Bike advertising on TV

[carlnicholson...]

Or the lack of it...

Bikes are now generally accepted as a perfectly acceptable mode of transport, and even actively encouraged now we are all obsessed with the environment, so why is it, with the exception of the adverts during bike races, do we not have any bike adverts on the TV?

I genuniely cannot remember seeing an advert for a motorcycle, or motorcycling based product, on any channel ever outside a bike race? Why?

Am I wrong and I've just not seen them or are bikes still seen as a bit too risky for active publicity in the public domain?
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"THOSE WHO RISK NOTHING, DO NOTHING, ACHIEVE NOTHING, BECOME NOTHING."

[Drew]

[st3v3]

They aren't on screen because bike's still have a genera public "dangerous to use" vibe.

A work mate recently said to me "bikes are dangerous" but weren't 'aware' that I ride one until I said they aren't, its when you got a n0b on them it turns bad.

Most people see bikes as nasty tools of satan, that won't change imo.
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Roger wrote: Women don't get damp for clingy puppies. Get some better happy pills, hit the gym & buy a medallion the size of a dinner plate. Job done

[carlnicholson...]

But with the recent obsession with fuel economy, I would have thought some of them would have jumped on the environmental band wagon and tried to get cagers on to a pair of wheels.


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"THOSE WHO RISK NOTHING, DO NOTHING, ACHIEVE NOTHING, BECOME NOTHING."

[Finglonga]

Simple, motorcyclists are the minority and they would be wasting air time/money advertising outside bike races on tv.
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Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

[G]

[map]

Bikes and biking is a niche market for a limited number of people.
It's seen as more of a lifestyle choice regardless of efforts to make it acceptable to commuters.
Therefore any money put into advertising is targeted to where it will meet the widest audience for that ad.

However, an analogy can be seen to cigarette advertising where, if you believe the spiel, the emphasis is on getting existing smokers (bikers) to switch brands rather than start smoking (biking).

The nearest to getting people interested would be something like the Honda adverts that show their range of products, including bikes, to raise the whole profile of the company.


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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[Shay HTFC]

For the same reason you wouldn't see volleyball equipment being advertised on mainstream TV. there just isn't a big enough market to warrant the high advertising costs.
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Full Motorbike License - GS500E '95

[carlnicholson...]

Doesn't that make it the perfect product to advertise? Ones thats already in global use, well proven, very popular, actively encouraged by the government and councils (so far as Tax and congestion charging anyway) and still with huge scope for expansion!

If I had a motorcycle manufacturing company, now would be the bang on time to advertise the feck out of it IMO. I hope someone does, maybe a bit of expansion in the industry could lead the way to lower prices for everyone.

Lets see.
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"THOSE WHO RISK NOTHING, DO NOTHING, ACHIEVE NOTHING, BECOME NOTHING."

[Itchy]

[st3v3]

[Ariel Badger]

There is an abundance of bike advertising on TV.
Moto GP.
Long way round.
Endless product placement in film and TV.
It is all advertising, you just don't notice it.
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[deanoet]

bike ecconomy could be argued to be worse than a car

say 60mpg, for at the most 2 people

If a car gets 40 mpg, for 4 or 5 people...


And 60 is being generous once you get bigger than a 500cc
not sure what MPG sports 600s do, but i bet it is around 40mpg, could argue for the environment it is twice as bad as a car. It may be out for less time as through traffic it is quicker, but it is also most likely to be out for a leisure ride than a car would be

Congestion wise they are better, but again you can argue that when you go out for a blast you are worse than the car that is garaged



As for advertising i must admit i was surprised when i got into bikes how much choice there is. You just dont see them advertised. bike was a bike, sports bike, naked, cruiser, off road the end. So many choices in each category.

But most bikers know what they want next, so advertising wont really help. You dont go into the market looking for a "family bike with good rear leg room"

It is more a hobby market, and not an overly popular one at that.

Saying that an advert for a 125cc for commuting would be interesting.
100 mpg
£15 tax a year
etc etc
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CBT Passed 18th July 2007 : Previous Bikes> CG125 : Current Bike> Hornet 600 : PASSED DAS 30th Oct 2007
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[Itchy]

[Seb]