Afternoon all! I’m a third year student at Aberystwyth University and am in process of writing my dissertation on the techniques used by advertisers to communicate with consumers. In order to do this, I require a large amount of data regarding demographics within consumer groups in the cycling community. The survey below asks a few simple questions and will take no more than a few minutes to complete. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks very much!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QXSPS33

Done 🙂

Done. Good luck with the diss!

done

done

Done and good luck with your dissertation!

Done. I was surprised the questionnaire wasn’t longer and would have answered more questions. Good Luck.

Done, good luck

I reckon it’s all a ruse and is in fact a survey designed to see how much of our browsing and magazine buying habits we will reveal to a total stranger on the internet 😉

Filled it out, good luck 🙂

Thanks for filling the Survey out folks, your participation is greatly appreciated 🙂

im avoiding doing a nasty report.

done.

Done 🙂

Done!

Good luck.

From that survey you ask if we use websites or magazines.
Ok, age and number of bikes is also included but I’m not quite sure you will be able to write a complete dissertation based on this.
I’m sure you have other research but I just feel more questions should have been asked. Afterall you as got us to fill it in you could have had much more data.

Done. Would have liked the age question to have wider options (eg 35-45) 😉

From that survey you ask if we use websites or magazines.
Ok, age and number of bikes is also included but I’m not quite sure you will be able to write a complete dissertation based on this.
I’m sure you have other research but I just feel more questions should have been asked. Afterall you as got us to fill it in you could have had much more data.

Completely valid point! My dissertation focuses on the way advertisers communicate with it’s target markets, so first of all I need to gather info on what exactly this market is. Print and Online sources are the biggest providers of advertising in terms of the cycle industry, so this survey is based around that. Using this information will allow me to look at trends in the data and see specifically which magazine/website is targeting which user-group and can then analyse and de-construct the adverts to see the techniques they are using to do so.

Until I’ve gathered and assessed the demographic data taken from the results of this survey, it is difficult to proceed with the next step of my research, which takes a closer look at precisely how adverts influence consumers, which will involve a number of interviews and asking them how they interpret a specific range of adverts.

There is also the hindrance of many survey websites only allowing a certain number of questions for basic membership, in surveymonkeys case it’s 10, so I’ve had to whittle down the questions to be as concise as possible, I would’ve loved to have asked more questions in the survey, to have included some of the adverts I have picked out to study closely, but unfortunately the tools to do so either don’t allow you to do so or exclusive membership is expensive, as a student money is tight so I have to work with what I have.

I’d like to thank everyone who has taken part in the survey, the response has been phenomenal and your participation will greatly help my Dissertation!

Remember that some northern bike companies love using this forum, getting their friends to ask questions on new products.
This then draws everybodies attention as premier members see no ads.
I don’t think I’ve seen a day without this kind of pseduo advertising.
I think you know who I’m talking about.

Cheers for the input, that’s certainly a side of advertising I’m looking into, applying existing academic research to the cycle industry 🙂

Remember that some northern bike companies love using this forum, getting their friends to ask questions on new products.
This then draws everybodies attention as premier members see no ads.
I don’t think I’ve seen a day without this kind of pseduo advertising.
I think you know who I’m talking about.

that’s quite an accusation. who are you talking about and can you give evidence?

Done.

I nearly went to Aberystwyth University back in the day. Nice place?

Aber’s great, not a huge amount to do in the town, but plenty of pubs and great riding in the area and decent access to other trails as well, Nant Y Arian, Mach Trails, CYB and Penmachno are all within easy reach. I’ve certainly enjoyed my time there, university’s standards of teaching are falling though and the admin and management side of them are hopeless.

Done

Done, but glad you added the extra info as seems very light for a dissertation?

Done, but glad you added the extra info as seems very light for a dissertation?

There’s plenty more to do once I’ve gathered all the demographic data, plenty to expand upon with more than 75 different print, online and video adverts to analyse it should shape up nicely 🙂

Done. Good luck with it and hope you’re not too duffed up in Aber from the weather of late!

but unfortunately the tools to do so either don’t allow you to do so or exclusive membership is expensive, as a student money is tight so I have to work with what I

True but when my daughter was at uni her course included lots a materials bought. As parents we had to cough up 😕 All depends on your priorities?

Done….

