Marketing Brompton Bicycle

Only two companies still manufacture bicycles in the UK, and one is Brompton Bicycle of West London. Brompton's MD says its folding bike is favoured by city-dwellers who want 'a solution to an urban living problem'. He tells the Guardian: 'We are in the urban transport industry; the competition for Brompton is the tube or the car'.

Brompton's bikes are differentiated by their sturdy frames and, more importantly, by how compact they become when folded for storage. The company has a cult following, with some customers chronicling their bike adventures on blogs or via other social media. (Brompton has more than 17,000 Twitter followers and 42,000 Facebook likes plus more than 7,000 Instagram followers.)

Brompton is growing rapidly to meet ever-higher demand for convenient transport in cities domestically and abroad (urban locations and consumer behaviour are clearly key to its market segmentation). This year, the firm projects unit sales of 50,000 in more than 40 nations, with only 20 percent of its output remaining in Britain. Asia and the United States are particular target markets with strong demand for commuting options such as folding bicycles.

By 2021, the company plans to double its output and is therefore relocating to a larger production facility next year. And it's also stretching its product line by planning for an electric version of its popular folding bike, to 'get rid of the sweat and Lycra' and make bike commuting less strenuous and more fun.

Olympics + Bradley Wiggins = higher UK cycle sales

High profile sports can have a lot of influence on consumers' attitudes and purchasing decisions. First it was Great Britain's many cycling medals at the 2012 Olympics. Then it was Bradley Wiggins' victory at the Tour de France (see above). The result: UK consumers are more enthusiastic than ever about bicycling, with many buying their first bicycles or upgrading to better cycles. That's good news for marketers coping with a challenging economy.

Cycle Surgery, a brand owned by Snow+Rock, saw sales of road bikes increase during the Olympic Games. Its marketing director observes:

"After the Tour de France and Olympics, the UK is definitely on the world map as a cycling nation and hopefully people will stick with it".

At Evans Cycles, website traffic spiked and sales of road bikes surged by 35% after the Olympics and the Tour de France. A number of bike shops in Colchester are also noticing the difference since this summer's events. The manager of Cycle Revolution says:

"The last two or three weeks we are getting people buying road bikes, saying they are inspired by what they have seen on TV".

Now how many consumers will find the Winter Olympics so exciting that they buy figure skates or skis?