DANG IT! SAUR-SOJASUN GETS TOUR INVITE!!!

Post by **sandranian** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:16 am

Just when Gitane drops the ball on the sponsorship...Saur-Sojasun gets the invitation to the 2011 Tour de France!!!!

I AM SO PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW!!!

Wisey · Post by **Wisey** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:51 pm

I hope the head of marketing is sitting outside the boss' office sweating and listening to the boss screaming down the phone. I'd love to hear him explain himself.

Post by **sandranian** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:54 pm

I asked...by the way. Haven't received a response. I am sure the whole thing came down to Saur requesting more $$$. I can't believe that Gitane/Cycleurope didn't bite the bullet and pay up. Utter garbage...but then I haven't seen any of the sales figures.

Wisey · Post by **Wisey** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:04 pm

Yeah, I think it's just a case of gitane = schwinn = malvern star, etc etc. They aren't aiming at serious racers. Bummer. Perhaps as economic times get tougher, more "serious" racers will be looking for "budget" race bikes and gitane may find they have an increasing market segment? Certainly that was the case in the Renault/Gitane days.

nicolas · Post by **nicolas** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 3:15 am

As long as Gitane is part of a group of multiple brands, it'll stay on one side of the market. Unfortunately, it's the "lower" side right now.

I wish a rich and ambitious entrepreneur would take over the brand...

Wisey · Post by **Wisey** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 3:24 am

nicolas wrote: I wish a rich and ambitious entrepreneur would take over the brand...

I wish I WAS a "rich" and ambitious entrepreneur!

nicolas · Post by **nicolas** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 4:24 am

Exactly what I was thinking... How much is Gitane ???

Gtane · Post by **Gtane** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 7:49 am

If one is not able to purchase then there would always be the opportunity to negotiate a license for the brand under an agreement with exclusivity in certain areas, such as road racing.

The big thing here though is, as has already been suggested, Gitane is a brand within a brand of brands and each one can be played as required.

For example, at last year's UK Cycle Show Cycleurope only displayed Bianchi and approximately two Peugeots (not seen that brand over here for years). There's also talk of a Bianchi cafe for London (already one in Stockholm) so Gitane don't even register in the UK as they don't in many countries outside France. Of course, that's an opportunity but from Cycleurope's perspective and their headline and likely global brand, Bianchi, they may wish to restrict the other brands to certain countries only.

The sponsorship arrangement of the team in 2010 might well have been an internal test against Bianchi, perhaps self cannibalisation to see where the weak points were within sales regions. The arrangement is likely to have had a marketing/sales back story to it prior to launch.

I'm sure they'll sponsor again in the future.

Tim

Gtane · Post by **Gtane** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 8:22 am

OK, I think I may have found something for you to fill the gap and Gitane sponsored...

http://teamvttgitane.canalblog.com/

http://teamvttgitane.canalblog.com/arch ... index.html

I have a feeling that I've seen a Gitane sponsored ladies mountain bike team somewhere.

Tim

nicolas · Post by **nicolas** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 8:47 am

I like that jersey.

Wisey · Post by **Wisey** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 3:39 pm

Gtane wrote:If one is not able to purchase then there would always be the opportunity to negotiate a license for the brand under an agreement with exclusivity in certain areas, such as road racing.

This is what was happening here in Aust. for a few years. One of the big distributors here (Holstar) bought the rights to market the gitane brand here. They sourced their own bikes from Taiwan which were a different design to those being sold in Europe. They have since expanded the range of their own Holstar branded bikes and discontinued gitane.

Gtane · Post by **Gtane** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 10:31 am

Wisey wrote:
Gtane wrote:If one is not able to purchase then there would always be the opportunity to negotiate a license for the brand under an agreement with exclusivity in certain areas, such as road racing.
This is what was happening here in Aust. for a few years. One of the big distributors here (Holstar) bought the rights to market the gitane brand here. They sourced their own bikes from Taiwan which were a different design to those being sold in Europe. They have since expanded the range of their own Holstar branded bikes and discontinued gitane.

At least the brand got some additional exposure. Good to hear though.

Tim

Post by **sandranian** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 7:22 am

Gitane has sponsored mountain bike teams for years. But I have zero to no interest in mountain bikes....

Wisey · Post by **Wisey** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:28 am

sandranian wrote:Gitane has sponsored mountain bike teams for years. But I have zero to no interest in mountain bikes....

What's a mountain bike?