Timbuk2Authenticity got lost

along the way

Timbuk2 History

• Founded in 1989 by Rob Honeycutt in San Francisco, a former bike messenger looking for a bag built for his needs.

• Thanks to the distinctive three-panel design and subtle swirl logo, the bag’s popularity spread during the 1990’s

• Company grew quickly without any advertising spend, something that remains true today.

• Everyone from artistic types, environmentalists, outdoor enthusiasts, and everyday bikers carry the bags.

anything the company actually acted upon.

The Timbuk2 Dilemma

• The Marketing Department of Timbuk2 came to us wanting to clarify who there users are and how they see the brand.

• In working groups of two account planners and a creative team, we set out to get a better sense of what was really taking place with Timbuk2.

90’s 00’s80’s

The new kids on the block

• Mid- to late-90’s saw a boom in new competitors entering the market

• Within the last 5 years, most fashion brands have entered the market

The Research

• We hit the streets of San Francisco, performing on the street intercepts of Timbuk2 owners and other messenger bag owners.

• We visited independent cafés and bike shops, as well as hitting the rush-hour crowd in San Francisco’s Financial District.

Responses

“If Timbuk2 were a friend, it would be a college friend I have spent a lot of time with and have had a

lot of shared experiences ”

“If Timbuk2 wore sneakers, it would pick Converse All-stars.”

“If there were any rebellious bags out there, the Chrome bag would be the motorcycle gang of

messengers”

“I picked my Timbuk2 backpack because I’m short and just needed something that fit me. Didn’t really

care what brand I bought.”

“The old ones... I've carried some crazy s**t in mine on my bicycle over the years.. a car battery.., 50+ lbs of plexiglass, 60-70 lbs of suspension parts from my VW, enough malt and hops to brew 10 gallons of

beer.. and its still totally waterproof. “

In Good Company

- What Happened -

- How They Responded -

- Where They Ended Up -

In the 1990’s, hipsters pick up Dickies backpacks and sweatshirts. Before long, work-wear is the trendiest

thing in street-wear. Production explodes, as the brand

Having created blue jeans in 1853, the company grew dramatically in the 1960’s and 70’s as society embraced casual fashion. Levi’s jeans were the epitome of cool, symbolizing

the entire Baby-boomer generation.

Levi’s expanded to meet demand, but were always too slow to respond to newer

generations. In the 80’s, new competition from the Gap and other brands made jeans

ubiquitous. Levi’s responded by maintaining a focus on “cool”.

As a brand, Levi’s still struggles to remain relevant. They own an icon of world fashion, the 501 jeans, but have weakened its strength by trying to segment the market. Today, there

are Premium 501’s. Eco-501’s, and cheaper 501’s. Rather than remain true to one thing,

and produce consistent products, they keep chasing what’s cool.

In the 1970’s and 80’s, the newly introduced punk movement of London took to Dr. Martens - a 1947 workboot developed as an alternative to military boots. From the punks, it gradually spread into

mainstream fashion circles, peaking sometime in the 1990’s.

Dr. Martens took up the “fashion” shift, producing a whole range of boots in different colors, lengths, and targets. For a few years, the mainstream ate it up - with every teenager playing “punk” for a little while. Dr. Martens pumped up the marketing and shifted all

production to Thailand and China in 2003.

Today, the iconic boots are barely focused on and have been all but forgotten about. The company has tried backpedaling to it’s heritage somewhat, offering

“vintage” models of the boot, but maintain their focus on a full “fashion” line-up.

Dickies expanded production to meet demand, and started distributing their clothing in more fashion

focused retail spaces - Walmart, KMart, and JCPenney. Their products didn’t change much, even with so much attention by sub-cultures, but let the

brand become more than just work clothes.

Out of all three of these brands, Dickies has escaped as the most intact. There clothing is still sought out by hipsters, but they remain a relevant work-wear

brand sought out by hard-working individuals. They may have gained attention by the fashion world, but

they never let it change their identity.

The old Timbuk2 users vs. the new users

• Recent Timbuk2 users

• Looking for the newest in trendy styles

• Purchase decision made on need to fit in socially

• Respond to changes in fashion - less brand loyal

“Boutique Mama”“Urban Explorer”

• Original Timbuk2 users

• Looking for the hardest to find and unusual styles

• Purchase decision made on need to stick out socially

• Respond to brands with authenticity and social purpose

Our Recommendations and Key Insight

• Refocus Timbuk2 brand on the “Urban Explorer” target

• Allow the target define the brand more by focusing on their desires

• Given the example set by Levi’s, Dickie’s and Dr. Marten’s, following the path toward fashion-forward products will ultimately backfire

• Though asked to produce large outdoor ads, we believed a guerilla campaign and printed materials would best reach our target

An Brand Experience

• We came up with an interactive brand “scavenger hunt” - a guide designed around the urban explorer’s desire to discover new sites

• Guides would be city specific - connecting with the true locals and new residents alike

Guerilla Branding

Rather than using traditional media buys, our campaign would connect back to the guides.Stickers would come with guides, and Buttons or

Patches would be available for users.