Beginning on July 25 of this year, Nelson Trees will embark on a 4,000 kilometer transcontinental bike race across Europe, joining other extreme cyclists in a yearly event that serves as the ultimate athletic test.
During his journey Trees will assess a stem manufactured by TranzX, an ITMS client and major player in the bike industry, and provide feedback of the bicycle component as part of a marketing strategy employed by the company.
The anti-shock stem, placed in order to support the handlebar, is designed to significantly reduce vibration, creating a more comfortable riding experience. Its light weight and small design make it ideal for Trees’ race, as unnecessary weight would only slow the rider down and decreased vibration will be key in enabling the cyclist to conquer long distances.
A testimonial, or third person feedback, can be incredibly effective in marketing a company’s product. While paid endorsements by athletes and celebrities of a particular industry have the ability to captivate audiences and serve as the face of a brand, testimonials are a trusted and somewhat objective strategy, using ordinary consumers to market a product based off of a genuine opinion.
For TranzX, the decision was simple—Trees is a proponent of the components manufacturer, and had intentions of using the stem during his race before being approached for feedback. ITMS saw this as an opportunity to gain an authentic opinion of the company’s products that could be incredibly useful to consumers considering a TranzX component, and approached the extreme athlete.
While third-person testimonials often serve as a brand boost for many companies, ITMS Executive Director George Pascal warns that the decision should be left up to a qualified agency, as choosing the correct representative is key in the strategy’s success: “Communicating the message properly is imperative and can often be difficult. The result must be marketed in a way that is authentic without turning the tactic into an advertising campaign.”
With this in mind, the decision to use Tree’s feedback was carefully discussed between ITMS and TranzX, and both entities are confident about their selection. The cyclist’s feedback will be both extremely helpful to TranzX customers as well as to the company itself, as Trees’ experience will enable the manufacturer to evaluate improvements to the product and aid in the development of future components.
ITMS will provide updates about Trees throughout his journey, which could range anywhere from one to three weeks in length, enabling followers to read an authentic perspective of the stem in a race situation. To follow the athlete, be sure to check out ITMS’ Facebook and Twitter feeds beginning July 24.
