Trek's P-O-P Banners Sacrifice Brand Imagery for Sales Info

Consumers hoping to find the appropriate bike for their body type and riding style need look no further than their nearest independent bicycle dealer. That is, if the dealer is one of an anticipated 275 stores participating in the new Right Bike merchandising program from Trek Bicycle Corp.A banner-heavy system of unbranded P-O-P, the Right Bike program is rolling out to an initial 200 bike dealers nationwide. It originated in two manufacturer-owned Trek stores in Madison, Wis., and has been in use for several months.The program follows five steps and takes about 15 minutes to complete. Sales associates walk the shopper through the steps, which include learning about types of riding styles, choosing a frame, comparing specs, adjusting the fit and accessorizing. "We found this to be the most successful way to sell a bike," says Scott Lawrence, promotional sales manager for the Waterloo, Wis.-based company."One of the biggest issues in the independent bicycle channel is bike brands being sold through big-box stores," says Lawrence. "We're trying to find ways to differentiate independent bike dealers from the big boxes. One way of doing that is by providing the customer with expert knowledge of bicycles and of fitting."The Right Bike program promises to eliminate consumer confusion when shopping for a bike and guarantee that the buyer goes home with the most suitable bike. A store's entire bicycle inventory is meant to be merchandised under the system, a scenario which is possible since the P-O-P is devoid of any brand mention. The only reference Trek consumers may see is the logo on the bikes that appears on the banners and other graphics. Lawrence says he isn't worried that the lack of identification will hurt sales. "If we're building the best bikes in the industry, this system is going to highlight that and chances are the consumer will buy a Trek," he says. "But if there's another bike out there that is of comparable value and quality, it has an equal opportunity of being sold."The system features 29 banners, including five segment banners differentiating between riding styles (such as mountain or city), an information kiosk, a fit center, a frame center and an accessories area. "This is the single biggest P-O-P undertaking that we've had as a company and that our industry's probably ever seen," Lawrence says.The kiosk consists of an aluminum slatboard base and a large graphic header. The slatboard offers consumer selection guides. "The guide is the first interface that the consumer is going to have with the program," says Lawrence. "We wanted to give the consumer something to go home with, something that walks them through the program even though this is not a self-serve program." At the top of the kiosk, a half-moon shaped header promoting the store's name is attached via plastic clips.The Fit Station consists of three posters, a platform and a bike stand. The bike stand raises a bike two inches off the ground. Consumers stand on the platform when being fitted so that they are the same height off the ground as the bike they are trying out. Made by the James Group, Sussex, Wis., the vacuum-formed polyethylene platform measures 3 feet wide by 2 feet deep. "It's nice and solid and creates a prominent area that defines the Fit Station," says Lawrence.Positioned at the head of the fit platform, three posters provide photos and information on comfort upgrades, riding postures and accessories. Trek marketers say the idea is to create a sense of ownership at the Fit Station. "Once the customer sits on the bike, he won't be able to leave without it," says Lawrence.At the frame center, three more banners explain the importance of a good frame and give simple points of comparison for popular frame materials across brands. Actual frames on display give a sense of weight and weld-quality differences, as well as provide an opportunity for store personnel to discuss ride characteristics and warranty issues.Under Trek's system, bikes are organized by size. "Some retailers will do brand blocking, but that's not necessarily the best way to sell a bike because less than 20 percent of people come in asking for a particular brand," Lawrence says. Additional banners hang above three product towers that merchandise various accessories.According to Lawrence, the objective quality of the system adds an element of professionalism to stores and also serves as an efficient training program for sales staff. "The system is about language," he says. "We tried to create a uniform language to compare bikes with simplistic, consistent messages. It's not about how we want to sell bikes, but how consumers want to buy them."Chase Design Inc., Skaneateles, N.Y., supplied the initial artwork, which was fine-tuned in-house at Trek. Madden Communications, Woodale, Ill., printed the banners and brochures. Marketing consultants Schuler Gilmore Systems of Madison, Wis., "brought it all together," says Lawrence.Only independent bicycle dealers who sell the Trek brand and have the required square footage and ceiling heights will be offered the Right Bike system. Trek allows up to 50 percent of the program's $3,000 cost to be subsidized with advertising co-op dollars.Once a store has been approved, the dealer sends two floor plans to Trek. The first is a current store layout indicating product, wall dimensions, fixtures and traffic flow. The second is the dealer's vision of how the floor should look with the system in place. Using the dealers' input, Trek executives create a planogram, which, pending customer approval, is set up overnight by a third-party installation team."We're trying to help our dealers sell more bikes. If the system helps dealers sell 100 more bikes than usual, and 50 percent of their business is traditionally done in Trek, then we've sold 50 more bikes," he says. "We're also trying to raise the pole for our industry. Traditionally, the bike industry has competed only against itself, but now we're competing against all disposable dollars, whether that be clothing at the Gap or a stereo."

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