Sunday, December 31, 2006

End of 2006, here comes 2007!

I was going to try and go through all the posts and the comments here and try to put together a Best Of for the site and this post, but I admit that I'm too lazy and I couldn't get my act together and compile my favorites. Maybe next year I'll get things moving earlier and involve my other contributors as well. But I ain't promising anything...

2006 has been a wonderful year for me and this site. It's been a little more than a year since the first post here. I had big dreams and modest intentions for this blog; a forum for the cycling industry to come and talk about marketing in the industry, the good and not so good marketing and the various ideas behind it. I also very selfishly wanted to get a chance to collaborate with the folks you see listed on the right side of this site. I consider each of the current contributors friends and will be able to say the same about the new contributors coming on board (more on that in a moment). I can't say that the site has gone exactly as I hoped because the posting hasn't been as often as I hoped- each of us have "day jobs" and other projects were are already working on, so this one has been a side project in our ever-shrinking "free time". However, I am thrilled that readership has stayed strong and many of you have been involved in suggestions for posts and adding to the dialog with your comments. I firmly believe that each of the posts that I or the other contributors put up here are merely the conversation starting point and not the end of the conversation- your input is what really excites me... so thank you!

2007 will hopefully see many great things continue to happen in the cycling industry and the sport itself. Hopefully drug scandals will become a thing of the past (though not likely). Hopefully the market will continue to grow and we'll all get to make a little money. Most importantly to me personally- I hope that we as an industry will continue to talk more to each other and share ideas and work together to grow our industry. By working together, we can accomplish much more than if we fight each other. That's my big, altruistic dream. Oh yeah and that this site becomes a major hub in that unity! That'd be cool.

As I've said recently here, I do plan to get back to more regular posting and to getting back into the core of what this site is about; marketing bicycles or marketing that uses bicycles. With that said, that means I'll be focusing more on advertisements that I like or don't like (including my own again) and discussing what I believe are good marketing strategies and techniques. I don't pretend to have the answers, but I do have ideas and opinions I believe in sharing for discussion with you all. That said, I do still see this site as continuing to evolve as something of a news aggregator, where the writers here continue to dissect and analyze the happenings in the industry and sport. It's just our nature since we are so passionate about all this silliness.

Lastly, but very importantly... the new guys. Our first two new members (whose info will appear in the contributors section very soon) are ready to start playing with the rest of the Krew here and will be bringing some great insights and views on our beloved industry and sport. These two guys bring some great experiences and viewpoints that I am very confident will help to greatly boost the quality of the content here. These two guys will hopefully be joined by a few more aces still hidden up my sleeve, but without further delay...

Meet Phil Gomes; Phil is the author of Spinopsys in Australia. Phil also writes for a political blog there and has contributed to cycling magazines there as well. Phil is also deep in the trenches at a retailer in Sydney. He's got a pretty cool perspective on things and is also a great guy. I had the great pleasure of meeting Phil when I was in Australia in April and I can firmly establish that he is a passionate blogger and cycling nutjob just like me. In his own words, here's Phil's "bio"...
Like many in the bicycle industry, Phil has worked in a number of areas, from retail to distribution and points in between. He's served as a bad mechanic and a good retail manager, unloaded containers, picked and packed orders, worked inside sales and outside as a road warrior, more recently he can be found on the floor at Woolys Wheels, one of Australia's finest bicycle retailers.

Phil also blogs about cycling at Spinopsys.com. wears glasses, has an ironic tattoo sports two earrings, hates driving and likes long walks on the beach under moonlight with that special someone...............Jeebus I'm really bad at this.........It's hard pimping myself......are we dating yet?
I think that covers it all pretty nicely!

Next up is Jeff Rowe; Jeff is a friend of mine here in San Diego, but to dispel any thoughts of cronyism, he's also a damned good writer and journalistic sleuth... and the buyer for a major retailer here. I've known Jeff for a few years and met him through a mutual friend. As I got to know him I realized that we are kindred spirits with very similar leanings in many areas. Jeff is a startlingly funny guy and also has a gigantic heart. I am very confident he will add great commentary here and I am really looking forward to his posts. Jeff is also a reluctant blogger, so he'll have some interesting things to offer and an unique perspective (similar to Donna who was not a big fan of blogging in the beginning). Here's a little background on Jeff as well...

SDSU Journalism/Advertising BA in 1987.

London Bike Messenger 1987 - 1998

Dublin Bike Messenger 1998 - 2002

Retailer 2002 to Present - Currently Buyer at B&L Bike and Sports in San Diego.

Though Jeff offered up a neat and tidy bio here, I can assure you that he can string together some great words and commentary... and he's not one for pulling punches, so this should be pretty darned entertaining. Plus, with all that messenger experience in London and Dublin, I'm sure he's got some great stories to tell and Donna has already requested one about how the industry's marketing approach to messenger-types does or doesn't work. (So there's your first assignment Jeff!)

I hope that all of you will help me welcome Phil and Jeff to the Krew and I know that they will both prove to be great additions to the family. I also want to thank them both for accepting the invite to come play here; thank you guys.

Again, thank you to all of you readers, new and old, who have joined in the conversation. I sincerely thank each and every one of you for coming here and reading what is being said. I look forward to being here in 2007 doing great things and watching what unfolds.

Thank you all for your support and readership.

Tim Jackson
Chief Kool-Aid Dispenser




Posted by Tim Jackson at 8:30 AM

10 Comments

  1. Blogger Guitar Ted posted at 7:23 PM  
    Tim and the rest of the Krew:

    Thanks for doing this. I am a shop mechanic, but I've been in retail for over 23 years so I can totally relate to the marketing theme and bikes. (Obviously) I enjoy reading the posts and commenting when I've got something worthwhile to add. (My opinion, yours may vary!)

    Finally, I want to say what a pleasure and priveledge it was to meet you, Tim. Your enthusiasm is well documented and it is infectious! I will always remember our brief meeting at Interbike.

    Donna: And don't think I wouldn't mention you! I also found you to be an enthusiastic person and very charming. Your posts on this blog are insightful and always a good read.

    Of course, I am in cahoots with Tim, and that's an exciting thing. Perhaps we'll see more of him here in '07?

    Anyway, I just wanted to say how much I appreciated your hard work and give you all that I know a bit of encouragement from a scruffy bike mechanic in Iowa!

    Happy New Year.
  2. Blogger Tim Jackson posted at 7:28 PM  
    G-Ted,

    Dude, thanks for that. I appreciate the thought and certainly hope that we continue to deliver content that brings you back.

    It was a great privilege to meet you in Vegas too. The blogger meet-up was a definite highlight for me- way better than the Sinclair party (seriously).

    Thanks brother- we appreciate it.
  3. Blogger Yokota Fritz posted at 9:45 PM  
    I'm too lazy for a '06 wrap-up too ;-) Looking forward to what you have for us coming up. Happy New Year to you, the Krew, and all of your families.
  4. Blogger Donna Tocci posted at 2:58 PM  
    Guitar Ted - you are too kind! Thank you, it was very nice meeting you in Vegas, too, at both the blogger get-together and then at our booth. :)

    Tim - you've been busy. You Rock! Thanks for bringing on a couple of new Krew members.

    Phil and Jeff...welcome to the Krew! I very much look forward to your posts...and, yes, Jeff, I was serious about that marketing/messenger question.... :)

    To all of you who stop by....I'll echo what Tim says...thank you. We love what we do here, even when it doesn't show sometimes because of the lack of posts. We'll try harder in the new year.

    Happy, healthy New Year to you all. May 2007 be filled with many perfect riding days.
  5. Anonymous Anonymous posted at 9:34 AM  
    Tim,

    One of the highlights for me in 2006 was meeting you online. Thanks for your thoughts and your friendship.
  6. Blogger Tim Jackson posted at 9:38 AM  
    Lewis- Back atcha buddy! I count the friends I have made through the blogosphere as the best return on my blogging investments.
  7. Blogger T-Guy J posted at 11:16 AM  
    I love the writing...it is excellent insite to an industry that I love.

    Keep up the amazing job and here's to a drug-free year :-)

    T-Guy J
  8. Anonymous Anonymous posted at 4:45 PM  
    I have completely enjoyed this blog... after being an avid reader of Jonathan Maus' blog, I was grandfathered in as a reader to Tim's Blog and am very happy I found it. Its been great to read the topics and post my own thoughts with the pleasure of knowing that they will actually be read and sometimes even responded to.

    I look forward to more postings! Thanks everyone!
    Here is to an awesome 07.
    Bryan
  9. Blogger Tim Jackson posted at 4:49 PM  
    T-guy-J and Bryan;

    Thanks guys! Seriously, I started this thing because I love this industry and sport and I just can't shut the hell up about it. There's lot to talk about that doesn't always fit the Masiguy blog, so this site is perfect for that... and like I said, it allows me to work with the contributors you see listed. I'm lucky and they are all very smart.
  10. Anonymous Anonymous posted at 5:10 PM  
    Thank you for the warm welcomes - it's an honor to be invited.

    I will touch on marketing to messengers, but I've been out of the game for 5 years now. Donna, Kryptonite was there with money for Cycle Messenger World Championships from the 3rd, in Toronto, I think.

    A lot of my opinion here will be based on the impossibility of marketing anything to anyone. If your lock is the best, messengers will use it.
    I don't know of any marketing that Phil Wood have ever done (beyond T-Shirts) but every messenger has or dreams of having their hubs. Chris King do very little marketing but do it exceptionally well. If their headsets were not the best ever, no one would care.
    I've read Tipping Point, and I don't beleive that you can create trends by knowing how some began...

    I'm consistently impressed by some eforts in the bicycle industry, and some even generate sales. That's what I'll be commenting on when I can.

    Hello.

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