Schwalbe is taking retail marketing to the next level with socialPALS.
Johannes from Schwalbe explains how the socialPALS platform simplifies digital marketing while also boosting retailers’ reach on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google – a win-win for both the brand and its partners.
Johannes Binner
Head of Digitalisation| Schwalbe
Johannes, tell us a little about yourself and your responsibilities at Schwalbe.
I’m in charge of Schwalbe’s Digital Unit. Together with my team, I handle our global online presence, online marketing efforts, and numerous exciting projects in the field of digital innovation.
How does Schwalbe assess the current market situation in the bicycle industry? What challenges does your industry face?
We’re going through turbulent times. The boom years during the pandemic, combined with supply chain bottlenecks, have been followed by a downturn, cautious consumer spending, and overstocked inventories. The industry needs time to recover from this. The past years have shown that reliable planning horizons are nearly impossible to achieve. Nevertheless, bicycle mobility remains a crucial topic for society, and we remain optimistic about the future. Beyond these uncertainties, I see significant challenges in the industry’s digital transformation and a shortage of skilled workers and young talent, which mirrors trends in other industries.
Why did Schwalbe decide to embrace new approaches in retail marketing with socialPALS and provide digital support for your dealers?
We share a long and successful partnership with our retailers. Supporting them in sales and providing expert advice has always been our focus, helping us achieve strong visibility in brick-and-mortar stores. However, even in the bicycle industry, consumer search and purchasing behavior is noticeably shifting online. To build digital visibility and presence, new strategies are essential – and that’s where socialPALS comes in. It’s an excellent tool for enhancing visibility in the digital space, not just for us as a brand, but especially for our retail partners.
Referring back to the prior question, in the midst of the uncertainties and challenges we face today, socialPALS helps us introduce a unique and impactful offering that fosters collaborative success.
The socialPALS platform and our dedicated retailer support show their full potential with smaller, owner-operated shops. How is the split in your industry between smaller, owner-run shops and larger key accounts?
I can’t provide specific figures, but there are definitely some highly successful large franchises. That said, the heart of the industry seems to lie with the countless smaller, independently owned bike shops and repair services.
Your first campaign with socialPALS was a great success. What contributed to this success, and how much internal work was involved in getting the campaign off the ground?
I see two main factors that contributed to our success. First, we launched with a well-prepared and visually appealing content calendar, complete with posts and advertisements. Second, we had exceptional support from socialPALS during EUROBIKE, the world’s premier bicycle trade fair, where we effectively attracted retailers to the platform.
The socialPALS platform is available in 7 languages, with additional support for selected others. How important is internationalization for Schwalbe, and are you planning to use socialPALS outside of Germany?
We are the market leader for bicycle tires in Europe and operate on a global scale. It’s absolutely essential for us that a service like socialPALS is internationally scalable. Naturally, we intend to use socialPALS beyond Germany as well.
What are your goals for 2025 with the planned rollout? Are you also using our media library solution to provide additional content to retailers? If so, how have you handled this in the past, and what advantages do you see now with our platform?
Our clear goal is to collaborate with as many retailers as possible through socialPALS. It has never been easier to achieve visibility and reach on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Google with Schwalbe. Our message to retailers is simple: Sign up! We’re leveraging all the features the platform offers and have developed a comprehensive campaign and content plan tailored to retailers, ready to use immediately.
How would you rate the customer support from socialPALS? Were there any situations where you had questions or issues, and if so, how were they resolved?
For me, the most important thing is that we, as a partner, are well supported and that retailers receive the best possible assistance. There’s no doubt that this has been the case with socialPALS.
Do you have any suggestions? How can socialPALS, as a retail marketing platform, support you even better in overcoming current challenges?
First of all, I’d like to emphasize that the offering is excellent and aligns well with our needs. That said, continuous development of features, such as enhancements to the media library or the use of posting formats for organic marketing, is always welcome to maximize the potential of search and social media platforms.
Voices from the Trade:
We’re excited to finally step into the world of digital marketing, even without much prior experience. Thanks to Schwalbe, a brand we fully trust, we had the opportunity to explore and dive into this fascinating world with socialPALS.
Using the socialPALS platform is simple, and signing up was easy.
The support team was friendly and helped me connect Facebook.
raddesign
Bielefeld
Barbara America-Sieckmann
Owner
Act today and use your MDF more effectively!
socialPALS brings brands and retail partners together, creating a win-win situation that unleashes previously untapped potential. The innovative software solution simplifies complex processes through automated retail marketing and strengthens stationary retail through regional brand campaigns. Get your obligation-free platform demo today and become part of the socialPALS success story.
