Mixed reaction to river-based ‘marketing move’

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This article was published 09/06/2023 (1046 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A local electric bike retailer has floated a unique advertising strategy — literally.

Separate foam letters tied together to form the words Red Lion Cycle were seen this week in the Assiniboine River near the Omand’s Creek Bridge.

Greg Petzold said he spotted the letters Friday when using the bike path.

“You go over the bridge to Omand’s Creek Park and you couldn’t help but notice the sign wiggling around down there in the water,” Petzold said.

“Maybe they are doing it because the people who would see it are their target market? A lot of cyclists use that bridge. If you’re cycling across, it is hard to miss.”

Petzold said the sign appeared to be well-harnessed to the bank. “It seems harmless, but there are some places you wouldn’t want to put it.”

Red Lytle, who co-owns Red Lion Cycle, said the online retailer uses the foam packing for shipping bikes, and decided to use some spare product in an advertising effort.

“It’s all part of a marketing move,” Lytle said. “We’re getting a lot of feedback about it. We just have it out for two days to get feedback and see what attention it gets.”

So far the feedback is mixed.

“The young people love it. The old people love it,” Lytle said. “And then there are the marketing and business professions who love it, too. But then there are middle-age people who aren’t happy with it.

“I get it. There are signs everywhere. But this is not littering and it is not toxic. We’ve done everything we can to make it the least offensive to nature.”

By mid-afternoon, City of Winnipeg spokesman Adam Campbell said civic officials had spoken with the company.

“It’s our understanding that it will be removed this afternoon,” Campbell said.

Kelley Main, a professor of marketing at the University of Manitoba’s Asper School of Business, said being unique can help a company cut through the noise of advertising.

“Consumers become jaded with all of the different places you see advertising,” Main said. “To stand out in that noise is needed.

“This is a way of standing out. It’s not on your phone, it’s not on your TV. People are out walking or cycling and they see it.”

Just like the waves rippling out from the letters in the water, Main said the advertising may help the company, even if it’s not right away.

“It might just create awareness now, and it might not result in sales now, but when they decide to buy a bike at some point, they will have this memory of it.”

However, Main said being unique doesn’t last long.

“This will only be new for so long,” she said. “But, when you are the first to try something different, it can help.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca