Rebranding of Cycling Uk

mattsccm
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Re: Rebranding of Cycling Uk

Post by mattsccm »

Even the Ramblers, another stupid rename, can't make up their minds. How can encouraging people to flock to the countryside, finding more and more new places fit in with any vaguely ecological principle. Lets all get in our cars and go and screw up another bit of unspoiled country side.
jgurney
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Re: Rebranding of Cycling Uk

Post by jgurney »

mattsccm wrote: 13 Jan 2025, 5:43pm Even the Ramblers, ...... Lets all get in our cars and go and screw up another bit of unspoiled country side.
Oddly, I was looking at their website earlier today as I considered joining. I was a bit disappointed to see that all the walks in their programme in my area were distinctly aimed at motorists., all starting from car parks and most from places difficult or impossible to access by bus or train on a Sunday (when they happen). Given that there are Sunday buses serving both the coast and the edge of the moors nearby, that could be avoided.
mattheus
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Re: Rebranding of Cycling Uk

Post by mattheus »

mattsccm wrote: 13 Jan 2025, 5:41pm The whole organisation is just a Jack of all trades and not at all good at anything. Most cyclists won't of heard of CUK. Even our past club secretary hadn't and why would she, she races? No advertising worth having.
Many are confused as to what they do and many of us don't care about lots of the aspects.
Some cyclists are too selfish to care about much of CTC/CUK's work. Got anything new to tell us??
slowster
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Re: Rebranding of Cycling Uk

Post by slowster »

The most important function of CUK's brand is to get people to identify themselves with CUK. In other words, to believe that CUK is an organisation for them, which protects and promotes their interests. To state the bleeding obvious, CUK needs to have the broadest appeal possible in order to maximise its income and its reach/influence.

When a potential member or donor sees for the first time CUK's promotional material, website and social media, they should see content that makes them think that CUK is the organisation for them and their interests. If they feel that what they see is not representative of them and the cycling they do, they are less likely to be engaged in the content and read/explore further. Engagement is key to converting interest into action, whether that be joining the club, making a donation, volunteering or campaigning.

Currently CUK's website has the following picture at the top of the home page. I suspect that for every person who identifies with that picture, many more will not. I would replace photographs like that one with a mosaic along the lines of what I have crudely mocked up below.

People should not only be able to see themselves in at least one of the images. It should also encourage them to see themselves as being part of a bigger community, and to see themselves as sharing the heritage of that community, whoever they are and whatever type of cycling they do.

Image
mosaic1.jpg
Nearholmer
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Re: Rebranding of Cycling Uk

Post by Nearholmer »

If you don’t want it to be called CUK, what do you want it to be called?

I was wondering about the Federation of UK Cyclists, but FUKC might easily be misunderstood.
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Philip Benstead
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Re: Rebranding of Cycling Uk

Post by Philip Benstead »

Nearholmer wrote: 14 Jan 2025, 1:58pm If you don’t want it to be called CUK, what do you want it to be called?

I was wondering about the Federation of UK Cyclists, but FUKC might easily be misunderstood.
In the NL a campaigner I meet make distinion betweet a cyckist and cycle user.

Not all cycle users consider themself cyclists.
Philip Benstead | Life Member Former CTC Councillor/Trustee
Organizing events and representing cyclists' in southeast since 1988
Bikeability Instructor/Mechanic
Bmblbzzz
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Re: Rebranding of Cycling Uk

Post by Bmblbzzz »

In addition to the Ramblers, Living Streets, etc, there's Right to Roam, which is more of a campaign group, and various more focussed leisure walking groups eg Steppin Sistas and MeetUp groups.
Nearholmer
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Re: Rebranding of Cycling Uk

Post by Nearholmer »

Not all cycle users consider themself cyclists.
Fair point, but what would you call it?
geocycle
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Re: Rebranding of Cycling Uk

Post by geocycle »

I tend to agree with Keith up thread. It would benefit cycling in the UK if CUK, Sustrans, BC could coordinate actions under a single banner. Costs could be reduced under a shared services model and each division would have a clear purpose. A single voice on cycling would be far more effective.

As it stands CUK doesn’t have a clear identity, it has at least two missions (cycle promotion and groups organising member rides) and so has no chance of a clear brand, and overlaps the other organisations in the cycling space.
AllRides
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Re: Rebranding of Cycling Uk

Post by AllRides »

Personally I think the charity sector is tough but Cycling UK has a huge opportunity. Sustrans is a confused organisation- huge assets, maddeningly poor routes where their only value is signs, and a feast and famine consulting business (which may do more harm than good in terms of local council capabilities).

British Cycling treads in to the utility cycling but is fundamentally a sports body. It also has the Shell problem and a broad lack of ethics.

Buy CyclingUK is not a visible brand. You can’t even get a CyclingUK t-shirt as a member. It’s too afraid to question what the relationship is with the local club organisations (where most of the members are).

Cycling UK should take the twin position to Living Streets - a cyclist lobby organisation. It should play up the insurance element so anyone who cycles to work wants to join. It should not subsume the members but add to them - being a ‘club’ member should automatically make you a Cycling UK member with the two being aligned but distinct.

Most of all though the name needs to be out there. Too often it’s about sharing the stage with Sustrans but what do Cycling Uk lead?

Rant over!
PH
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Re: Rebranding of Cycling Uk

Post by PH »

AllRides wrote: 7 Feb 2025, 9:43pm It’s too afraid to question what the relationship is with the local club organisations (where most of the members are).
If by that you mean that most of the members are involved with the local groups, it's incorrect. I'm not sure it's ever been that way, but certainly not in the last thirty years. Last time I saw any national figures, involvement was around 15%, which reflects my experience, with the most successful local groups getting into the low 20%'s.
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