jkhayc wrote:
Hmm, the biggest booth with the most staff attracts the most people... surprise!
A revival for who?
There's always some of that, even though they didn't have the biggest booth or the most staff. They just had a compelling booth and a strong presence.
Cervelo is a brand, like many others, that is caught between a war of the "support the line" superpowers (think Trek and Specialized) and smaller upstarts pushing product down each and every channel they can, as fast as they can. In the years following the sale to Pon, Cervelo wasn't always the best partner and strained many of the relationships they had with their dealers. They've been on a full court press trying to become a better partner so they can have good representation in the challenging times to come, and their Interbike presence is part of that.
I don't think it will result in a revival of big brands coming to the show, but when the rest don't bother to show up it makes their presence and the buzz it generates that much more valuable. Lots of brands didn't have an official presence to save money, and for some that is probably more of a missed opportunity than cost savings.
The mood among vendors seems to have shifted a bit from what it was a year ago - there is a recognition that times have changed and a presence online is necessary, but the direct-to-consumer and magic "buy-it-now" buttons isn't the panacea that was promised. I've long believed that direct-to-consumer is a smaller market consisting primarily of enthusiasts, but many have sold it as if they expected it would mean they could reach bigger market. For a small brand that has little exposure,
it is a bigger market and can be successful. But for those that need to sell in higher volumes, maybe not so much. Time will tell.
I just know that you don't really get to do both well. You might offer "direct" fulfillment options, but if you plan on working with IBDs that is where your commitment as to be. And vice-versa, if you are committed to direct fulfillment, there really isn't a way to work with IBDs and make it profitable for everyone involved.
Some vendors seem to agree judging by their words and behavior. They recognize that having
good dealers in
good locations that represent the product well and pay their bills is going to be absolutely critical over the next few years, and that's where they are investing. The side effect is that it will squeeze other players out of the IBD and they'll be forced to commit to direct-to-consumer. That's going to make direct-to-consumer awfully crowded, very soon.
It's going to be an entertaining few years.
Trent Nix
Owned and operated Tri Shop
F.I.S.T. Advanced Certified Fitter | Retul Master Certified Fitter (back when those were things)