Case Study
Bicycles: more than pedal power
Not so long ago, a bicycle was, well, just a pedal-powered way to get around. Today, the bicycle is not just two-wheeled transportation – it has become a major industry worldwide. A growing number of consumers are buying bikes for commuting, for fun, for status, for personal style, and for environmental reasons.
Especially in developing nations, where incomes are rising and middle-class consumers are looking for more than basic transportation, demand for better bicycles is rising year after year as the product category takes on new significance as a sign of wealth and of interest in a healthy leisure-time activity. “As people become more affluent, they tend to go to global brands,” says the director of international sales for Wisconsin-based Trek Bicycles, “and that’s where global brands have advantages.” Trek’s high-quality bikes are now marketed in two dozen nations, with even wider distribution on the way.
Some top automotive firms are putting their brands on upscale bicycles. Porsche, for example, offers high-end bicycles with precision-made bodies and brakes so riders can glide smoothly on paved paths and navigate off-road trails. Each carries the red, black, and gold brand badge positioned below the handlebars, signaling that the rider is pedaling a Porsche.
Luxury designer brands are also involved in the burgeoning bicycle business. Gucci’s creative designer has developed a lightweight, high-performance bicycle and accessories (such as a helmet and riding gloves) for Bianchi, decorated with the red and green stripes that are Gucci’s brand symbol. Missoni’s colorful bicycle, marketed by cheap chic retailer Target at a more affordable price, is for city-dwellers or suburbanites who want to pedal along in style.
Folding bicycles are increasingly popular, everywhere from Kentucky to Kuala Lumpur. On a recent World Car-Free Day, cyclists rode folding bicycles along Kuala Lumpur’s roads to nearby mass-transit stations, folded their bikes, and took them on board. They were not just demonstrating a greener alternative to gas powered vehicles – they were also showing the convenience and ease of taking folding bikes on commuter trains. Another use of bicycles is for tourist transportation. In Santiago, Chile, cyclists have ridden through the streets to promote environmentally friendly bicycle tourism and encourage the construction of bicycle paths throughout Patagonia.
From the great outdoors to the inner city, bicycles are often used to show off the rider’s personal style. In particular, youngsters who aren’t yet old enough to drive four-wheeled vehicles like to cruise the streets in home-decorated two-wheelers. One urban trend in bicycle bling is the “scraper bike,” a small-framed bike with special touches such as dashes of color, duct-tape detailing, aluminum foil wrapped around the wheel spokes, and flashy, outsized accessories. A scraper-bike song by the California hip-hop group Trunk Boiz has attracted more than 3 million YouTube views and spread the look’s popularity far beyond the West Coast. “It just makes you feel like a star,” says one teen of the scraper bike he spray-painted and outfitted with foil-wrapped spokes. A gallery in Berkeley, California, even exhibited scraper bikes as objects of art.
Consumers who are serious about their bicycling look carefully at specifications and notice which brands the top athletes endorse. Cannondale, for example, is endorsed by women’s triathlete champion Chrissie Wellington. Many enthusiasts attend bicycle shows, watch bicycle races, test-ride new models, and compare every technical detail before deciding what to buy. One purchase lead to another as enthusiasts acquire all the gear they need – bike racks, locks, seats, tools, and anything else they must have to keep their bikes looking good and working properly. No wonder the two-wheeler business is gaining speed.
What emblematic functions can a bicycle serve? Be specific and explain your answers
Different emblematic functions are in the limelight in society when using different products and services. A bicycle can serve these functions. For Instance, people use products or services to depict a particular social status. It is a fact that the customer in the market wants to acquire a product to depict the belongings of a particular group. Thus, when a customer buys and uses the high quality or luxury bicycle, he may associate him with particular group intent. In modern societies, people usually like to depict their attitudes. The aggressive attitude usually demonstrates the changing consumer behavior, and it is one of the prominent emblematic functions. Another key emblematic function is development. The high-quality bicycle may help users or riders to show their life developments in society. On the other hand, if the quality of the bicycle is now, it depicts the lack of development. A bicycle can serve the emblematic function in the form of communication (Hoyer, MacInnis and Pieters, 2018).
How can a bicycle be part of a social status transition?
The bicycle is a part of the social status transition. The social status transition is a process of acquiring luxury brands of products to depict belonging to the richest class. Luxury product acquisition is not just consumption. It also integrates with different social factors. People buy a bicycle to grab the attention of other people. The purpose of any individual using the luxury bicycle is to show the richness and impress other people in society. The individual usually shows that he rides well due to his social class. Acquiring attention and recognition is a social status transition. For Instance, if an individual has a luxury bicycle in a society where people have low or moderate income, he may acquire attention. People will be talking about the bicycle and wanting to buy it despite having a limited financial budget. People in a poor society cannot buy a luxury bicycle.
Do scraper bikes derive their product, meaning from the culture or the individual? Explain your answer.
Scraper bikes derive their product, meaning from the culture or the individual. Scraper bikes have become the habit of bikers in society. They like the superstar look to depict the individual band. For Instance, changing the look of the bike in society cannot be aligned with the culture. However, it depicts personal intentions and perception to feel and depict the difference. The Superbike is a product that people use to associate with a particular group. The scraper bike is a source for the user to connect with a particular social group. The Scraper bike is a bicycle, which is to be modified by the owner. It has been observed that people who are creative intend to modify their bicycle. It is a complete piece of art, and it depicts or reflects the personality. The individual band refers to the personal willingness and its belongings with groups in society (Wallop, 2011).
What might special meaning(s) a bicycle hold for a consumer? What are the implications for marketers?
The special meaning that a bicycle holds for the consumer is possible and can be visible. It is a fact that the special meaning refers to the connection of the bicycle with any celebrity, art, event, place or any culture. In other words, it can be said that the special meaning is a representation of something through a bicycle. It aligns with consumer behavior in society. For Instance, special meaning that a person using a bicycle can depict is the reduced environmental impact. An individual may use a bicycle instead of using a car or bike to reduce pollution. On the other hand, an individual or a group of people can use a bicycle to represent a team of a bicycle or any other bicycle show. When manufacturing or selling bicycles in the market, the company must have to streamline the specific meaning to create a positive impact on both consumer and buying behavior (Hoyer, MacInnis and Pieters, 2018).
References
Hoyer, W.D., MacInnis, D.J. and Pieters, R. (2018) Consumer Behavior, Cengage Learning.
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Wallop, H. (2011) Espresso cups outsell mugs, 11 November, [Online], Available: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/
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