IMC Initiative EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TABLE OF CONTENTS We strive to create a campaign for Giant’s women’s line, Liv, that will SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS create awareness and brand loyalty among our most common audience Company Analysis which is within the demographic 25 to 40 years old, most of whom are inter- Product Analysis ested in sports and health. However, this campaign also applies to beginners Competitive Analysis as the women’s bike is built in such way that is easy to handle and is a good SWOT Analysis way to exercise and use for transportation. The campaign will be successful Current Consumer Analysis as it is mainly nationwide and divided tactically both within distribution of dif- ferent medias and specifically focusing on the major biking seasons within STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES different states. More specifically, we propose a marketing strategy in differ- Marketing Objective ent medias but mostly within women’s health magazines and social media. IMC Objective The social media will for the most part be Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook but with an opportunity to expand to Twitter etc. When advertising MESSAGE STRATEGY on social media, the users would use the hashtag #howILIV when posting a Creative Brief picture to show Individually and who you are. The rationale that the person who shows the best picture and representation of this will be part of a con- test to a state will great opportunity for mountain-biking and using a Liv bike. On this trip, everything will be sponsored by Liv. In addition, Liv will sponsor a Liv festival, where the purpose of the festival is to donate to breast cancer, as we are dealing with women. Each miles a person rides on a Liv bike, Liv will donate 1 dollar pr. Mile to defeat breast cancer. The end goal of this festival is also a grand prize for the winner that rides the most. Hereby the winner will also get the opportunity to be a future ambassador for liv. This festival will increase brand awareness, loyalty and CSR. COMPANY ANALYSIS COMPANY HISTORY Established in 2008, Liv is the first bicycle collection designed specifically for female cyclists. Liv is a sub-brand of the world’s largest bicycle manufac- turer, Giant Bicycles. Giant was founded by Taiwanese engineer, King Liu, in 1972. The company grew exponentially in 1977 when chief executive at the time, Tony Lo, negotiated to become a manufacturer for Schwinn bicycles. In 1987, Giant started its own brand of high end bicycles. During the 1990’s, Giant became the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world, bringing in sales of $380 million. As of 2017, the company had a revenue of $1.9 billion. SITUATIONAL Liv was founded Bonnie Tu, niece of King Liu and CFO of Giant Bicycles. Liv ANALYSIS prides itself in being the first of its kind, as it is made by women for wom- en in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Its bikes are built for female physique with geometry suited for womens’ difference in stature and riding experience. Female designers and engineers were very prominent in the con- ceptualization and establishment of Liv products and brand. Tu explained the necessity of firsthand experience in the creation of a bike for women. COMPANY CULTURE/MISSION The ultimate mission of Liv is to “provide the best products to help women discover new possibilities through cycling” (About Liv). The company strong- ly emphasizes female empowerment, authenticity, and community. Liv advo- cates for women to support each other, live authentically, and to appreciate every moment in life. COMPANY PROBLEMS/CHALLENGES INDUSTRY CATEGORY/OVERALL MARKET TRENDS Arguably the biggest struggle for Liv is being a female-centric company in an Liv operates in the industry of high-end bicycles, but is the only of its kind industry that is so heavily male-dominated. During an interview with Bonnie that is marketed only toward women. The outdoors industry accounts for Tu, it was stated that many female cyclists had mentioned feeling intimidat- 2.2% of the world’s GDP according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s ed or as though they were not taken seriously when buying a bicycle. To rem- Bureau of Economic Analysis. Recent market trends in the cycling industry edy this, Tu created a template for retail space where Liv products are sold include an increase in the purchases of BMX, e-bikes, full-suspension moun- that is more approachable and enjoyable, resembling shopping at a boutique. tain bikes and gravel bikes (Bicycle Retailer and Industry News). Two of Liv and Giant’s biggest competitors in the United States are Trek Bi- cycle Corporation and Specialized Bicycle Components. Both companies are COMPANY OPPORTUNITIES based out of the United States, founded in Wisconsin and California, respec- Though Giant is the largest bicycle