A month ago, DKNY thought it stylish to dot Manhattan with 70 neon orange bicycles chained to street posts and anything else of permanence. The orange color was garish but drew attention to DKNY’s fall 2008 line. The bicycles also served as a guerilla marketing signal to the company’s campaign promoting two wheels as a mode of transportation and urging New Yorkers to ”Explore Your City.”
Only one problem: The bikes (unintentional, I trust) echoed a non-marketing campaign that memorializes where cyclists have been hit or killed. In a city where an activitist cycling community is very active, the DKNY bikes were seen in poor taste and removed within days. While the DKNY website includes a section in support of cycling as environmentally friendly transportation with web links to events and city maps, the company could have done so much better.
Here are 5 ways for DKNY to leverage bicycling in a marketing campaign — and year-round.
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Sponsor a cycling event in the city. Criterium. Road race. 5-Borough Tour. Youth racing team. Anything. Monetary support shows commitment. This is the Big Apple that attracts 25,000 runners for a marathon. Imagine what you could do with bikes. Scale matters.
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Hold weekly rides in Central Park for non-racing locals. The park is a gem and used by cyclists all the time. Tap into a new market — and share your brand’s love of eco-friendly transportation, even if only for exercise, fun and socializing.
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Provide incentives for your employees to ride bicycles into work once a week (if they live in Manhattan) and lead by example. Donna Karan, this means you, too! I bet if you pedaled into work with colleagues, the press would be great. And I know you can do it with style, as proven and seen here.
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Provide a fashion free day for New York City bike messengers and offer to outfit them in your most functional cold-weather pieces from your fall line. Imagine if it took off. How cool would that be?
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Provide a warmer-weather fashion free day for casual cyclists as soon as temperatures improve. Stage a neighborhood ride in SoHo and mix in a lunch or espresso, preferrably at an Italian or French bakery. Raise money for a worthy cause.
Here’s my point: You can’t lose if you embrace something worthwhile, and something that has community support. Surely you “walk the walk,” being in the fashion industry. Here’s a chance to “pedal the bike” and peddle the brand with authenticity. I don’t know what to make of this:
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