The Brief

This campaign had three main objectives: 1. Inspire the broader audience of cyclists to participate with the brand – not just the top end, lycra-clad pro or semi-pro athlete that most cycling brands target. 2. Win the hearts and minds of these cyclists so they become life-long Giant customers. 3. Populate an online community of riders that would act as a CRM platform for Giant to market the brand directly to their audience in the future.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

Our idea was to ditch the pros and officially sponsor everyday riders instead. During the Tour De France, we aired a TVC that invited riders of every age and ability to apply for a sponsorship. Riders submitted a sponsorship application via Giant’s website, with each applicant automatically becoming a member of the community. Once the sponsorships were announced, all 30 riders were treated like the pros they replaced, rewarded with a contract, top-of-the-line bike and gear and featured across Giant’s communications – in advertising, PR, online and events.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

The promotion was spread by everyday riders, resulting in a huge buzz of online chatter. The popularity of the idea resulted in a massive number of entries and a leap in traffic to Giant’s website of over 2300%. Every application became a member of Giant’s community, creating a database of riders that Giant can continue to converse with. Giant now have an Australia-wide network of brand ambassadors who will continue to promote the brand and inspire other riders. And most gratifyingly, sales of Giant bikes peaked at their highest ever in the months following the campaign.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

The sponsorship of top athletes has been the formula for selling sporting goods for at least the last 20 years. In cycling, events like The Tour De France have become an orgy of logos and sponsorship deals. We had to do the opposite, not just to stand out but be relevant to our audience – the everyday people who ride to work or after school, for fitness and fun, who don’t wear lycra bike shorts and who will probably never win a race. They’re the ones who buy our bikes, so we believe they’re the ones we should reward.