Organic social media presence kick-started the WeLikeBike42 experiential brand activation. 42BELOW Vodka’s native New Zealand is known for its sense of adventure and environmental conscience.  In that spirit, the brand selected 42 cyclists to ride from NYC to LA in a massive celebration of biking culture.  After training, a kickoff party, and an appearance on The Today Show, the riders parted ways to conquer a northern route and a southern route.

This video features photos taken by a variety of the riders as well as a couple by Javelin crew members. It’s a stunning display of appreciation for beauty in nature, adventure, and the sheer joy of living.

In major markets along the way, consumers cheered the riders on at parties hosted by 42BELOW Vodka, complete with the brand’s signature Caipiroska 42. Fans could join the journey by reading the individual riders’ blogs and Twitter accounts, and by following the tour at @WeLikeBike42.

Over 58 days riders witnessed some of the most beautiful scenery the country has to offer, pedaled a combined 8,549 miles, and exceeded their goal of getting 20,000 followers on Twitter.  In turn, 42BELOW made a $42K donation to the Alliance for Biking & Walking at the finish line event.

With more than 125K WeLikeBike42.com page views, 4.9 million blog views, radio reach of 2 million, 1.45 million over-the-road impressions, and more, 42 Below’s We Like Bike had an experiential program reach of more than 72 million. This extensive reach would not have been possible without the robust social media presence the riders brought to the experience through their blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr accounts.  Cycling enthusiasts, adventure devotees, and lovers of the vast beauty found across the United States all found something compelling to participate in, over and over.

At Javelin we constantly receive resumes, head shots, and audition tapes from people looking for brand ambassador gigs – whether we’re hiring at the moment or not. The competition is stiff, and it’s challenging to stand out in a sea of highly qualified candidates.

If you want to make yourself exponentially more valuable than other equally qualified brand ambassadors, have a robust blog and active Twitter account. As experiential marketers, you inspire consumers to talk about the brand/experience/benefits, so why not provide extra value to the agency and the client by adding into the mix your personal voice, complete with behind-the-scenes, on-the-road snapshots of the “Brand X experience”?

Still not sure? Currently Javelin has a team of 42 cyclists riding across America to promote 42 Below vodka, a pure, eco-conscious brand from New Zealand. Most of the riders have active Twitter accounts from which they are tweeting updates about the scenery, promotional stops, funny people they meet along the way, and the joys and rigors of riding 80-100 miles per day. More than half of them have personal blogs where they’re writing about their experiences in more depth. These people lead interesting lives they share with the world regularly, not just when they’re on tour, and as a result they have a readership base. Have a look at http://eatsleep42ride.wordpress.com/, and at some of the other rider blogs that are linked to it.

42 Below Riders

Sure, it’s not essential to have a blog or to Twitter, but in this economy don’t you want every advantage you can create for yourself? We look forward to reading about your adventures in life!

P.S. This should go without saying but if you’re going to offer these things up as a competitive difference to agencies, use common sense in regards to what you write and use spellcheck.