Capital of Texas Triathlon & Wounded Warrior Championship

“No person was ever honored for what he received.

Honor has been the reward for what he gave.” – Calvin Coolidge

Wounded Warrior Project Benefit Dinner announcement as of April 15 - Frank Denius will be the keynote
speaker! http://www.woundedwarriordinner.com/

This year I am doing some work with the Capital of Texas Triathlon which is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this Memorial Day Weekend. Not only does this give me an opportunity to increase my knowledge of yet another segment of the cycling/multisport industry, but allows me the chance to support the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project which is the beneficiary of CapTexTri.

The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project is a partnership between Disabled Sports USA, its chapters and the Wounded Warrior Project, providing year round sports programs for severely wounded service members from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflict and the Global War on Terrorism.


Forty-one years of experience has shown early intervention with active sports results in successful rehabilitation, leading to employment. The “Wounded Warriors” and their family members are provided these opportunities free of charge, including transportation, lodging, adaptive equipment and individualized instruction in over a dozen different winter and summer sports.

Programs take place at sites throughout the United States of America offering Wounded Warriors the opportunity to integrate as participants and mentors in their home communities.
The Capital of Texas Triathlon wishes to honor those who have given so much for our country by building  Memorial Day Weekend around the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project. Starting off with a benefit dinner on Thursday May 27th, a proposed ride with wounded veterans on Saturday the 29th, and culminating with the Wounded Warrior Championship Race on Monday the 31st, this weekend is for them.

How can you or your company help our heroes?

Your company:
Event sponsorships (see brochure with demographic info)
Multisport and Fitness Expo
Sponsor a Wounded Warrior athlete to compete at CapTexTri
Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project Benefit Dinner (Thur. May 27th at the Austin Hyatt)
      Corporate Table Sponsorship starting at $1,500 (recognition and table seating 10)
      Donate items for raffle, live or silent auctions
Email Sponsorships@CapTexTri.com and please reference DareToBrand so I can follow up with
you directly.

You: If you live in Austin we need:
Volunteer committee members for CapTexTri
Volunteer committee members for Wounded Warrior Benefit Dinner
      Email for committees at Sponsorship@CapTexTri.com and reference specific committee you can help

Race day volunteers (Memorial Day, Monday May 31st)
Register as race volunteer here http://captextri.com/triathlon-volunteer.php

I invite you all to take advantage of this opportunity with me to show our disabled service men and women how much they are appreciated. Our help can make a difference in their lives.

Please contact me direct at DareToBrand@gmail.com for detailed sponsorship information.

Concept Designs In Cycling/MultiSport

Everyone has heard of the Detroit Auto Show, right? This is where all the big names come out to show off their visions of the future of automobile manufacturing. We love to see the amazing new designs, the elegant curve of a fender, the bold statement of chrome a grill, the unusual way the doors may open, etc. This is their way to show the world what wonderful new boundaries they are pushing in style, technology, function and safety.

Concept designs naturally bring about the curiosity in us. We all get excited when we hear that XYZ Company is going to unveil a new technology or design and we can't wait to see it, right? This is true even if it may be something that isn't completely ITU or UCI legal... for now. Concepts are the best way to show the consumer just how far ahead you are thinking as well as how hard you are studying the sport and the needs of the consumer/athlete.

The lack of concept designs in the cycling/multisport industry has kept technology from moving forward as much as it could. For the most part, all technological advances that we see at shows like Interbike are built within current UCI/ITU standards and are part of regular product line to be delivered to retailers the following season.

So why hasn't the cycling/multisport industry typically made use of concept designs? Coming from the manufacturing side of multisport I can tell you that there are two sides to this issue.

Manufacturers in this industry are stretched thin from what I've seen. This means very little if any research is done in coming up with new materials for their own brand. Materials used are most often the ones most easily found and broadly marketed. Yes I do understand about supply as well, and some super high tech materials are produced in low quantity due to price and/or demand. One thing that producing concept designs does is start the process of demand which eventually requires these materials to produced more readily. If no one ever started designing aircraft out of carbon fiber, the abundance would not be near what it is today.

Factories have a pretty set list of materials to use for what they assemble. If you go to them and tell them you want a wetsuit for example, they give you a list of materials that they use and you pick which ones you want them to make it with in order to hit a certain price point. You may also submit your own patterns or work with them to develop some with you. This process almost discourages thinking out of the box because it takes time and money and the factories are usually reluctant to come up with new techniques for assembly and even new equipment to achieve what is needed. Factories can and must be coerced to step beyond their current limitations in order to move ahead.

The companies in the cycling/multisport industry who invest in concept designs are the ones who will ultimately succeed in not only standing out from the crowd, but earning credibility as the authority on the design of a particular product.

