As the Tour de France reaches its final stages, it’s unlikely that we’ll see a British winner this year. But that doesn’t undermine the success we’ve seen in the sport since 2008 – our cyclists have gone from being also rans to one of the dominant forces.
This success can be attributed to the idea of MARGINAL GAINS.
In 2012 Dave Brailsford (Performance Director for British Cycling) told the BBC: “If you broke down everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, and then improved it by 1%, you’ll get a significant increase when you put them all together”.
Now I’m no cyclist. I don’t look hot in Lycra.
But as a marketer, there’s a lot to learn from this approach.
If we think about the elements that contribute to marketing success, there are countless improvements that are possible.
1% better brand awareness.
1% higher reach.
1% better engagement.
1% more prospects.
A 1% increase in open rates.
1% in click through rates.
1% better conversion.
None of these in isolation will make a huge difference. But a 1% gain across all elements can have a dramatic impact on sales.
British Cycling is your proof.
