Discipline  Business Start Up:  "Creating WD-40 BIKE Company"

Challenge Established mass retail brands often struggle when entering enthusiast categories like cycling because business practices which serve them well in larger channels may not match needs in specialty retail.

Result  Through research, we knew that authenticity was a key factor in the receptivity of consumers and retailers to new brands in cycling.  As president/co-founder, I worked with the team to address authenticity in branding, product formulation, marketing, staffing, and business structure.  We set up WD-40 BIKE Company on its own, implemented a high-touch event strategy and went to market through specialist distributors.  In the two years following product launch, we got WD-40 BIKE into 3,000 stores in the US and served as a platform to launch the brand into 19 countries.