Dec 28, 2012 at 04:41 PM
Glad to see that Cannondale deal come through, I know you guys worked hard last year to get that going, nice to see it come to fruition!
Sponsor Deals & Details
Dec 29, 2012 at 12:15 AM
Okay folks, I'm happy to announce that the grassroots deal with Cannondale is now OPEN.
The details are too many to post, so I've attached a memo that outlines everything you should need. Please read it carefully, but let me know if you have any questions.
The first window for ordering will be from now until January 31, 2013. For information about how to order and when the additional windows will be, see the memo.
Also:
I'm happy to announce that we now can receive great discounts on Reynolds products through our shop sponsor Ride Brooklyn. Category 123s get 40% off; Category 4s get 20%. To access this deal, just shop at Ride.
See attached:
- Cannondale Memo
- Updated Sponsorship Opportunities list
Dec 29, 2012 at 01:40 PM
Dec 29, 2012 at 02:29 PM
Ryan has put together a really fantastic sponsor package this year - big props to him for getting it done, and done before Year's End.
Thanks Ryan!
Dec 29, 2012 at 04:28 PM
Thanks Jules, lots of people made this possible, I just wrangled the final push.
I also want to address something that some may be concerned about. I received a couple emails from people who are unhappy with the differentiation between the categories; i.e. 123s getting better discounts than 4s in some of our deals. If I heard from anyone, I assume there are others, so...
Please understand that this is complicated and its largely not in the club's control. The industry standard on things like this seems to be that more perks come to 123s. Personally, I don't agree with that at all. In fact, I think it makes zero sense and I've said so in our negotiations many, many times. But sometimes compromises are needed to get deals done at all. The Cannondale deal for example involves coming to a consensus between our sponsorship committee, Cannondale's corporate folks, Cannondale's marketing rep, and Ride Brooklyn, all while trying to listen to the varying opinions of our own members.
The provision for "active riders" in the Cannondale deal was specifically designed to protect opportunities for our lower categories when it became clear it was going to be hard to get a deal that gave them the same discounts as the 123s in time for the new year when sponsors' budgets wrap up. We know there are plenty of very good riders who can't or don't upgrade for whatever reason. And there are plenty of 123s who are no better than your average 4. So please don't take any of this personally. And, more importantly, understand that as long as you are an active member of the club, we want you to have the discount and that is why we have set up a mechanism for you to get it.
As for the discounts at Ride Brooklyn and on the Reynolds deal; again, if I had my way the discounts would be equal across the board. But its not all in our control. Ride is our first ever viable shop sponsor and we are nurturing that relationship. The Ride deal is getting better gradually and I'm hoping that over time I'll get them to move on this issue. But again, sometimes you have to compromise a bit to get things done at all.
In the end, everyone on the board is just a regular member who has volunteered to try to make the club better for everyone else. As sponsorship director, I'm committed to getting us deals, and making those deals better over time. I promise you that if its a deal that I was involved with, I did everything I possibly could to help create opportunities for as many Kissenas as possible.
Dec 29, 2012 at 09:39 PM
Guys - if you only knew how many times some potential sponsor or partner said something dickish like "cat 4s are cat 5s with 10 races" and saw Ryan fight back and battle over the issue you'd be lining up to give him hand jobs. I've personally heard him fight this battle on conference calls and I know he's dealt with it in lunch meetings and over endless email chains. This has been a part time job for Ryan so I'm taking it a little personally. He got the best deal possible. Hopefully it will get better.
What this "active member" provision does is allows active cat 4s to get the 123 deal on Cannondales if they are truly active members. That is fucking sweet. What it is also does (which makes sponsors happy) is prevents dudes we've never met from joining Kissena and buying a Cannondale at Ride for cost. With a big open membership club like ours this is a real concern of every potential sponsor. So sometimes what makes our club really great, also makes us though to deal with.
If you're really new to the club and don't qualify for the first order, get involved and jump on the 2nd order! That's how this club works, a lot of volunteer labor to make a hobby into something awesome.
Dec 29, 2012 at 09:41 PM
I think that's it's pretty amazing in the like 10-minutes that Ryan has been the new Sponsorship Director, we've already seen some great swag coming down the road.
Personally, I don't think the level of discount should be equal across the board. I think the level of discount we get should be tied to number of hours/projects/whatever we contribute to the greater functioning of the club and the community at large.
But just for argument sake, just because you can beat me up Alpine, does that mean you should get an equal or better deal on equipment? Are we going to be moving towards a "watts/kg" based arrangement? Look at it from the sponsors point of view. In theory, our higher category racers should be attending larger and regional/national level races, some of which garner media attention and larger public audiences than the whistle blowers in PP on a Sunday morning in April.
Personally, I don't think the level of discount should be equal across the board. I think the level of discount we get should be tied to number of hours/projects/whatever we contribute to the greater functioning of the club and the community at large.