manfacturer worldwide, both Liv and its tively, so they have the advantage of being local. The two companies also parent company have much room to go in the domestic United States region. have similar lines of women’s bicycles in a similar price range to Giant. The company has massive opportunity for growth by bringing more Another challenge for Liv and Giant is the broadness of the demographic. manufacturing to the states, as the U.S. has so many prime cycling areas. Despite being geared toward women, the Liv brand also includes a line of There is also the potential to appeal and attract more women to the sport children’s bikes, and both Liv and Giant market themselves to be inclusive and casual cycling. to cyclists of all levels of experience from road bikes to mountain bikes and cruisers. Having such a broad range of types of bicycles could prove to be a challenge in production, as it would require more machines and possibly factories to manufacture all the different models. PRODUCT/BRAND ANALYSIS BRAND ESSENCE ATTRIBUTES AND BENEFITS Liv performs phenomenally in providing women with the greatest cycling experience around the world. Our friendly and welcoming community creates an approachable environment for riders to purchase bikes online or at phys- ical shops. Liv brings a diverse range of bikes that are designed for any type of rider that wants a proper fitted and functional bike. The authentic and last- ing quality that Liv offers in products is fundamental to produce appropriate bike frames, narrower handlebars, shorter-reach brake levers, and women’s seats. Liv also offers a vast range of cycling apparel. All women, from begin- ners to experienced cyclists, are accepted to be their own person. Liv embod- ies independent women who are inspired to live an adventurous life. BRAND PROMISE/PERSONALITY The innovation aspect that Liv brings to bicycles is what differentiates the brand from competitors. Our mission is to continuously get more women on bikes. It is imperative that cyclists ride in confidence and comfort while outdoors. Liv has achieved creating a brand solely for women, where they are all welcomed in the cycling community. Every component of the bikes are designed with the intention of making cycling more appealing. The brand promise that Liv serves is striving to provide women with the finest products to explore new possibilities through cycling. Regardless of age, appearance, capabilities, or shape, the Giant’s women’s line, Liv, allows each bike owner to custom their bikes to meet their needs in their overall riding journey. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS PRIMARY COMPETITORS Huffy makes only beach cruisers, comfort bikes, and road bikes. They cater Liv’s primary competitors in the United States are Trek Bicycle Copororation toward a much lower price range than Liv, even having bikes for around $100 and Specialized Bicycle Components, two other high end bicycle manufactur- at WalMart and Target. Juliana Bicycles has a dedicated following, but a very ers. The three brands all sell very similar products, as the competitors both small catalog of only four models, similarly priced to those of Liv. Juliana have bikes built for women in their range with nearly identical types of wom- markets their bicycles very similary to Liv, promoting adventure and com- en’s bikes (road, mountain, e-bikes, endurance). However, Trek and Special- munity while cycling. Juliana Bicycles is the sister brand of the much larger ized both have a larger bicycle catalog than Liv. Specialized bicycles are also brand Santa Cruz Bicycles. Scott Bicycles is also a smaller competitor, but in a higher price range, the average price being nearly double those of Liv is well-known among cyclists around the wrold. They offer a similar range of bicycles.The three brands also sell a lot of similar apparel, but Trek has many bikes as Giant, having mountain, road, e-bike, and trekking bicycles. However, more options compared to Liv and Specialized. Trek and Liv also feature sim- they do not promote their women’s line nearly as much. ilar website design and product photography. Neither Trek nor Specialized Bicycles have separate social media accounts What are your competitor saying and doing to promote their brand? How specifically for their womens’ lines. like Giant does for Liv. much are they spending? The apparel and gear of the two companies are similar and price. Specialized also does not have a separate social media presence for their women’s bikes, only accounts for Specialized Bicycle’s overall brand. SECONDARY COMPETITORS Liv’s secondary competitors include other brands that sell primarily womens’ bikes. These brands are secondary to the primary competitors because they are not nearly as big as the other three brands, and therefore are not com- peting in the same market as Liv. These competitors include Huffy Bicycles, Juliana Bicycles, and Scott Bicycles.