When Sasha Castling of Ribble Cycles contacted us to ask if we’d be interested to hear more about the company’s decision to run a TV ad. campaign promoting their wares during the Tour de France, we took the opportunity to ask the man behind the company, Mr. Andy Smallwood a wide range of questions about his business, the sport and that ‘tech stuff.’
Where does the name ‘Ribble’ come from?
“The ‘Ribble’ name comes from the original location situated in Preston, Lancashire in the North-West of England, on the banks of the river Ribble and the amazing countryside and riding terrain of the Ribble Valley and the Trough of Bowland that the river flows through.
“The Ribble HQ has always stayed close to its river Ribble and Ribble Valley roots.”
Roots in 1897 – tell us more please.
“Whilst Ribble Cycles started off as a small Bike shop, importantly the original owner saw an opportunity to design and manufacture his own bicycle frames and forks using steel tubing.
“They were hand crafting high quality bespoke bicycles and this tradition of high-end bespoke design and manufacture continues at Ribble Cycles in Preston today.”
TV ads – a big decision with big cost implications, are you seeing a result?
“Over the past few years we have focused our attention on R&D and diversification within our product range, offering unique levels of customisation and personalisation, our digital and physical customer journey and the experience of buying a bike whether purely online, connected to our ‘Ribble Live’ virtual store or one of our world class brand showrooms.
“With this in mind, it feels like the time is right to start to push the Ribble brand out to a wider audience, and trialling TV advertising centred around the most prestigious event in the world felt like a logical step aligning to our vision for the future growth of the Ribble business.
“We have seen an immediate increase in brand awareness and engagement.”
Tell us about the thought process behind and the making of the ads.
“The inspiration for the ad. creative comes from the essence of Cycling which is core to the Ribble brand.
“The ad campaign focuses on the pure organic sounds and scenery of the bikes in their natural riding environments, highlighting the riders’ physical and emotional experience combined with the enjoyment and reward that comes from riding a well-designed bike as it is intended.
“The ad. features four riders with each one expressing their riding style and reason for cycling, from the all-out effort of the Pro rider racing for the win, MTB rider nailing their favourite berm and single-track, to the functional simplicity of Urban commuter on their electric bike.”
The Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling continental team, we saw great rides by James Shaw in Slovenia, does that translate to sales – and does a move up to ProTeam from Continental ever enter your thoughts?
“Our supported Pro Teams, Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling and Drops Le-Col Racing have seen some really-strong results this season and recently James’s ride in Slovenia against World Tour opposition was significant both for him as a rider and the progression of the team.
“More recently Joss Lowden won the Tour De Feminine in the Czech Republic with great rides in both the TT and road stages really showcasing her talent, the strength of the team and the performance advantage our bikes offer.
“It’s not just about results though, we get very valuable product feedback from the teams that filters into and through our range.
“The association with riders competing at the highest level provides further brand credibility and reassurance for the consumer.”
What’s your biggest selling model – and why do you think that is?
“There are a number of models in our range that we consider to be our best-selling models; our award-winning