It's always interesting how one thing leads to another, how every connection can lead to a new opportunity. The fine people at Bicycle Retailer & Industry News learned about the Rapha Continental rides that JDK CEO Steve Francisco participated in this past spring and decided to interview him about the experience as part of the broader feature story they had begun crafting for their August 2009 issue. The extensive conversations they had with Steve, in turn, led to an invitation to write a guest editorial that eventually appeared in the September issue.
In that editorial—written in collaboration with JDK Brand Director Cris DaBica—Steve discussed JDK's take on branding and marketing in the cycling industry, as well as the studio's overall approach to building powerful, relevant brands. The key is understanding the culture: whether it's snowboards, footwear, or bicycles, you have to know it, live it and love it.
