From Protection
to Daring Safely
Bell Helmets Case Study
Since our first round of brand strategy in 2011, Bell Helmets has seen increasing success in their PowerSports (from $7m to $67m) and Dirt categories, but have struggled to maintain relevance in Road Cycling. Disjointed silo’s within the organization led to disagreements over just who the Bell consumer was, what they cared about and what Bell meant to them.
Foundation
Brand Foundation + Brand Guidelines Qualitative Consumer Research Org Dynamics + Assessment Product Design Language
Futures
Category Strategy + Definition Product Line Strategy Future Innovation Strategy Future Product Strategy
Activation
Brand Launch + Org Alignment Campaign Strategy + Planning Content Development Retail + Packaging Strategy
Bell Brand Foundation
The Bell brand foundation is the seminal reference point of the visual, written and emotional expression of the brand at its core. It is a set of guardrails that guide the execution of all brand touch points and expressions. It is the jumping-off point for seasonal initiatives and collateral programs and more importantly, fuels the product design and innovation strategy the puts helmets on heads.
Bell Cycling Culture Research
Bell is the helmet of a champion, with industry-leading performance and innovation, and yet is the helmet of everyday people too, from adults to youth and kids. Bell is in your local bike shop, and also in the isle of a big box. Within this breadth, these tensions and lot in life, is an opportunity to reconnect with cycling culture in a way that is true to Bell – allowing the brand to be big and broad, yet emanate from an equity-building focal point. We conducted qualitative and immersive research into the landscape of cycling to help capture where bike cultures are going and identify which will matter most to Bell. While Bell may continue to make a wide variety of products for mass and specialty, the right culture connections will be where Bell can build equity and focus design and innovation efforts. What makes a cyclist a Bell Cyclist? What are their needs, what drives them, how are they different from another rider and other rider’s brands?
Bell Product Design Language
Purpose-Built Power – Bell helmets are more than just safety in a crash. A Bell helmet is an enabler, a builder of confidence – confidence in the attempt, the pursuit, the adventure and the endeavor. It is in this spirit that a Bell is a purpose-built helmet. Fundamental to the ride, it must be durable, functional and stylish – it must embody the power of the rider. A Bell is Purpose-Built Power.
Design Theme
Purpose-Built Power has an aesthetic – it is broad shouldered, American, from a place in California, with an origin and an original purpose. Form follows, and demonstrates function. No fakery, no embellishment, No gimmicks. Purpose-Built Power is measurable performance and real solutions.
Bell Brand Marketing
With a new brand foundation and guidelines in hand, the most rapid test to conduct is creating new marketing campaigns with fresh, relevant messaging. We comped new product literature, social media campaigns and various communication touch points to illustrate how the brand needs to show up in the world.
Bell Brand Launch
With qualitative cycling culture research, a robust brand foundation, a new product design language, and a marketing plan in place to tell the story, it was time to relaunch the Bell Cycling brand. The organization gathered at Canepa Motorsport for executive leadership to reveal the new way forward, and the Actual team was stoked to be there in partnership.
