盖茨公司创新链条重塑自行车

    盖茨公司深知DIY达人们的重要角色。该公司营销与商业服务高级副总裁格雷格•维吉尔表示，市场上有两类消费者：“首先是自行车发烧友，专业博客上的内容他们全都会看，等他们走进商店的时候，他们已经知道自己想要什么。其次是非发烧友，他们直接走进自行车商店，说他们想要一辆城市自行车。所以我们的目标是接触自行车商店的员工，让他们为我们服务，把碳传动带介绍给消费者。”盖茨公司还与一个名叫Urban Assault Rider的巡回自行车活动进行了合作。此外公司也会把样品带到国际自行车展等大型展会上，只是我们还不清楚这样做如何能接触到普通的自行车消费者。塞尔顿表示：“我们的信息很简单，就是‘骑上它’。一旦人们真的骑上了这辆自行车，他们就会说：‘哇，真的管用。我不用再担心机油的问题了，而且它骑上感觉很好，超级安静。’”值得注意的是，盖茨公司并没有在广告上花多少钱，一是由于成本，二是由于市面上的传动带还很有限。

    2011年共有140个自行车品牌在美国市场上销售。然而它们使用的零件却相当集中。几乎市场上的所有自行车都使用了两大全球性品牌禧马诺（Shimano）和SRAM的零件。（禧马诺的总收入有三分之二以上来自自行车零件销售业务。而且全球有一半以上的自行车都使用了禧马诺的零件。）虽然禧马诺和SRAM都有能够与盖茨公司的传动带搭配使用的零件，不过SRAM的一位发言人表示：“我们可以说，传动带与链条的销量差距是非常明显的。”销售人员们也认为，碳驱动系统不大可能取代齿轮变速系统。比如汤利指出：“我们没有看到美国市场现在有很多人采用传动带。目前来说，它的市场主要在亚洲和欧洲，而且在那边做得很大的电动自行车，目前也没有获得美国消费者的接受。”简而言之，盖茨公司的产品虽然是非常诱人的创新，但未来却还有一段艰难的路要走。

    不过美国市场在重重乌云中仍然为盖茨公司透出了一线曙光。在波特兰、旧金山和纽约等地，自行车文化正在蓬勃发展。尽管2008年自行车产业也像大多数其它行业一样遭受了致命的打击（麦克柯尔指出：“人们从车库里推出自己的旧自行车，而不是买新的。”），但是这些地区有一批思想前卫的商店和车迷，因此也是一个日益增长的市场。汤利称：“有些思想超前的自行车商店乐于销售驱动带，也乐于向消费者介绍这种产品。而且在高端的通勤上班族市场，也有些顾客愿意花1,000美元买一辆自行车。他们愿意花钱买一些代表创新的东西。”

    译者：朴成奎

    Gates knows the crucial role of the shop rats. Greg Vigil, VP of marketing and commercial services for Gates, says there are two consumer categories: "There are bike people, who read everything on the blogs, come in and know what they want. Then there are non-enthusiasts who walk into a bike shop and say they want an urban bike. So our target is reaching the bike shop employees and getting them on board so they mention it to that consumer." Gates has also partnered with Urban Assault Ride, a roving marketing event that targets urban-minded riders. Gates brings samples to the big trade shows like Interbike, though it's unclear how that would reach the casual consumer. "Our messaging," says Sellden, "is just 'get on it' because once people actually get on the bike, they say 'Wow, this makes sense. I don't have to worry about grease, it engages so nicely, it's super quiet.'" Notably, what Gates is not doing is putting much money into advertising, mostly due to the cost and limited availability.

    In 2011, there were 140 different bike brands sold in the U.S. But in contrast, there is major consolidation in componentry: two major global brands, Shimano and SRAM, combined provide the components for virtually all bikes on the market. (Sales of bike parts make up more than two-thirds of Shimano's revenues, and Shimano parts are in more than half of all bikes globally.) Although Shimano and SRAM both offer parts that can pair with the Gates belt, according to a SRAM spokesman, "We can say that the difference between [sales of] chain and belt is very significant." Sellers say that Carbon Drive is unlikely to replace the derailleur system. "We are not seeing a lot of adoption right now of the belt drive in the U.S. market," says Townley. "For now, it's chiefly in Asian and European markets. And e-bikes, which are big there, don't have market acceptance yet here." In short, the company's product, sexy innovation though it is, has a tough road ahead.

    There is a silver lining for Gates: burgeoning bicycle cultures in cities like Portland, San Francisco and New York. Despite 2008 bringing, as it did for most industries, a brutal fall for bike sales (McCorkell says, "people pulled old bikes out of their garage, they weren't buying new"), those areas boast growing marketplaces with forward-thinking stores and owners. "There are progressive bike shops that are happy to sell a belt drive, happy to tell customers about that option," says Townley. "And in the high-end commuter market, there are customers who are happy to pay $1,000 for a bike. They like the idea of paying for something that signals innovation."