4C Interview
Simon Mottram Of Rapha

Simon Mottram

Managing Director

Rapha Racing Ltd

Q. Briefly describe your products and services.

Luxury clothes and accessories for road cycling. Rapha products combine leading performance and unrivalled quality with simple, pared down styling inspired by the glory years of the sport (1950s and 1960s). Rapha sells direct to active road riders all over the world from www.rapha.cc. Rapha products are also available from the best specialist road racing shops in the UK. A US launch is planned for 2006.

Q. What cultural trends are affecting your customers?

• Search for unique, authentic experiences
• Rise of niche, specialist passion brands
• Exclusivity a powerful asset
• Men suffering a crisis of identity – looking for tests of endurance

Q. What other market trends are impacting your business?

• Increased comfort with shopping for expensive products online
• Shake out in traditional cycling distribution – mid market independent dealers being squeezed by online discounters, superstores (in US) and specialist up market boutiques

Q. How is your company reacting to these opportunities/challenges?

• Direct to consumer business model
• Luxury products and positioning
• Marketing based on exclusivity, influence, publicity and word of mouth, not above the line advertising

Q. How is your company reacting to the trend of greater consciousness about sustainability and other green issues?

We’re not reacting to that trend at all – we have no interest in ‘clothing’ ourselves to fit a current trend. But the very basis of the Rapha business and brand is to celebrate road racing and the fulfilment that comes from riding a road bike fast, over long distances. The sport is perfectly aligned with the trend towards sustainability and environmental care.

To succeed as an exclusive, niche brand you have to be authentic. All too many businesses are now rushing to these trends only to be found out by cynical consumers.

Rapha

More 4C Interviews

The ’4C Interview’ is a new regular section on PSFK where we ask senior execs in a myriad of industries what cultural trends are facing their business today. If you know of someone who’d like to participate in this column, then email Piers at piers@psfk.com. Thanks.