Inexpensive or cheap?

Inexpensive. Cheap. The two words essentially mean the same thing. But do they really mean exactly the same thing? Dictionary.com defines "inexpensive" as "not expensive; not high in price; costing little". Sounds like a reasonable definition to me. However, when you ask Dictionary.com to define "cheap", not only do you get the above definition, you get a laundry list of other definitions, which include:

• "Costing little labor or trouble"
• "Charging low prices"
• "Stingy; miserly"
• "Of little account;of small value; shoddy"

...just to name a few. For the most part, most of the definitions involve money in some shape or form. But the last definition, "Of little account; of small value; shoddy", seems to imply something else entirely. This definition seems to defy the nickels, dimes, and dollars and focuses more on specific, outward qualities of the item in question. Just word "shoddy" conjures up less than savory images of some object that has either fallen into a state of disrepair, is victim of poor workmanship or quality, or has been treated badly or abused. very few people would be proud to have this adjective associated with their home, car, clothing, dog, or any other personal possession.

I've always been a big believer that there is a difference between the words "inexpensive" and "cheap". Just because something is inexpensive doesn't mean it needs to look cheap in its outward appearance.

Over the years working in the cycling industry, I have made an interesting observation about the graphic treatments on many brands of bicycles. There seems to be this unwritten rule somewhere that many Product Managers live by that says mountain bikes under the retail price point of about $800 must include contrasting two-tone paint, bold graphics with brand names screaming on the downtubes, and garish colorways? I mean, some of these things are enough to cause someone a seizure. Is this what consumers in this category really want?

Don't get me wrong, Haro was not immune to this strategy. Our popularly-priced V-Series line has met all of the above criteria for many years. Did it makes these bikes dogs? Of course not. But based on feedback we received from our dealers and sales reps, we decided that it was time to give the good 'ol V-Series bikes a bit of a face lift to give them more personality and have them stand out in the sea of screaming two-tone bikes in the under $800 retail range.

As a Brand Manager, this V-Series re-design has been pretty darn fun. We started with a brand new name. Since the V-Series name was somewhat dated and lacked personality, we set out on a journey to find a new name. Mind you, the whole bike model name picking process isn't exactly a picnic. It's a long and involved process of research, discussion, thought, voting, and sometimes even bickering. And in the end, there's usually not a clear-cut winner that everyone agrees upon. In the case of this project, we got fairly lucky that a name stood out among the crowd. We decided on the name "Flightline"; which was named after our local network of trails which shared the same name about a mile from the office where many of us rode on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the owners of this precious piece of land felt that we needed a few more business parks and industrial buildings in the area, so our beloved trail network is now being bulldozed in preparation for development. We felt the name "Flightline" would be a fitting tribute and would serve to tell a story.

We also decided to ditch the two tone paint on all models in favor of hipper, monotone colorways. Since black is the new black, we've got quite a few of black bikes in the line. Most of our dealers tell us they can sell black bikes all day long, so black it is. I pulled a few "hit" colors from the higher-end MTB line into this new line and added some new, fun colors as well. We've got Harlot Red (just a nice, deep red), Creme Brulee (looks just like the yummy dessert), and Sasparilla (a semi-metallic bronze-ish color) just to name a few. OK, I'll be a girl for just a moment and say that I really enjoy picking colors!

The next step in the re-design process was the development of the new Flightline graphics. In effort to update the model's image and have them stand out in the crowd, we wanted to develop clean, simple graphics along the line of what we use on our higher-end mountain bikes. I gave Rick, our in-house graphic designer, a few guidelines and ideas of what I was looking for. He retreated into his lair and began to work his magic. After a few days in artistic isolation, Rick emerged with about 15 different looks for us to choose from. And what really sucked about that is they were all great. It was pretty hard to choose just one. After a few hours of debate, we did choose a winner; the beauty of it all was we now have 14 other graphic packages just waiting in the wings to be used for other projects. Rick did an amazing job. Our final Flightline graphics are clean, simple, and sophisticated. A far cry from the seizure-inducing V-Series graphics of old.

By now, you probably expect to see some photos of the new Flightline bikes or maybe even some digital renderings. Nope. We're going to officially unveil the new line to our dealers and the public early April, so they're going to stay under wraps for the meantime.

During this whole cosmetic re-design process, my goal was to create a line of bikes that even though they are relatively inexpensive, wouldn't look cheap. We wanted to create bicycles that customers would perceive as valuable and be proud to own. I hope our customers like our new Flightline series as much as we do; we certainly had a good time creating them.

