(edit title) Marketing a recreational cycling ride Any ideas greatly accepted Options

[Garry Jones]

When marketing a "fun-ride" for recreational cyclists I find Swedes in cycling clubs usually target a selected audience. (ie cyclists).

Not wanting to spam or disguise an advert as a post I will not reveal the name of the event in question.

I remember - back in the UK - how people used to come up with novel ways of attracting people to do something they might not otherwise take part in. ("Thinking outside the box" appears to be lost on many Swedes, not all of course, but I find myself often in the driving seat when it comes to "taking initiative and new ideas" and don't feel I have enough people around me to brainstorm with).

Note that my philosophy is "as near as possible to 100% contented participants" be it 20, 200 or 20 000. But that there is nothing wrong with a few more coming next year. (We had 360 this year).

Its a fun-ride that has three distances, 140km, 88km and 35km. We have service cars and feeding stations. Everyone gets a medal and then dinner in a restaurant after the event.

Does anyone have any ideas that might be able to increase the number of participants? (That is from outside of the Swedish cycling sphere...)

[gplusa]

We sign up for a cycle orienteering event every year. That's always fun. Team and relay categories are great ways to get families and companies involved.

[gplusa]

Just to add to the above: our local road runners club hosted a 10k event last weekend. Usually there are maybe 2 or 3 people from my company who would go. This time around the club offered an alternative class of a 4 x 2.5km relay. Our company entered 3 teams. So instead of a couple of competitors from my company, the club had 12 first time entrants, plus at least as many supporters, who they could promote the club and sport to.

[Gamla Hälsingebock]

Free beer while you ride!

[gplusa]

That's the leading idea at the moment. Sign me up. One of the biggest problems when organising events like that is (as I'm sure you know, Garry) that it's generally run by people already heavily involved in the sport. Obviously enough. That's a problem because they think like cyclists (or whatever the sport is). The result (or the risk) is that they create an "exciting new event" which is still only preaching to the already converted. There's nothing in the event to draw in a non-cyclist. They make the mistake of assuming that the public in general will feel as passionate about their sport as they do. And that tends to have the opposite effect by putting people off. It's not that easy to take a step back from your own sport and look objectively as a 3rd person, but it sounds like that's what you're trying to do. Good luck to you.

[Programmeny]

This is a brainstorm in writing so take it as such.
You could do the following:

1) Decide the season carefully, advertise in newspapers, magazines and others well before the event (the season before, for example if the event takes place in the summer, advertise in the spring).
2) Provide photo and video service of the participans throughout the event, not just start/finish. Make it clear they will have copies with them doing it, you would be amazed to what lengths some people go for awesome facebook photos.
3) Personalized T-shirts and arm bands. Advertise WITH them and also offer them. You decide if free or paid. Same with the above photo/video.
4) Focus everything on the bike, not the participant (i.e "Your bike could be enjoying this event more than you do! Don't deny it the chance!") - There's substantial studies showing that people in the 21st are overly-attached to objects, sometimes more than to themselves.
5) Pick a very crowded and visible start spot, make it known, don't advertise the start in the middle of the forrest.
6) Create or pick and event defining color, slogan, logo and motto. Stick with it and whatever you do, don't change it, and use it as much as possible.
7) Depending on the budget, invite a well-known cyclist to lead the "pack" or at least give an inspirational speech. Make it known he/she is attending.
8) The medals should come with a certificate - people care for this more than they should, use it to your advantage.
9) Organize as a marketing technique, a few (3-4) smaller events, with people from the event staff cycling around town, dressed in the color and with the logo visible, stopping or giving out flyers to other cyclists as they pass-by.
10) Maybe you should have more stops? Advertise them, don't make people believe they have to go 80km in one stretch.

[amitro926]

We apply one basis orienteering event yearly. That often stimulation. Team as well as communicate groups are usually great ways to got homes and then business involved.

[skogsbo]

5) Pick a very crowded and visible start spot, make it known, don't advertise the start in the middle of the forrest.

O Ringen(orienteering) always has starts in the forest, this year they had to make do with their 15,000 competitiors!
Also no one usually gets to see anyone compete at all, only the elite race might have a camera and few gadgets so those who are waiting, or have raced can look and see them. They also do no real advertising beyond orienteering clubs either.

Cycling is quite big and growing, so I think getting a sponsor and a decent set of prizes would draw folk in. Have some respectable stuff or money for the first 10, but give random prices for the like of the 178th and last of course. Your distances are beyond the fun cycle scale, but also managable by most reasonable fit people, with a bit of effort.

A poster campaign, throughout all village halls, shops, gym and leisure centres, bike and other sports shops etc., facebook page which people can obviously join, but you can then use as a medium for updating people on car parking and other useful stuff.

The celebrity mentioned above doesn't have to be a cyclist, just get some faces who will guarantee to attend, then drum up a small newspaper article, better than an advert!

Is the before or after the bike as part of the Classic 4, as it could be offered as a training event, or if after leaflet drop everyone car windscreen whilst they are doing any of the classics? Those skiing might fancy a trip back there biking in the summer. Could you get an advert on the skiing/biking or classic website, or events page? Invite Pippa?

[mångk]

Catchy catch phrase?

On yer bike!

Edited to add:

Or you could blend english and swedish..

On yer bike.. Nu är du ute och cyklar!

[byke]

Gaz, were you at Eurobike this year?

[PDX]

Count me in for the 35km event. The other distances I do not consider so "recreational" anymore

~~~PDX~~~

[gplusa]

I was thinking that myself, PDX. I read 140km and thought Sod That. I had already gone off the idea by the time I got to the 35km event. I would suggest the Garry swap the order around when advertising. To save my old knees.

Speaking of which, anyone out there planning for Lidingöloppet ?

[Micardo]

Dont write the copy for the add Gary, they will fall asleep before they finish reading it.

[trumanshow]

hi garry, i am a keen cyclist in vasternorrland, i think its an excellent idea. pm me if you would like to collaberate in some way...

ed

[Leonie]

you could post something on multisport.se