Here's a thought, in order to consider something a concept doesn't mean it has to be that from top to bottom. How about "concept on a budget"? That is, take a product from your sellable line and plug in a part, section or feature that is conceptual. In some manufacturing instances this may not work but you will have to figure that out on your own.

Back up your concept. A concept product that looks like everything else, is, well nothing really. At least in the consumer's eyes if it fails to look, function or feel special you will hardly get any attention with it. This also falls in with marketing. The other thing to keep in mind is what it will do for the consumer. A concept design should do something better. Faster, stronger and lighter are all barriers we try to break through in sports. Talk is cheap; you need verifiable numbers that can prove what you are accomplishing.

Include your sales and marketing people in your proposed concept design BEFORE you start. They should be able to tell you if what you propose is something that the retail buyer and consumer needs. Producing concepts which are not congruent with these needs in mind is a waste of time and money, not to mention that you will lose credibility from the industry and consumer.

Don't make the mistake of starting a brand with a concept if you don't have a sustainable, sellable line. What happens in this case is that the consumer says "Wow! That's really cool! So what do you make that I can afford/use right now? Nothing? Oh, well I guess I'm going to have to take my excitement and go purchase something from someone else.” No matter how cool or advanced your concept is, if you don't have something right there to direct the excitement and money toward that they CAN buy, you will inevitably look like, well... a schmuck.

So what are you waiting for? Make this part of your budget and get to work!

Snow Mobile Modification

Due to the snow in Austin, the city has recommended the following modification to your vehicle...

Appears that the instructions have been stolen by a foreign country. A full investigation will get underway as soon as I have breakfast. In the meantime, please enjoy the rest of my blog. Cheers!

Company & Product Launch

First I'd like to say welcome to 2010! It's going to be an exciting year with many new ventures at hand. I wish you all a successful, happy and healthy year.


Now let's talk about launching a new company/product. The first and most important part of this to keep in mind is that you only have one chance to launch. That being said it is vital that you spare no effort in finding out exactly what you need to do, when you need to do it, and how THE CONSUMER will view your new product.

Need:
One of the biggest reasons people in cycling/multisport create a new company and product is because they want to provide something to the consumer that they believe can be made better, look better, and fill a role better than the next person. Many of these attempts end up falling short because of the incredible amount of detail required to design something that truly fulfills the role more completely and stands out among all the other products competing for that role.

Research the need. Is it possible that this type of product already exists or something very similar? If you believe there is a need, the buck can't stop there. Call retailers nationally, speak with athletes from all corners. Do internet searches. Make room to hire people who can guide you and who have experience in the industry. Perhaps your idea has been selling like hotcakes in Europe and that company is about to launch in the US with full distribution and a huge marketing budget. Can you afford to not research this?

Product Design:
The best type of person needed to create such a product is someone who not only understands technology and design, but has experience with all perspectives from the actual use of the product as an athlete, to construction, through the process of planning how it will be sold. Let's face it, you simply have to know the mind of not only the athlete, but of the athlete as a consumer. That isn't all. You must also know the mind of those who do the buying for the retailers you want your products to be sold through. I've seen many a buyer who has lost the twinkle of excitement in their eye due to the overuse of gimmicks. There is a big difference between gimmicky and hard truth, and a good buyer will know when you have to give a lot of fluff. Make sure your product doesn't need fluff in the design phase, not the often afterthought marketing phase. Marketing must be a part of the whole design, especially when dealing with a highly educated demographic such as triathletes.

Timing:
When do you launch your product? Do you have someone who can make your product? What is their manufacturing schedule? When do you need samples made? When do you need supporting materials in hand? When will you need to go to production? When will you need to deliver your production to the market? The answers to these questions will vary depending on your market. For instance, products released for triathlon will not meet the same timetables as they would for swimming. The region of release may also vary due to climate. I have listed a few of the questions that need to be answered, and missing any can create as little trouble as a headache, to major problems with your company's sales and credibility.

Passion:
Make no mistake, having passion for the sport and your product IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE for tons of research and relentless planning/design. Passion IS a huge asset when you know when to separate emotion from what research is telling you and common sense. I've seen glorious passion completely obliterate companies because it was allowed to override good sense, sometimes even from inception.

The larger a company becomes, the harder it seems to keep that passion and vision. When work gets doled out it is often a mistake to hire people who don't share the same passion or knowledge of the sport. I would use the analogy of an actor who just reads a part instead of "being" the part. Trust me, the ultimate success of a product is best served by people who have the passion, not who are just paid to do the work.

