Ritchey Design Inc., has hired SOAR Communications to manage its public relations efforts in the United States. Under terms of the agreement, SOAR Communications, a full-service marketing communications agency, will provide Ritchey with public relations and marketing communications services and products to promote its business efforts under a 12-month contract that came into effect on Nov. 1, 2007.
Following several years of continued sales growth through its original equipment manufacturers, distributors and independent bicycle retail partners, as well as enjoying strong brand recognition with cycling enthusiasts, Ritchey Design's management felt they were not reaching their full market potential. Hence, Ritchey Design hired SOAR Communications, a Utah-based full-service strategic marketing communications agency focused on the sports, outdoor, athletics, recreation and sporting goods industries, to help with its U.S. public relations efforts and Web 2.0 online marketing efforts.
“We have strong brand momentum now, thanks to our wholesale and retail partners,” said Steve Parke, Ritchey Design USA's general manager and vice president of marketing. “We want to continue that momentum, so for the first time in many years we are hiring an outside agency to give us a fresh perspective. SOAR's credentials within the bicycle industry are solid, and I am impressed with their knowledge and experience communicating to a wider audience.”
SOAR Communications currently represents multiple companies and corporations within the cycling industry, including the Interbike OutDoor Demo and International Bicycle Expo, Delta 7 Sports, Blackbottoms Cycle Wear, Slipstreamz and non-profit organizations Bikes for Kids Utah and Trips for Kids. Chip Smith is the president of SOAR Communications and previously spent 10 years with bicycle industry leaders Shimano and Specialized in various marketing communication and sales positions before joining SOAR in 2005.
“Ritchey Design has a great history and offers very smart, well-designed products,” Smith said. “We are looking forward to working very closely with everyone at Ritchey to continue that successful history using a smart, well-thought out public relations strategy.”
Ritchey Design was established in 1974 by Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee Tom Ritchey. Prior to forming the company, Ritchey was an accomplished road racer and earned a spot on the U.S. National Junior's Team where he competed at the 1974 Junior's World Championships in Warsaw, Poland. In order to have the best equipment, Ritchey began designing and building his own bikes when he was 15-years-old. Ritchey was also one of Northern California's pioneers of mountain biking in the early 1980s. During this time he experienced the design deficiencies of products on the market and began his product development career refining existing products, as well as developing completely new products under the Ritchey Mountain Bikes brand name, later to become Ritchey Design.
Tom Ritchey is president and lead product designer at Ritchey Design. The company currently has four offices, with corporate headquarters in Sparks, Nevada, a sales and warranty office in San Carlos, California, an international sales office in Lugano, Switzerland, and a manufacturing / product development liaison office in Taichung, Taiwan.