But just for argument sake, just because you can beat me up Alpine, does that mean you should get an equal or better deal on equipment? Are we going to be moving towards a "watts/kg" based arrangement? Look at it from the sponsors point of view. In theory, our higher category racers should be attending larger and regional/national level races, some of which garner media attention and larger public audiences than the whistle blowers in PP on a Sunday morning in April.
Dec 29, 2012 at 09:59 PM
Dec 29, 2012 at 10:59 PM
Thanks Marc, but lots of people deserve credit. This is the result of a real team effort. Particularly Myles for laying groundwork in the past, Jules for making our face one that is more attractive to sponsors, and Ros for designing the clothes and our new sponsorship brochure.Marc Bertucco said:I think that's it's pretty amazing in the like 10-minutes that Ryan has been the new Sponsorship Director, we've already seen some great swag coming down the road.
Dec 30, 2012 at 01:59 AM
I think the deals we have now are fantastic, all things considered. Frankly a 100+ person club with no barriers to entry is not an appealing prospect to potential sponsors.
That Ryan got us what he did is a testament to his perseverance and diplomacy.
That Ryan got us what he did is a testament to his perseverance and diplomacy.
Jan 09, 2013 at 03:09 PM
The CycleOps website states that club orders take 6-8 weeks to process / ship. Does anyone have any experience to suggest whether that is that accurate or are they padding that out the estimate?
Jan 09, 2013 at 03:23 PM
I got my wheelset from them much quicker. But David Stokes got his in about that timeframe. It depends on inventory. You could always call them. They are actually quite responsive.
Jan 09, 2013 at 03:49 PM
Mark I'm pretty sure that if you follow the instructions in the "sponsorship opportunities" PDF (above) it'll come much quicker. We've got a discount code but it's not technically a "club order." I don't think, anyway.
Jan 09, 2013 at 05:05 PM
definitely depends on inventory
Jan 09, 2013 at 05:38 PM
I'll give them a shout. Going through the Kissena route w/ discount code, it suggested 6-8 weeks.
Cheers.
Jan 15, 2013 at 11:23 PM
Ryan, thank you and to all for all the leg work on getting the club these great opportunities
Jan 17, 2013 at 02:50 AM
Some updates to the Ride Brooklyn deal. These are good for the next year. Please be sure when you go to thank them, especially Al and Pete. Its really cool that they are giving us more and more and we want the relationship to grow. And a reminder - don't try to lie about your category to get a better discount. If you do, people will find out, and you will probably feel really bad. And you might get kicked out of the club. Thanks.
Here's the deal:
(-) $600 in gift cards (24 cards in the amount of $25 each) that we'll distribute as prizes and for good deeds
(-) Discounts on retail items as follows: Category 5 riders will receive a 10% discount; Category 4 riders will receive a 15% discount; Category 3, 2 and 1 riders will receive a 20% discount; Mentors and juniors receive a “cost + 15%” discount
(-) Discounts on Reynolds products at approximately 40% off MSRP for 123s, 20% for 4s (no discount for 5s)
(-) 5% discount on bikes (except Cannondale, which is 40%)
(-) 20 "free computrainer hours" to use during store hours on WEEKDAYS. So, anytime you want to computrain, just show up and they'll take care of you until we run out. Just be sure you get started before 5:30.
(-) 100 RIDE branded water bottles; likely with the next clothing order
Plus they are facilitating the Cannondale deal, and giving free space to host parties and events like training talks, mechanics classes, etc.
Shine on, bike nerds. Let me know if you have any questions.
Jan 17, 2013 at 03:11 AM
Splendid Ryan. First rate!
Jan 17, 2013 at 03:47 PM
This is amazing. Big ups to you, Ryan, as well as to Al and Pete. It's awesome that we have a shop that is being this supportive.
Jan 17, 2013 at 10:25 PM
YOU GUYS ARE DA BEST
DA BEST
Jan 17, 2013 at 11:10 PM
Awesome.
Does the ~40% off Reynolds stuff include RZR wheels? And is this a category agnostic discount? Spending on the RZRs might help me get some upgrade points so that I can move up to cat3 to get the bona fide 40% Cannondale deal. Going for an epic discount bridge here... (just so I might get dropped less quickly in cat3 races on my 11 lb. bike).
Jan 17, 2013 at 11:12 PM
Actually --please answer that question in the negative... I do not want the RZR wheels. I do not want the RZR wheels... I do not want...
Jan 17, 2013 at 11:36 PM
EPIC DISCOUNT BRIDGE!!!
YOU CAN DO IT!!!
JUST TUCK IN BEHIND ONE OF OUR CLUB'S BIG SPENDERS!!!