Done. Good luck with it and hope you’re not too duffed up in Aber from the weather of late!

It has been a little rough I must admit! My house this year was struck by a tree, luckily minimal damage caused. Seafront was a right state though!

Done.

Good luck.

Done!

Brant,
I apologise if this is not the case but you have to look at it from this point.
Does anyone ask about the latest Superstar/Merlin/CRC/Wiggle product on a daily basis? No.
You have a new coat released ,someone asks straight away. A new light, same thing. Both of these just this week. This is how you seem to let us cyclists know. I understand it must be good to keep your advertising budget to a minimum but it does get a bit boring seeing a new product sold in this way.
Do you see where I’m coming from? There’s a fresh goods Friday that would perfect for these but I hardly ever see anything there from you.
This is just my opinion and please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

Done

Google drive allows you to have as many questions as you like, Survey Gizmo does also, although it’s limited to 350 responses a month, but I’ve yet to see a dissertation with that level of response, so I’m sure you will be fine. If you need more questions, get a better provider – they are out there. (the other alternative is Lime Survey, but that is very serious stuff)

Brant,
I apologise if this is not the case but you have to look at it from this point.
Does anyone ask about the latest Superstar/Merlin/CRC/Wiggle product on a daily basis? No.
You have a new coat released ,someone asks straight away. A new light, same thing. Both of these just this week. This is how you seem to let us cyclists know. I understand it must be good to keep your advertising budget to a minimum but it does get a bit boring seeing a new product sold in this way.
Do you see where I’m coming from? There’s a fresh goods Friday that would perfect for these but I hardly ever see anything there from you.
This is just my opinion and please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

You’re wrong.
I have not requested anyone post any threads about new coats or lights.
Or are you suggesting it’s our company staff doing this? Which it isn’t.

We do not bait forums in this way. Having been a member of this forum since the Gofar days I’m amazed at your accusation.

You consistently and hilariously post on threads about our company and it’s products.

I’m not saying it’s your staff.
Those lights the other day were a typical example. The guy hasn’t really posted anything for a while. Most of his posts were over 12 months ago. Suddenly he asks about on one light demo units. I may have put two and two together to make 5 but that stank of Forum advertising. If I’m wrong I apologises.
That’s just one of many examples that I have seen happen on this forum.
I only comment on an on one thread where I disagree with what has been said. I don’t recall starting one just to be an arse. If you don’t agree with me just say.

I’ll stand up for Brant here, he says they are not doing it, but so what if they were using Singletrack for a bit of advertising. As mountain bikers and user of this forum we always want to know about the latest products and what and why manufactures are doing things, 29″ a few years ago and 650b now. Personally I find it interesting the things Brant contributes and the perspective on lots of topics from the manufacture. Personally I think its a real shame that more manufacturers don’t comment. At least it show they are open about there products and service, even if people don’t always agree. If anything there should be a manufactures forum so they can announce their latest products and then have discussions with consumer all about it.

It would make a change from the post asking questions that manufactures could answer in seconds.

Remember iolo you don’t have to read a post just because it is there!!

A clear marketing driven posting

so what if they were using Singletrack for a bit of advertising.

That’d be ethically wrong.

As you see from that link, I’m not against your products. I had a 456 that I loved.
It’s just the constant bombardment of threads that gets me.
Again if I’m wrong, sorry.

Yes Brant I know its against the rules and “ethically” wrong and I am not saying you are doing it. I am posing the question of so what is companies were doing it. As long as they are contributing to the debate about mountain bike and the industry isn’t that a good things.

At least manufactures will learn exactly what consumers want.

When talking to bike industry types looking to know how best to contribute to the forum without falling foul of our strict trade use rules I generally use Brant as an example of how to do it right.

Uh-Oh! Big Brant has got to Mark.

*dons tinfoil fedora*

Astroturfing damages STW business model as anyone doing it is depriving the forum they’re doing it on advertising revenue by going for freebie advertising. In an industry where advertising is (I presume) the main income stream it’s really not on.

There are a few companies with user accounts on here and the ones I’ve seen have provided nothing but useful info and feedback, and definitely no sneaky advertising, though by being informative and helpful they no doubt boost the brand image.

It’s no wonder that on one stuff appears in posts every other day, it’s an incredibly popular company providing goods and very good prices, hardly surprising people are asking about their products.