3 minute read
MARKETING MATTERS
Marketing Matters MATTERS MARKETING Expert advice to improve how you promote and sell your products or services
DAN SAGER FOUNDED THE FAB-BIKER PR AGENCY IN 1996 AND HAS been advising businesses in the motorcycle industry on marketing matters ever since. fab-biker.co.uk
TOP MARKS IN MILAN
Dan Sager takes a break from thinking about marketing on a budget and travels to Milan, looking for inspiration at the international EICMA motorcycle show
It’s been three years since I visited the EICMA exhibition in Milan and over that time I’d forgotten quite how big it is. Six cavernous halls filled with stands representing more than 1300 brands from 45 different nations and a 38% increase in visitors made for packed aisles.
There is a lot to take in when you only have a day to spare, so preparation is key; I’d listed everyone I needed to see and worked out the best route to follow around the show, so I wouldn’t waste time retracing my steps or wandering around in a bewildered daze. Up early, with my Doc Martens firmly laced, I strode through the turnstiles and into the throng.
And that’s when it struck me. Not only is this an occasion to see the latest bikes, clothing and accessories presented for the first time, it’s also a marvellous opportunity to get some marketing inspiration with an international flavour.
With so much on offer, it’s not easy to make your products stand out. While power walking along the aisles between meetings, I couldn’t help but notice the sheer number of young women in skimpy lycra outfits sitting astride motorcycles. Not for the obvious reason, but because I really thought we’d moved on from this sort of thing. F1 abolished the practice of hiring grid girls back in 2018, so not only does their continued use look dated, it is also off-putting to prospective women customers. They’ve turned into a distraction, rather than an attraction. So full marks to Moto Guzzi, who came up with a modern twist, with young male and female models wearing cool outfits on their new V100 Mandello, selling the dream of couples sharing adventures on two wheels. Getting noticed for all the right reasons.
Two other stands stopped me in my tracks as I strode past on my bouncing soles. First was a KTM dirt bike that had been dismantled and then suspended on fishing lines in a frame, rather like a 3D exploded diagram. It was the work of Italian magazine Dueruote, who were launching their new online parts marketplace. Clever stuff and relatively inexpensive to create too.
Then there was the clothing brand Holy Freedom, literally going for gold, with a golden custom flat-tracker and matching leather jacket glittering under the lights. When you’re competing with some of the biggest names in motorcycle apparel, you need to do something different to avoid being overshadowed and this definitely caught the eye.
And finally, Peugeot Scooters should get mentioned in despatches for the life-sized statue of a lion in the style of their logo – I really wanted to take a selfie sitting on it, but I chickened out at the last minute!
All of these ideas could be translated to work in a window display, on a showroom floor or even on a website and I’m already looking forward to returning next year to see what bright ideas are on show.
NEXT MONTH
It’s back to the business of marketing on a budget, asking what can your suppliers do to help?
