Advanced Project
Introduction
CYCLING · TECHNOLOGY · PERFORMANCE
With more race wins on its wheels than any other brand, Specialized-owned Roval Components is a pioneer in wheel technology. Since the 1970s, the brand has revolutionized the market by introducing the first complete wheel systems. Roval selected ECHOS to represent the brand in North America during a critical period of intense competition, tasked with orchestrating a series of high-profile product launches to solidify its position as the rider-first leader in performance engineering.
Services Provided:
– Public Relations & Media Relations
– Social Media Management
– Sponsored Programs & Partnerships
– Content Creation & Visual Storytelling
– Event Production & Tradeshow Support
The Challenge:
As the wheel market became increasingly crowded with both legacy brands and direct-to-consumer startups, Roval needed to assert its dominance across three distinct categories: Road, Gravel, and Mountain. The goal was to translate World Tour racing success into consumer demand across all disciplines, ensuring the brand was recognized as the premium choice for both podium-seeking pros and enthusiast riders.
Approach
We developed a comprehensive strategy to highlight Roval’s race-winning credibility while building authority in emerging categories. We concurrently managed the brand’s public relations and social media channels to ensure a unified voice. Key initiatives included:
– Category Expansion: Highlighted the World Tour dominance of the Rapide CLX and Alpinist CLX road wheels while establishing immediate gravel credibility and mountain bike authority.
– Component Launch: Led the debut of Roval’s component line by creating a custom collection of photo assets and executing a methodical media rollout.
– Experiential Testing: Hosted a “bucket-list” mountain bike press trip to Baja, Mexico, allowing media to push the Traverse and Control wheelsets to their limits.
– Strategic Partnerships: Established high-impact sponsored programs with AllGearDigital (GearJunkie) and Pinkbike to capture enthusiast and core audiences.
– Presence & Profiling: Represented the brand at the Sea Otter Classic and maintained a consistent presence in our NYC Showroom for ongoing media briefings.
Key Results:
– 564 Press Wins secured during the two-year campaign period.
– 1.88 Billion potential aggregate reach.
– 150+ Media Product Tests coordinated with key endemic and non-endemic journalists and creators.
– 17 New Products Launched with coordinated global press coverage.
– Total Category Penetration: Successfully established Roval as a top-tier contender in Road, MTB, Gravel, and Components.
Highlight Coverage:
– The Racing Standard: Consistent features in top-tier cycling titles validating the “World Tour” performance of the CLX series.
– Visual Dominance: Widespread use of ECHOS-produced photography across digital and print media, elevating the brand’s aesthetic.
– Technical Endorsements: In-depth, long-term testing reviews from Pinkbike and GearJunkie that drove consumer trust and high-intent traffic.