And now on to the topic of my J-O-B...

"So...what do you do for a living?"

Just how I answer this question depends largely upon who is doing the asking. If it's coming from a "layperson" (and by that I mean someone who doesn't have any connections to cycling or the outdoors whatsoever), I usually just respond that I work in management within the bicycle industry. The majority of the time, people sort of politely nod their head and respond with some sort of pleasantry like, "That's cool". Responses like that always crack me up because based on the "tone" of the responder's voice, you'd think I told them that I worked in the field of quantum physics. Most people don't understand bicycles from a technical aspect, so they don't have a clue about how to respond or ask questions about what I do. It's sort of this weird I'm-impressed-but-don't-know-a-damn-thing-about-your-field-so-I-just-won't-ask-any-questions kind of vibe which usually results in the topic of conversation being changed to something else.

However, if someone who is a cyclist or other outdoor afficianado asks me about what I do, I'll generally respond with my specific title. The response I get in this case is usually something along the lines of, "Wow! That's really cool. You must have a super fun job. Tell me more about what you do".

Well, by job goes a little something like this. My title is Mountain Bike Brand Manager for Haro Bicycles, and yes, my job really is fun. I've been with Haro for about 6 years now. I started as an Inside Sales Rep, then moved into the role as Marketing Coordinator. Eventually I was promoted to Marketing Manager and then again to Mountain Bike Brand Manager.

In the simplest of descriptions, my job is to build the brand and image of our line of mountain bikes, so it's primarily a function of marketing with a secondary role in product management. Starting with the product itself, I work with a team of Product Managers, Pat Crosby and Wayne Doran, to build a line of bikes from the ground up. As a group, we decide on models, basic spec, and price points we'd like to offer and then I turn the product guys loose to turn a concept into reality. While they are busy deciding between Shimano and SRAM, RockShox or Fox, and all that good stuff that turns a frame into a bike, I begin to select bike colors and direct our graphics department on bike decal artwork.

Once we have gone through the daunting task of getting price quotes, reviewing spec, getting samples, creating sales forecasts, and receiving the finished product into our warehouses, it's time to start selling it. My job as a Brand Manager is to identify and implement a wide variety of tools to accomplish this like:

• Magazine ads-Right now, we use Bike, Decline, Mountain Bike Action, and MTBR.com as our primary media outlets. I'm in charge of buying all the ad space, negotiating the pricing, managing the deadline, and planning/directing the content of each ad.
• Dealer sales programs-I don't have a huge hand in this, but I do work with our Sales Director to move slower-moving models, create special sales programs for shop employees, and other special sales programs and incentives.
• Pro athlete sponsorship-My job in this area is much easier than it used to be. When we used to have a large factory race team, I used to manage a team of about4 or 5 athletes and 2-3 support staffers. Now, we have narrowed our focus down a little bit and I just have two slopestyle guys to manage: Cam Zink and Eric Porter. They are awesome guys.
• Collateral material (like catalogs)-This is a really fun project for me; generally I write the copy, direct the bike/action shots, and work with our designers to put it all together.
• Magazine product reviews-This is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. There's nothing I love more than to see our bikes get good reviews in the magazines. I work the editors to get them new product info and help them with any other info they need to write their reviews.
• PR campaigns-In addition to writing press releases that relate to the MTB side of Haro, I also handle all the corporate PR needs for Haro.
• New product introductions-Interike, Eurobike, Taipei Bike Show, and our own internal National Sales Meeting are our big new product introduction events. I could devote days of chatter just on this topic. Trade shows are a HUGE undertaking...
• Demo programs-I have created two different demo program for our bikes. One is a traveling program where we take a trailer full of bikes to various bike events all over the country for people to test ride. The second is our "Demo in a Box" program where we send demo bikes to Haro dealers via UPS for customers to try out. Hey, we wouldn't buy a car without test driving it...why should a bike be any different?
• Other consumer/dealer educational resources-I've been doing quite a bit of travel to do clinics and product presentations for our dealers and distributors. This is always pretty fun because it gives these folks a chance to ask questions and give us feedback.

Whew! Wow, I just realized I have written a novel here. Sorry 'bout that. But, in a not-such-a-nutshell, that's what I do for Haro. That's the long, and well, long of it. On the nuts and bolts side...I have a BS degree in Marketing (and no, I don't mean THAT kind of B.S. although some may argue with me on that...) as well as an AA degree in Graphic Design (that I do next to nothing with).

