Booth Babes @ Interbike

[Bethany1]

I'll get blasted for this, but sex sells. It's as simple as that. Every company/convention uses it to some degree and it's not going away. Guys are visually oriented for better or for worse and companies know that. Now the guy representing the pope in this shot for some odd reason leaves much to be desired and leaves me feeling grossed out. If that's how Cannondale is representing themselves, their PR department screwed up.

Where the companies need to appeal to women is through their reps attitudes toward women. Be friendly. Be comfortable and be willing/know your stuff. Nothing wrong with a little ego stroking, just don't come across as pathetic. If I walk up to a booth and feel talked down to or made to feel stupid, I'm walking away. If the only things at your booth are made for the male audience, you have nothing I want. If you cater towards the elite professionals, someone like me knows I don't belong at your booth.

The thing that companies need to realize is that there are a huge range of cyclists out there from the top professionals to recreational riders and provide for that. Catering to one group leaves you earning money only for that percentage of the population. If that's all you care about, that's fine. My money goes to the companies that cater to my needs. I'm not brand specific or loyal to one company. If you have what I need or want, you have my attention, my money and I'll be at your booth.

In real life, most guys know what makes a real woman athlete and it's not about booth babes, it's about us.

[goldfinch]

My sister has a friend that has a booth at DEFCON, the long running computer hacker/security convention. For some years he hired "promotional models." He also had friends work the booth for part of the time, including my middle-aged sister. What his friends had in common is a lot of knowledge about the products sold. They did far better than the models at getting people to stop by the booth and buy his products. He dropped the eye candy

Sex doesn't necessarily sell. If they claim it does I want to see the data. Maybe the booth babes attract some guys to come by and chat them up, but do they really help sales or is it an assumption that they do?

[Kiwi Stoker]

I don't think sex selling and cyclists really fit well. I mean guys that ride bikes are normally a bit tech-heady. They want to know about the technology, the design, the weight savings, did it help so-and-so to win this race. They actually find the bikes "sexy" in themselves- like the curves, colour, shape etc. I tried to get our photography more "sexy" as such by getting the photographer to try different angles and not just side on- boring shots. I wanted close ups of the carbon lay-up, the aero curves as well as the technical data and testing to be shown. That's what a person is buying with a bike.

However things weere a bit different for race and street BMX- these guys are skater boy, strret creed stuff. They wanted colour, design and people doing tricks and stunts. I think most guys here are not really into booth babes either. They admire skill and ability top most and are anti-establishment. Racing BMX also doesn't have anything to do with skin showing- it's all body armor and full race helmets there.

I suspect the brands that are using "sex sells" are either out of touch with their target audience or trying to take the easy- shock value route.

[shootingstar]

My sister has a friend that has a booth at DEFCON, the long running computer hacker/security convention. For some years he hired "promotional models." He also had friends work the booth for part of the time, including my middle-aged sister. What his friends had in common is a lot of knowledge about the products sold. They did far better than the models at getting people to stop by the booth and buy his products. He dropped the eye candy

I'm not totally convinced that alot of cycling guys are not interested in boob babes --but they do prefer fit, sexy women who are athletic as well. In hanging out in some internet forums that are co-ed, some at the very least, use boob jokes, photos as a sort of shared bravado, as a joke.

Which is what my partner seems to see that sort of tactic: an amusing joke. I know this is insulting to those gals. But how else do some guys respond to ill-conceived marketing tactics?

My thinking is a car, is what you use to ...also take someone else in a car. A bike.....well?

[tulip]

Just watch this.

http://www.streetfilms.org/the-inaug...icycle-summit/

[zoom-zoom]

Just watch this.

http://www.streetfilms.org/the-inaug...icycle-summit/

2025 seems so far away. I hope we see gender equity in cycling well before that!

[tulip]

2025 seems so far away. I hope we see gender equity in cycling well before that!

Hoping won't go far. Get out there and be a part of it, if only even by riding your bike (which of course you do already).