BIKE BARN

Bike it forward

“Bike It Forward” was a project that had the potential to provide enormous benefits to disadvantaged Kiwi kids. But it was, and still is, a massive act of bravery for Bike Barn CEO Craig Robertson to commit the organisation to the project, because the “Bike It Forward” initiative could not promise direct commercial benefits for Bike Barn.

Craig adopted and championed the “Bike It Forward” project to enable Bike Barn to make a truly valuable contribution to the New Zealand community. It was, he said, the right thing to do, not just as a good corporate citizen but because getting more people involved with cycling, especially at a younger age, could help to alleviate two of the deadliest issues facing NZ, obesity and lack of fitness.

Craig Robertson made this initiative happen, when so many others in his position might have said “too hard”.

Transforming a challenge into an opportunity

In consultation with Bike Barn, a brand new experiential marketing program, “Bike It Forward”, was developed. The notion is deceptively simple in concept (through extremely challenging in implementation): New Zealanders are invited to donate bikes that their children have outgrown or no longer use, to be given to less fortunate kids, who haven’t yet experienced the thrill of riding a bike, and who hope that one day they too will be able to participate in a Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon.

Donations of children’s bikes are accepted at Bike Barn stores across New Zealand. Every bike donated is refurbished by Bike Barn mechanics and then gifted to disadvantaged kids and schools.

It’s a program that enables Bike Barn to dramatically increase its contributions to the community. But it comes at a significant cost in terms of manpower and resources.

The Magic

Craig Robertson had only been CEO of Bike Barn for a few months when he was approached about the “Bike It Forward” program.

It was an initiative with more than a few logistical challenges, proposed to launch in the middle of the frantic pre-Christmas and summer seasons. It would need to be managed and marketed in addition to everything else that was happening in the Bike Barn organisation.

It would have been easy for Craig Robertson to say no. To be implemented properly and effectively, the program would require the participation of staff and management across every level of the Bike Barn organisation.

Instead, Craig said yes.

He became the “Bike It Forward” product champion, overcoming hurdles such as: Space. Like any major retailer, Bike Barn has its stores carefully mapped out, with products on display in every available nook and cranny, leaving little room to store donated bikes. And yet, somehow they found the space. Bike Barn’s warehouse, already a hive of activity, somehow made room for an extra 250 bikes undergoing refurbishment.

At its peak, the 'Bike it Forward; program required three full-time employees to manage the refurbishment program and prepare the bikes.

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The Hype Factor

The “Bike It Forward” program had a relatively straightforward goal, as far as Bike Barn was concerned: provide a tangible means of giving back to the community as a good corporate citizen, in support of the company’s corporate desire, to provide New Zealand families with bicycles as an entry point to a world of adventure and exploration.

The “Bike It Forward” program goal was achieved and dramatically over-achieved: in the program’s first six months, more than 500 bicycles had been received, refurbished and donated to schools and individuals throughout New Zealand. The company also had a number of adult bikes donated, which it refurbished and provided to teachers to enable them to go cycling with their classes.

Craig saw the “Bike it Forward” initiative as being consistent with the company’s broad goals of providing New Zealand families with bicycles as an entry point to a world of adventure and exploration. Even more, though, Craig saw “Bike it Forward” as an opportunity to help struggling Kiwi families.

Too many corporate social responsibility programs are all about being seen to “be a good corporate citizen” rather than necessarily making a tangible difference in people’s lives. Craig Robertson saw an opportunity to make that difference in a very real way - and empowered, guided and pushed and prodded his organisation to make it happen. For that, Craig is already a hero.