dispelling the myths; marketing bicycling to women
DESCRIPTION
In this presentation to the 2014 Iowa Bicycling Summit, League Women Bike director Carolyn Szczepanski shares some of the common misconceptions about women & bicycling — and some top line ideas to improve marketing and communications. Learn more at bikeleague.org/womenbikeTRANSCRIPT
Marketing Bicycling to Women; Increasing Female Ridership
Women on a Roll
Photo by Martha Williams
Women Bike aims to change the face of bicycling by creating pathways for women of all backgrounds to embrace bicycling and participate as riders, advocates and leaders
Women on a Roll
First Women Bike report Compiles more than 100 data points Identifies barriers and opportunities to get more women riding
Myth: Women are a homogeneous group
WOMEN BIKEChanging the face of bicycling by getting more women on bikes
and participating as riders, advocates and leaders
Myth: Women don’t like bikes
Myth: Women aren’t concerned about biking as a community issue
Myth: Women don’t commute by bike
Myth: Women don’t ride as much as men
Myth: Women aren’t engaged in advocacy
Myth: Women are a bicycling minority
Myth: Women bicyclists are no different than men
Myth: Women aren’t absolutely, positively essential to mainstreaming bicycling
Myth: Gender parity isn’t possible
Netherlands = 55% women
Myth: Gender parity isn’t possible
Engaging more women = Leading edge of bike advocacy
2012 2013
2012: Two-hour panel, 200 attendees 2013: Full-day event, 400 participants
2014: Join us on March 3!
>> Fun (73%) >> Fitness (69%) >> Recreation (45%)
TOP 3 REASONS WOMEN RIDE
Motivations
>> 93% of Seattle women said cycling is “great exercise and keeps me in shape”
Riding for health
Motivations
>> Women (31%) are significantly more likely to ride as a family activity than men (18%)
Riding with family
Motivations
>> 42% of women say they’d ride more if they had people to ride with
Riding for social connection
Motivations
>> 3,100+ riders for Rapha Women’s 100 >> 36% of 2012 USA Triathlon members were women
Riding for empowerment
Motivations
>> Comfort >> Convenience >> Confidence >> Consumer products >> Community
>> 5 Cs to More Women Riding…
Messaging
Don’t change how people THINK
Messaging
Change how people FEEL
Messaging
Tell STORIES
Be VISUAL
Messaging
It’s NOT about the bike, or the ride, or the cycle track, or the law, or the trail, or the bike plan, or the education class…
Messaging
What are we REALLY selling?
Messaging
It’s NOT about the bike, or the ride, or the cycle track, or the law, or the trail, or the bike plan…
Messaging
Media
3/4 of women online use social media 72% of online women use Facebook (62% of men) Female bicyclists are more likely than male cyclists to have a Facebook (85% vs 64%) and Twitter (34% vs 24%) account
Media Women are more active on
Pintrest and Instagram
Pintrest: 25% of online women Instagram: 15% of online women
Media
Word of mouth: 67% of women follow up when sent a news item by a friend or family Women are 56% more likely than men to share or like what others post on social media
Media
Who are your MESSENGERS? >> on your website
>> featured in your materials >> in leadership
Photo of Janette Sadik-Khan, by Derin Thorpe, courtesy of Momentum magazine
Women Bike: Join Us!
Attend the National Women’s Bicycling Forum bikeleague.org/forum March 3, 2014 Use our resources bikeleague.org/womenbike Subscribe to our E-news bikeleague.org/womenbike Join our community facebook.com/womenbike @womenbike | #womenbike Contact [email protected]