By the time it's taken you all to read this ridiculosly long post, you've probably either drank all the beer in your fridge and/or missed your favorite TV show. I know NONE of us read blogs from work, so you haven't lost any productivity there. So, with that said, I'm going to sign off of the blogoshere for now.

Cheers!

How It All Got Started

I have been a die-hard cyclist since 1997. I took up the sport when I moved to Steamboat Springs, CO to take a job managing an art gallery. It seemed like everyone in Steamboat had a mountain bike, so in effort to shed my “new girl from California” image, I bought one and was instantly hooked. The riding in Steamboat is nothing short of amazing, so the actual act of becoming addicted to mountain biking wasn’t all that hard. I liken it to a junkie needing that fix.



When I moved back to California about a year later, I took up cross-country racing after attending the “Women’s Only Weekend” mountain bike skills clinic held annually in Big Bear, CA. I continued to train and hone my skills, eventually finding that my true talents were on the downhill and technical trails sections, so I took up downhill racing. I raced downhill for several years; my “career” highlights include numerous local and NORBA National Series wins and podiums, 2001 #1 ranked Expert female in the USA, 2-time US National Team Member to UCI Master’s World Championships, and I held a pro license in 2002. I have also held top-ten National Age Group BMX rankings in both cruiser and 20”.

Nowadays, I still race occasionally but I much prefer to ride just for the joy of riding. I guess after 8 years of training and racing, my desire to compete is just plain worn out. I enjoy “giving back” to the sport wherever I can; in fact, I have been a volunteer instructor at Big Bear’s Women’s Only Weekend for the past 7 consecutive years.


The past 10 years have been a great ride (no pun intended…OK maybe just a little bit). Through cycling, I have met and had the opportunity to work with some truly amazing folks. Cyclist are just good people. I think some of my life’s highest highs and lowest lows have been in some way, shape, or form connected to this crazy cycling lifestyle that tends to mystify the outside world. Cycling has been a fuel for hobby and fitness, as well as been my source of income for several years. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. The good news is the ride ain’t over yet…I don’t plan to step off this section of trail until the day I step into my grave.


Happy trails, ya’ll.

I think this is where I say, "Wecome to my blog"...

So there. I said it. I said the words "my" and "blog" together in a sentence. Not so long ago, if someone was to tell me I'd be sitting here starting my own blog, I probably would have rolled my eyes and said, "I don't think so".

Well, here I am. I decided to start this blog for a few different reasons. I've been working in the bike industry for the past 7 years or thereabouts. I'm not exactly an industry "veteran" quite yet, but I've been in the biz long enough to have gathered some great stories and a few (hopefully) interesting insights. When I describe my job as Mountain Bike Brand Manager for Haro Bikes, people are usually pretty fascinated and say something like, "Wow, your job sounds so COOL!". My job IS really cool and it occured to me that maybe a few people would like to hear more about it. If not, well that's what the "back" button is for on the top left-hand corner of your computer screen.

I also realized that my job becomes even more interesting to folks because of the fact that I'm a woman. There's not many of us in this business, let me tell you. We're outnumbered probably 7 to 1. There are even fewer women in the capacity of Brand or Product Managers. Last month when I was in Taiwan visiting some of our vendors, I met with Stella Yu, owner of the one of the largest saddle manufacturers in the world, and arguably one of the most powerful business people in the Taiwan cycling industy. She said, "Jill, other than Sky Yaeger when she used to work for Bianchi, you are the only other woman to come visit my factory as a manager". To be compared second in line to the infamous Sky Yaeger (who is now working for Swobo developing their new line of bikes), is one of the best compliments I'd received in a long time. So given the fact that we ladies of the bike industry are somewhat of a rarity, we've all got some funny stories from a different perspective.

And last but not least, I have to credit my friend and co-worker Tim Jackson aka "Masi Guy" for encouraging me to start a blog. Sure, I'll admit it. I've teased him and poked fun at him and his little blog-o-rama he's got going. So much so that I think at times he's been tempted to slip arsenic into my coffee at work. He has a great following of Masi fans on his blog and has been bugging me to start a Haro blog. OK, this isn't really a Haro blog, but it's going to be good practice for one. That's my next project.

There you have it. I hope my entries are at least somewhat entertaining and maybe even educational. If you don't like my rants and raves, there are plenty of other eccentric blogs and crap out there you can go amuse yourself with.

Ciao for now.