Cannondale Bicycles
How a renegade brand unified and grew its scattered following.
Born in a Connecticut loft above a pickle factory, Cannondale Bicycles was a renegade brand with cultishly loyal riders. But with success came growth and the corporate trappings that so often accompany it. The once independent—even defiant—brand had begun to look and sound like every other big box bike manufacturer.
We took the brand back to its convention-bucking roots—the Cannondale hell-bent on engineering the ultimate cycling experience—and re-engaged with Cannondale’s idiosyncratic riders. An integrated campaign with Tour de France TV, product microsites, print, digital and in-store swag reintroduced a company willing to fight to be different. Not for the sake of being different, but for the sake of being the best.
Results
The brand advertising captured the hearts and minds of consumers and the mechanics wrenching in bike shops, as well as Cannondale’s own engineers, designers and staff. It also drove a 42% increase in web traffic and launched Cannondale from No. 4 to No. 1 in the Road Bike Action, “Bike I’ll Buy Next” survey. In fact, the brand became so successful, the company was purchased for more than $200 million—roughly 10 times the amount of its IPO.
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