“Jason Sherman puts his money where his mouth is…he delivers on creative projects and provides imaginative publicity that works on many levels. He’s a great strategic thinker who can help you with real issues, like growing revenues and impacting your bottom line.”

Philip McCaleb, founder and (former) president, Genuine Scooter Co.

 

BACKGROUND

U.S.-based Genuine Scooter Company introduced Stella, a replica of the best-selling vintage Piaggio Vespa PX 150 scooter in 2002. The four-speed, two-stroke, 90-mpg, steel motor scooter was an instant hit with die-hard, vintage scooter lovers. 

PROBLEM

At the end of 2004, Genuine determined that it needed to expand its market and gain visibility among the mainstream population (and likely non-scooter owners) to grow its sales, dealership base and revenues. Genuine also found that many potential scooter owners preferred automatic transmissions compared to Stella’s four-speed, manual transmission.

 

SOLUTION

SHERMAN communications and marketing was contracted for a six-month engagement to help increase awareness and grow the business. We developed a public relations program focused on promoting Stella’s: sex/cool appeal, value compared to Piaggio’s new Vespa scooters and re-issued PX 150, high-quality steel body and mechanical attributes, authentic collectors-item-out-of-the-box design, high performance and value, great gas mileage, and universal fun factor. With 60 dealers and growing throughout the U.S., we needed to secure coverage that would drive traffic into Genuine’s dealerships.

RESULTS

  • We secured a front-page business story in the Chicago Tribune complete with several color and black and white photos. The story was picked up by nine other prominent newspapers around the country.
  • Secured product reviews with photographs of Stella in men’s magazines, including Penthouse and Men’s Edge.
  • Motor News Media and Motor Matters, two automotive news syndication services, each wrote an extensive review/story about Stella, complete with several photographs. Combined, their articles ran in more than 50 newspapers around the country, ranging from the San Francisco Chronicle to the Orange County Register to the Birmingham News/Post-Herald.
  • Media coverage later helped lead to Business 2.0 and Wall Street Journal feature stories on Stella and Genuine’s founder, Philip McCaleb.
  • The public relations program greatly increased Genuine’s visibility among the general public, as well as scooter enthusiasts.

In 2005, Genuine’s net sales grew approximately 40 percent and its dealerships grew from 60 to