If you ship your bike, what are the odds that it will be damaged?
Last year, according to Dutch manufacturer Van Moof, some 25 percent of their bikes were damaged before they reached their destination. The problem was particularly bad when the bikes were shipped to the US.
So what did the folks at VanMoof do? They made their bikes go stealth. Well, sort of. They thought about what Americans "really love," according to VanMoof co-founder Taco Carlier. "What would prompt couriers to be delicate with a parcel?"
The answer: a television. Turns out, a big flat-screen TV in its box is about the same size and weight as a high-end commuter bike in its box. So, the company started imprinting their boxes with images of televisions. The boxes still have logos identifying them as bicycles, but at first glance, they look like they're bearing TV's.
So far, it's worked--even after a Wall Street reporter "outed" the contents of the boxes.
Last year, according to Dutch manufacturer Van Moof, some 25 percent of their bikes were damaged before they reached their destination. The problem was particularly bad when the bikes were shipped to the US.
So what did the folks at VanMoof do? They made their bikes go stealth. Well, sort of. They thought about what Americans "really love," according to VanMoof co-founder Taco Carlier. "What would prompt couriers to be delicate with a parcel?"
The answer: a television. Turns out, a big flat-screen TV in its box is about the same size and weight as a high-end commuter bike in its box. So, the company started imprinting their boxes with images of televisions. The boxes still have logos identifying them as bicycles, but at first glance, they look like they're bearing TV's.
So far, it's worked--even after a Wall Street reporter "outed" the contents of the boxes.
