my life bought their bikes based on:
1. The Paint Scheme.
2. The Brand Name (whichever i said was good and looked popular)
3. The Specs that I Said were good.

most women aren't interesting in cycling period. If i had a better bike than my SO she wont ride and just complain because mine is nicer and i'm being selfish. They'd have to spend $3000 on a carbon ultegra bike just so they can have equal or better than you so they can ride their 10 miles/day (if even).

 

[azpeterb]

Shrink it and pink it, baby!

 

[hikertoo]

Yep, paint color for my wife too

the women in my life bought their bikes based on:
1. The Paint Scheme.
2. The Brand Name (whichever i said was good and looked popular)
3. The Specs that I Said were good.

most women aren't interesting in cycling period. If i had a better bike than my SO she wont ride and just complain because mine is nicer and i'm being selfish. They'd have to spend $3000 on a carbon ultegra bike just so they can have equal or better than you so they can ride their 10 miles/day (if even).

She is not really into bikes but rides both MTB and road bikes with me to some extent. I'm sure a female who was really into bikes would buy based on the same criteria as men. At least I think so........but I'm not in marketing.

 

[Rollo Tommassi]

Good looking men in tight shorts

all i could ever hope for....

A glamor type stick figure model...:frown2:

Depending on the target, I'd pick some of the domestic drama actors/actresses to promo these. As much as the TV/movie celebs don't impress me, super model types are more removed from common folk reality. Not that there may not be some model types who can ride, this doesn't seem as believable they will be commuting on one.