Accell North America (ANA) announced Stuart Johnson as its chief marketing and digital officer (CMO, CDO). This newly created position supports ANA’s recently launched 2018 Consumer-Centric Omnichannel Strategy, offering a new retail partnership opportunity for today’s modernized Independent Bicycle Dealer (IBD).
In a January 19 announcement in Bicycle Retailer & Industry News (BRAIN), ANA unveiled the details of its omnichannel strategy to the North America bicycle wholesale market. The program creates opportunity for IBDs by positioning them as a critical point of entry for today’s connected consumer while protecting them from risks that have historically been brought through bicycle vendor relationships.
IBDs continue to adopt the program’s low- to no-risk access to carrying ANA’s bike brand portfolio while offering fulfillment for online orders. The program is powered by ANA’s traffic-generating brand marketing as well as transparency in partnership and pricing.
“Our new omnichannel strategy is 110 percent about positioning the IBD to successfully engage and serve today’s connected bicycle consumer. My role is to help this company and team create and deliver exceptional brand experiences for the end consumer and renew growth for the company and our IBD customers alike. I’m fired up to build on the successful launch of ANA’s omnichannel strategy in 2018 and beyond,” Johnson said.
As CMO/CDO, Johnson will drive integration and consistency across all consumer touch-points through combined leadership over brand, product, end-consumer and wholesale customer experience. He will focus on leading brand management–including product portfolio and innovation–online channel and consumer experience, as well as customer care.
Johnson is an award-winning business leader with over two decades in traditional strategy, brand management and innovation ranging from leading global consumer brands to start-ups. He has repeatedly led businesses to double- and triple-digit growth during his career, and his experience traverses multiple industries, including: consumer packaged goods, food & beverage, retail, e-commerce, athletic footwear and apparel and sporting goods.
A graduate of University of Colorado in Boulder with an MBA from Babson Graduate School of Business, Johnson is also an accomplished ultra-distance athlete.
ANA is the North American arm of the Accell Group, the leading bicycle company in Europe, and the global leader in ebike. The Accell Group is one of the most stable, largest bicycle companies in the world, and is the parent company of Raleigh Bicycles, and the Raleigh Electric bicycles, iZip and Haibike ebike brands, as well as Diamondback and Redline bicycles.
