ENGLISH TEXT THE BIKE SIDE OF THE COMPANY PAOLO MARINI GIVIBIKE STAFF, COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT When did you realise that the time to enter the world of bicycles had arrived? What were the main fears at the start of this journey? Although we’d been interested in this for a long time, it began to materialise three years ago with the desire to transfer the experience acquired in the motorcycle world to an adjacent sector. Our desire to travel, combined with our experience, have made this new project come to life. The main concern at the start was how to correctly interpret our analyses of a market that for us was completely new. The data we found represented an important starting point for the entire production process and above all for understanding the needs and habits of a new consumer demographic. Is working from a recognised brand enough to be approved in a new market? Undoubtedly, working under a name like GIVI, and being able to offer a range of products whose DNA is recognisable, has put us in a beneficial position in the eyes of those consumers who already know the brand. For a - fortunately small - section of passionate cyclists, GIVIBike appears as a legitimate start-up in all respects. From a commercial point of view, your current strategy is online-only. Is it paying off? We aimed to sell online-only from the very beginning. We believe that for this type of market and customer base, this strategy can be very successful. We started less than a year ago so it’s still early to take stock. Having the trade press on your side is important. Is the feedback you receive mostly positive? Yes. We had the opportunity to have our products tested by the trade press. In addition to the positive feedback that we’re delighted about, we’ve also discovered a lot of interest in the project, as well as collaboration opportunities. The welcome we have received has certainly been very positive and encouraging for us. How does your relationship with the enthusiasts change when comparing motorbikes with bicycles? For example, when you meet them at fairs and events, or choosing what technical language to use… There are many elements in common, even if we are well aware that the target audience is very different from what we’re typically used to and the language is different. That’s why we have created a specific bike team internally to work on the project. Cyclists have a much more physical, and therefore less technical, relationship with their means of transport than motorcyclists. This consideration translates into a constant and precise search for the user’s riding attitude and the organisation of their gear, which is very subjective and linked to the specific type of trip. You currently have three product lines in your catalogue. Do they represent the goal you set for yourselves initially? Which of the three do you prefer and why? The line that’s enjoying the greatest success is Adventure, probably because it’s the richest in technical content. And the growth in recent years, especially in Italy, of “gravel” enthusiasts is also impacting the market. What are you working on at the moment? Our R&D department is always active and in a constant research and development phase. We have some very exciting projects being finalised for 2023 such as expanding our Adventure line and unveiling our new “Contatto” fitting system. We also have other projects under development but we can’t reveal anything further at the moment… In terms of expansion, is there a view to export GIVIBike products at a European level or even to other continents? Our approach is step-by-step. At the moment we’re focused on Italy but from 2023 we’re intent on attending European events, starting specifically with certain nations that we’re currently evaluating. And your next trade fair? We’re preparing for Eurobike, an event that we believe is significant for entering the foreign market. We’re also evaluating other fairs that are smaller in size but with a quality audience. And then, of course, the Italian Bike Festival in September which has become a regular occurrence for us. ANDREA ZAMBELLI DESIGN DEPARTMENT How does the design process of a technical bike bag work? The initial phase is definitely the search for the key features that the product in question must have, combined with consumer needs and expectations. This allows you to focus on the key points of the project and helps you think about how to invent new solutions or improve existing ones. The design process changes depending on the technology that is used to We enter the bike world of the company from the front door, with a flurry of questions for communication coordinator Paolo Marini and designer Andrea Zambelli. The interview style dossier we offer brings out a 360° in-depth analysis, consolidating the company’s choices made up to now and demonstrating strong and clear ideas for the future. Let’s start with the questions.
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