Avon Tyres Backs Motorbiking Industry ‘Get On’ Drive

Avon Tyres is backing a marketing drive by the Motor Cycle Industry Association to bring more people into UK motorcycle dealerships. ‘Get On’ is a three-year programme which aims to change the perception of biking and bring brand-new people into riding motorcycles while also getting lapsed bikers back into the saddle. The campaign promotes the benefits of life on two wheels, which includes beating congestion, being more economical and environmentally-friendly, while also stressing the fun and freedom that only two wheels can give. The aim is to get around 100,000 people to try biking or two wheels for the first time.

Avon’s Global Motorcycle sales manager Graham Matcham said, “As a board director on the MCIA, I know of the huge amount of positive work being undertaken to promote and protect the motorcycle industry. Just one facet of this is the ‘Get On’ campaign.

“We all realise the importance of securing new customers, hence the fact that ‘Get On’ has been embraced and supported by all the major manufacturers, dealers and suppliers of products and services to the motorcycle industry. The clear objective of the campaign is to increase the awareness of the benefits of riding a motorcycle and to break down the barriers which may in the past have prevented anyone from considering it an option.

“In order to achieve the objectives, the very latest techniques in communication have been employed to get potential customers to visit the ‘Get On’ website and register their interest in a future life on two wheels. From here they can experience a free, no obligation test ride to allow them to experience the thrill of a motorised two-wheeler for the first time.”

Since the start of the campaign in 2009, more than 16,000 test rides have been requested, with over 300,000 unique users on www.geton.co.uk and 6,000 community members signed up and more than two million page views registered. It is thought that around £20 million has already been ploughed back into the industry via the ‘Get On’ campaign through increased bike, motorcycle clothing and training sales.

So far, a string of celebrities have also experienced their first taste of life on two wheels courtesy of ‘Get On’, including singer Ray Quinn, cricketer Darren Gough, footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips and BBC Sport’s Jake Humphrey, Matt Roberts and Jennie Gow.

Matcham adds, “Promotion of the scheme through stars from the entertainment world has successfully drawn attention to the website and prompted visitors who may have never considered riding a motorcycle before decide to ‘Get On’ and give it a go.

“Once they’ve had a taster of life on two wheels, we’re confident that many will then go all the way through to gaining a full motorcycle licence. The ‘Get On’ campaign is working and working well and, as a result, Avon Tyres is proud to support not just the ‘Get On’ campaign, but the hard work of the Motor Cycle Industry Association itself.”