At the end of the day we had to answer one simple question: “Why pay more for ENVE quality?” Core cycling enthusiasts know the answer; they feel it, it’s evident from the very first time they ride ENVE products. But the real growth opportunity for any enthusiast brand is convincing the wider consumer audience. In ENVE’s case, the folks who don’t ride 10,000 miles a year, but still love to ride, want the very best and are willing to pay for it.
To do that BluBird crafted a comprehensive media relations plan that wove endemic cycling and consumer media relations coverage together in ways that mutually reinforced each other.
We started by considerably amplifying the frequency of product coverage and reviews with endemic and enthusiast media outlets, knowing that 3rd party validation would be meaningful to all audiences; some people knew about ENVE’s exceptional products but not enough.
Next we shifted to the company story: Who is ENVE? What are the company’s values and DNA? Why does made in the USA matter? We also created events, including our Gravel Camp and UNBOUND (formerly Dirty Kanza) activations, that put endemic media and consumer media in the same room, on the same rides and cracking beers around the same picnic tables. That’s where the magic really happens, where consumer media come to understand ENVE’s brand proposition in an organic and meaningful way.
More recently, we were well ahead of the curve in identifying shifts in cyclist behaviors and interests, particularly those that consumer audiences were interested in (like gravel), and helped maneuver ENVE into alignment. This included identifying events to sponsor as well as creating unique experiences for the ENVE team to be 1:1 with media and customers.
Today the company is a recognized leader insomuch as backorders on certain products can be 90+ days--and customers are willing to wait.