LITTLETON, CO (BRAIN)—Giant Cycling World Denver was the setting for the official kick-off of Giant’s new Liv / giant brand for women over the weekend.
Female cyclists gathered at the Littleton business for a Liv / giant Women’s Weekend which featured demo rides on 2012 Liv / giant road and mountain bicycles, maintenance and skills clinics, and a raffle for a new Liv / giant Simple cruiser.
“Liv / giant celebrates individuality and celebrates style,” said Giant USA general manager Elysa Walk, who traveled to the store to help launch the new brand. “It aims to inspire women to better living through cycling.”
In a presentation recently before more than 220 key Giant retailers, Abby Santurbane, Giant’s global product developer for women, noted that the new Liv / giant women’s bicycles feature unique graphics and a “Liv” logo to distinguish them from Giant’s in-line product. In explaining a “3F” logo that appears on many of the bikes she said, “This represents the product philosophy of Liv / giant: Fit, Form, and Function. Nothing is more critical to overall comfort and riding enjoyment than a proper fit, and over the past year we have gone deeper than ever in readjusting and reevaluating our geometry on our women’s products.”
She continued, “In creating Giant’s geometry for a female consumer, we consider several factors: physiological differences, how and where she will ride the bike, how we can improve her riding experience, and her goals as a cyclist.”
“But, just as important as the proper geometry and correct stiffness, so are the less tangible things on a bike,” she added. “We want women to fall in love with a Liv / giant bicycle, to personally connect with the product. We strive to make gorgeous bikes.”
The Giant Cycling World Denver store is one of the first bicycle businesses in the nation to showcase the Liv / giant brand in a display designed by Giant’s Retail Merchandising team. Liv / giant bikes, gear, and apparel are arranged in a defined section of the store to attract the female customer. Color scheme, graphics, and messaging are intended to speak to the woman cyclist, whether she’s a competitor, someone looking to enter her first triathlon, or the fashionable enthusiast who loves to ride with her family or to the coffee shop to meet friends. “The new Liv / giant section is a magnet for the woman rider,” said Vint Schoenfeldt, one of the owners of Giant Cycling World Denver. “It’s beautifully appointed, and is comparable to what a savvy female shopper is accustomed to seeing in an upscale department store.”
Over the next few months, as Giant’s 2012 Liv / giant product rolls out at Giant retailers across the nation, so too will enhanced marketing efforts to reach out to the female customer. A Liv / giant demo rig is already traveling the country to assist Giant retailers in spreading the word about the new brand, and a second Liv / giant demo vehicle will be placed in service in early 2012. These Sprinter vans will be meeting women at key cycling events and appearances at Giant retailers. Social media will also play a large role in reaching women, with Liv / giant occupying Facebook and a significant slice of Giant’s website and YouTube outlet.
“Every Liv / giant bike is designed to serve the unique needs of women riders for a particular purpose,” said Abby Santurbane. “We want to do everything we can to show all women how great our products are. This is going to be such fun.”
(PHOTO: Part of the new Liv / giant section of Giant Cycling World Denver. Colors, graphics, and messaging have all been chosen to attract the female cycling enthusiast).
