Booth Babes @ Interbike

[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).

[zoom-zoom]

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).

Even better, I happily participate in and jabber gleefully to anyone who will listen about one of the "fringe" segments of cycling where women make up a small part of the field, but our presence is growing. At Saturday's cyclocross race we had 8 gals in the C race out of maybe 50 or more riders. A couple of years ago 1-3 was more typical. I don't think we saw >5 until later in the season last year.

[Jo-n-NY]

I was at Interbike and did not see anything like that. Were then in the Sands Convention Center? What is also weird is that Cannondale bikes were not represented there this year (or last year also). There was an announcement that Guru is joining the brand and there was a Guru booth in the Triathalon section.

[Crankin]

What do you mean, that Guru is joining the brand? They are going to be part of Cannondale?
Glad I already bought my Guru.

[ridebikeme]

I guess I'm showing my age when I say this, but unfortunately this is true of every industry. Nice looking people are always in ads whether they actually look the part or not. Take for instance Terry bicycles, owned my a woman however many ads simply show women that don't look the part...obviously no different than others.

I have been in the industry for 21 years now, protested a lot at the beginning, refused to buy inventory for the shop because of these "sexist" attitudes... apparently it simply didn't do any good. It's in the media, and doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon.
However, I do hope that more people will 'vote' with their checkbook and perhaps if there is enough impact, then perhaps things will start to change.

Voice your opinions to your LBS, sales reps and anyone that is part of this industry... but don't forget it's everywhere and in the true sense of the world... bikes are only a small part.

[Jo-n-NY]

What do you mean, that Guru is joining the brand? They are going to be part of Cannondale?
Glad I already bought my Guru.

Yes although when we walked into the room you wouldn't know it because Cannondale was not shown anywhere. We thought we were in the wrong room until the Guru guy made the announcement.

[Susan Otcenas]

I'd like to weigh in on this.

First, let me start out by saying that the booth babes drive me batty. It's so sexist and outdated that it makes me see red every time I see one of them. That said...

Interbike is not aimed at the consumer. Although a few consumers get in to the show because their bike shops get them passes (a big no-no, but it happens), the vendors are not really attempting to speak to the consumer here. What they want is shop owners and their employees to be attracted to their booths and to place orders for their products. The harsh reality is that this industry is VASTLY dominated by men. Male owners, male shop employees, males running the vendors and vendor booths, etc. There are two ways to attract men to the booth that might not otherwise stop by. 1) eye candy in the form of booth babes and 2) free beer.

Over the 12 years I have been going to interbike, I've noticed two things. 1) the number of booths serving beer has increased every year, and the time at which they begin serving has gotten earlier and earlier. And 2) the number of booth babes has actually diminished quite a lot. Yes, they are still there at some vendors, but in far fewer numbers than it used to be. I think these two trends are correlated. If you can't give 'em skin, give 'em beer.

There is far more women's product at Interbike than there used to be. Not just from the traditional brands, but also a surprising number of women's-only brands (shebeest, sheila moon, soas, skirt sports, active angels, harlot, and more.) More female buyers and shop owners. The OIWC (Outdoor Industries Women's Coalition) has a women's lounge set up on the floor for women to meet and greet, have happy hour, etc. Lots more coordination and networking amongst female show goers than there used to be.

So, it's getting better. We aren't there yet, but as someone who has been around the industry a long time, I can say its definitely improving.

If you want it to get better, make your voice heard. When you see brands advertising in ways that you find offensive, you should send them a letter expressing your displeasure. Most of these companies just aren't all that big, and a relatively small number of complaints received can actually have a reasonably big impact.

Susan

[zoom-zoom]

If you want it to get better, make your voice heard. When you see brands advertising in ways that you find offensive, you should send them a letter expressing your displeasure. Most of these companies just aren't all that big, and a relatively small number of complaints received can actually have a reasonably big impact.

Susan

I think that's what surprised me by the Specialized ad with the sexy nurse...seriously, Specialized feels the need for that level of desperation?!

Replacing booth babes with beer?! That would be fine by me. I <3 beer, though.

[withm]

When I hear stuff like this - booth babes, beer at the show, etc, and coupled with so many inane articles and columns, not to mention silly advertising, in Bicycling Magazine, it makes me think the entire industry is being run by juvenile young men. Is it "Dumb and Dumber" for the cycling industry?