Promoting the launch:
A company/product launch can be a complete disaster if you don't have the right connections and relationships in the industry. On your own it can literally take years to develop a network of industry leaders and outlets for media attention. The people who know and accept your product to start with are critical to credibility. Non-competing manufacturers, athletes, product review sites, industry magazines, podcasts, retailers and governing bodies to name a few are all resources which can make your product highly visible and credible very quickly. Again, it's worth it to get help with this from people who have those relationships already in hand, otherwise your grand launch may only fizzle. As with everything else I've spoken about, timing is critical. Winter is not the best time to launch a hydration product, and a triathlon specific transition bag is not best launched at a mountain bike race. I know this sounds a bit dim, but sometimes the mentality is that the more places promoted at, the better. This really isn't the case. Get established in places focused on activities that your product is tied in with.

The bottom line is that there is much more to this than meets the eye. It's no wonder there is such a high failure rate of small businesses. Too often passion crushes good sense, and without a road map and people with the experience on your side you are taking a much greater risk than you need to. Are you risking your credit, your home, your life savings, your family? You have choices.

Best wishes in 2010!
Cheers!
Darren

Sponsors And Brand Alignment

Everyone is familiar with what sponsors are for and what they do, but knowing who to pick can go a long way in telling the story of what your brand is and what you are about.

Most may count on their mission statement to convey this message, but you must also consider what your sponsorship alignment says about you. For instance, an event raising funds for AA may not want a generous sponsorship from a company producing alcoholic beverages. Likewise, although a particular sponsorship may not be in direct conflict with your brand, you should consider if there might be any potential questions regarding a sponsor's ethics which could negatively affect your brand. A big bank sponsor may not be the best if it is seen spending tons of marketing dollars shortly after being bailed out by the taxpayers.

Sometimes sponsorship alignments may not seem to be of direct alignment, but the services or industry networking angle may be that which you may find beneficial for your exposure or future growth. Pick sponsors that you can develop a long term, mutually beneficial relationship with and put that to work. You will go much further this way then just fielding whoever throws money your way. Remember, you need to shop for and even interview sponsors, not just take whoever you can get. Spend time on this and it will pay off for both you and your sponsor.

This being said, I am helping some amazing people shop for sponsors for the Capital of Texas Triathlon which will take place Memorial Day at the end of May 2010. The CapTexTri is a Pro Cup event as well as Olympic qualifier who's main beneficiary is the Wounded Warrior Project. For details, email me at DareToBrand@gmail.com

Happy Holidays!

Product Strategy - Retailers and Manufacturers

Bicycle retailers continually face the challenge of what products to carry and why, especially when first opening a store.

There are many things to consider including your store location, region, proximity to competitors, what your competitors carry, and of course who your customers are. There may even be some businesses or services which a shop can work with in order to create its own personality and give it credibility in the community. Services should certainly be considered in your product lineup as they can help to round out what your company/brand is all about.

Manufacturers similarly face the dilemma of exactly which products they should make. This should fall back on what the brand is about and the brand's position. All products designed and manufactured should be in line with a particular goal. For instance, a brand which specializes in electronic hardware should not up and decide to make nutrition products. As well, a hard goods manufacturer would not be best suited for all of a sudden putting out a clothing line. I can think of a couple in the industry who have done this and although it might not cause the demise of a company, it is by no means the most efficient or effective way to do it.

So, back to the retailer. Should a bicycle specific shop start carrying running shoes? For the most part, probably not, but again it depends on a number of factors including location and your clientele. For instance, your bicycle shop is located by a running trail, your clientele is made up of a high percentage of triathletes who use that trail for training, and there aren't any good running shoe stores in your area. Then perhaps you should look into it. Next look at your retail floor space and how much you have to offer for the new shoe section. If you only have a couple styles to chose from, your customers probably won't feel like you know what you are doing or are committed. To that end, you'd better have someone on staff at all times who is VERY knowledgeable in running to sell the shoes, otherwise you risk losing credibility.

I've seen a lot of retailers "try" to get into selling other specialty products. There is no try or try not, it IS do or do not. But always keep in mind your location and who/what your competitors are.

Still need more detailed information about your particular direction?
Contact:
Darren Zielinski
DareToBrand@gmail.com

Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Cheers!

Marketing Surveys

We are all familiar with marketing surveys in the cycling/multisport industry talking about age ranges, income, marital status, gender etc, but I'd like to hone this information to better help manufacturers and retailers decide what to make or stock, how much to make or stock, and what the consumer is interested in buying.

Retailers and manufacturers please take a moment to vote (on right side of page) on which question might be of most value to you. This only takes a moment and your support can help build a new survey angle which you will ultimately benefit from.

Thank you for your help!