I have been off a few weeks under the guise of cycling in France though actually wine-tasting seemed the major activity. In one of the few serious cycling moments in the Alps, trying to juxtapose my successful performance up the 1400m ascent from Morzine to Alvoriaz with Lance’s pitiful efforts on this stage where his chances for the Tour were blown, I was thinking of the Rapha pop-up shops in London and New York. (yeah if we rewind on that last sentence - people with any knowledge of cycling will know that I cannot compare a morning’s ascent up a big hill with the three weeks of gruelling effort which those riders put in - but hey that’s how us wine-tasters see things.)
Anyway when I felt my lungs were not going to implode and I had taken enough Class A energy gels to get me to a point when I could drift off into inner thought, the success of Rapha, the cycle brand, was on my mind. I have mentioned them before in a previous post but for an online brand they just don’t seem to be putting a foot wrong in either virtual or physical worlds.
The challenge for any brand which does the majority of its business online is to make itself visible and tangible to its prospects and customers beyond its website. Rapha have an easier task as the visibility of cyclewear can do this for them but they have not stopped there. This summer they decided to launch temporary shops in London and New York. These were less clothes shops and more like meeting places for cyclists with a coffee shop on-site, an exhibition space, access to tv coverage of various cycle races and yes a few Rapha products to sample and purchase.
I think Antidote designed the space in London and it took the passion, history and beauty of cycling and brought it to life as part of the Rapha brand experience. Also the essence of a pop-up shop makes the visitor feels they are living on a precious time and it gave me a very privileged feel for I was lucky enough to be working around the corner whereas I know there are a number of cycle enthusiasts in Sheffield or Manchester who would have loved such a space.
Yet I think a lot of other brands can learn from the way they approach things. It does not have to be “enthusiast” brands which only operate in this way. It’s the vision of the brand owner not to be boxed in online and the ability to tap in to other brands and experiences which target their customers. I notice that Rapha is now teaming up with Paul Smith on some clothes designs and have just produced some short films with Ridley Scott. Going back to basics, it's just about servicing your customers in the way they want to be treated and surprising them with what will delight them. But how you do that differentiates you from the competition.
I also spoke to James Fairbank on the last day of the London shop. He is in charge of Rapha marketing and he told me that it had been a big success – both in terms of sales and as a brand extension. I am not surprised – they definitely get my vote.
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