Jan 18, 2013 at 12:18 AM
Good idea... I need some more ideas... can we get a group to meetup to discuss the plan? Let's meet in front of the Check Cashing joint on Flatbush just above Ride Brooklyn. I nominate Ryan as Discount Captain since he knows this stuff inside-out and he's obviously got the look that makes men want to offer crazy good discounts. If we have enough guys, we can attack in pairs --as soon as the first pair get their receipts, another pair immediately attacks the counter with some goods. Don't piddle around back at the wrenchin' desk... stay at the front, grab a saddle, some bottle cages, panniers, whatever you can get a couple of strong sales guys to follow you and go! No gaps at the register! If we run out of guys and they still think I'm a cat4 fifteen-percenter, then the guys who have rested their wallets for a bit can attack again... If that still doesn't work, I'll grab the RZR's out of the basement vault, and we'll get the train going all the way through from the Computrainer room... The clerks won't know what hit them... Hopefully, I'll have the credit legs to pull out the RZR purchase, then we can go down to Konditori and I'll buy you guys some muffins.
Jan 18, 2013 at 01:46 AM
I agree, our sponsor deals and are fantastic. Ride Brooklyn is turning into a great partner shop. Great job all around. But...Jules said:I think the deals we have now are fantastic, all things considered. Frankly a 100+ person club with no barriers to entry is not an appealing prospect to potential sponsors. That Ryan got us what he did is a testament to his perseverance and diplomacy.
I'm going to exercise my inner JP and Adam and be a little contrary and suggest that being a 100+ person club is in fact one of our unique selling points. I'm biased, because back in the Myles era, I wrote up a mess-load of sponsorship/sales docs that I'm pretty sure are still collecting dust in damp basement somewhere in the Hamptons.
1. From the shop's point of view. Offering a club incentives to shop at their store instead of online or at another shop costs them nothing. They make money even on the mentor +15% deal (P.S. I want a top-secret mentor badge to flash to them, okay?). And they potentially have instant access to 100+ new customers. As opposed to say, We Stand United and their, say 8 guys.
2. Exposure. With a lot of guys, there's a lot of opportunities to "broadcast" shop logos on jerseys and flash fancy-pants wheel decals spinning at 30 mph as guys are racing up in New England, down in PA, over in Wisconsin/Chicago, etc. Kissena is all over the place. On the track, road and cyclocross. There is seriously not a more well-rounded team out there. There are plenty of CRCA sub-teams that are park race rats only. How many clubs were successful on the road, track and cross this year? Not many. But we've got wins and podiums galore across all disciplines.
3. Grass roots. Here's the thing. I don't give a shit what some Mengoni doper is riding. I do not think it means he thinks it is a good product. I think it means, that is what the team gave him to ride. I'm much more interested in what rank and file riders are spending their hard earned money on. I'm more interested in seeing what equipment choices guys like JP and Mattie make because it's their business to know what works.
I'm starting to get hypoglycemic and need to eat dinner now...there's more, but you get my drift I gather...
Jan 18, 2013 at 03:32 AM
Actually Marc, they're collecting dust on my hard drive. But FWIW we used them to inform the text for the sponsorship brochure, which actually makes all the same points you do in number two above. The 100+ person club is exactly what we are selling. But Jules is right in that the sponsors DO get nervous about it. It's not always logical, but they do.
Jan 18, 2013 at 03:23 PM
The Reynolds deal through Ride Brooklyn is straight 40% for 123, 20% for 4. The "active rider" provision (like we have for Cannondale) does not apply. Also there is no discount on Reynolds for 5s.normanzo said:Does the ~40% off Reynolds stuff include RZR wheels? And is this a category agnostic discount?
Jan 18, 2013 at 03:53 PM
This whole sponsorship thing is quite intriguing to me. Would be very interested to get the low-down from some of you chaps who are involved in the preparation and generation of these sponsor relationships. I'm really interested to get to understand the sort of process required to get this sort of thing going. I can only imagine, however, that this requires quite a lot of time and effort. I congratulate all those involved in that regard, sincerely.
One question I do have, that might be answerable, is 'What is the club objective regarding sponsorship; why do we pursue sponsorship agreements?' It seems clear(ish) to me why the shops/vendors want them (advertisement and sales, even if not at total mark-up profits). I was wondering what the club's angle is?
Jan 18, 2013 at 06:54 PM
Adam,
I'll take a crack at answering for you. Sponsor discounts are a good deal for the club because it helps attract and retain members. A good sponsorship program with vendors gives us attractive features compared to a small CRCA sub-team, who may not be able to set up significant sponsorship with industry players.
I know it doesn't seem like it all the time, but attracting new members is always a concern for a club like ours, and things like discounts give us an advantage for attracting and retaining members. A shop sponsor also gives us a team "club house", where we can host events for members and non-members alike, or provide a location for pick-up of team kit or other equipment that needs to be distributed to members.
Like we've said before a Kissena membership pays for itself, if you race in 4 of our races you get your membership fee back. If you take advantage of any of our discounts you get your money back many times over. So that may be the inducement to get some people to join, but the fact that we are not a$$holes and race like a team keeps people here (but the discounts don't hurt when you gotta buy new wheels or pick up a BB).
Jan 18, 2013 at 07:05 PM
@Adam I don't think it's too complicated... it's all part of the 5 year plan to put a KCC in every major city in the U.S. Perhaps airport retail as well.