Founder of Crank Communication, Bregan Koenigseker, is recounting the time he was crossing what appeared to be a shallow creek only to discover the water came up above his waist. On face value an amusing anecdote – including the observation that another rider more familiar with the locale simply deviated to a handily placed bridge – but one that ended sadly when months later his steel frame cracked after this rust-inducing soaking.

Setting aside the loss of a cherished bike, what this story does illustrate is a passion for cycling that transcends purely professional responsibilities. And with such a driven individual heading up the Crank Communication team, the company is enjoying a period of sustained growth as new clients join an already established roster of brands. But what exactly does an international cycling content and PR agency do? And why do brands place a value on these services in an increasingly competitive market place?

Offering an insider’s perspective on industry processes, Bregan conversationally explores what Crank brings to the table. And why, ultimately, a love of cycling continues to fuel his creative journey.

cyclespeak
Could you set the scene by describing the origins of Crank Communication?

Bregan
I’m based in Berlin – I’ve lived in the city for over 20 years – but my weekends are now spent renovating an old farmhouse. After university I started working as a bike messenger and the company I was working for asked if I knew the people at Chrome because I had one of their bags. I had no idea who owned Chrome but said I did, ordered 50 of their bags and then subsequently made a deal with Chrome to start distributing across Europe.

cyclespeak
And that proved a good decision?

Bregan
Fast forward two years and I’d designed my own online shop, was sponsoring events and had built up a small dealer network. Alongside all this I was organising messenger races and Brooks England came onboard as a sponsor for the European Cycle Messenger Championships at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin. The event proved a success – we had over a thousand racers – and this led to Brooks asking if I’d like to start working full-time for them in a general sales and marketing capacity.

cyclespeak
That’s a pretty pivotal two year period.

Bregan
It was a miracle. Working at Brooks I got to plan social media strategies, handle their worldwide PR and was travelling everywhere and meeting everyone. On the advice of my mentor at Brooks, I then decided to start my own agency and so Crank came into being with Brooks as a very valued client.

cyclespeak
So what is Crank? And the reason I ask is that I was wondering whether there are any misconceptions about what you actually do?

Bregan
The support we offer can be very creative if we’re asked to work on a campaign. Other times it’s about helping a brand to understand how to market and sell a particular product. So maybe the misconception is that we just have this list of contacts and we charge brands to make a few phone calls—when what we’re really offering is a creative set of solutions that can be delivered in collaboration with in-house teams at the brand.

cyclespeak
So, in effect, a shared journey?

Bregan
Often brands come to us with really good ideas and we help in getting that last 10%. And that’s why I believe we have such long- standing relationships because we don’t just reel off a standard solution. Instead, we actually think about what our brands are trying to achieve.

cyclespeak
Do you have a favourite project that illustrates the typical creative process you follow?

Bregan
Recently we worked with Ass Savers from the very start of their Win Wing campaign. And what I like so much about this project is that it allowed us to showcase so many of our different talents. We helped develop the product name, taglines and slogans before working on the product story with a multi-channel approach. And rather than a traditional PR launch where the product is unveiled to great fanfare over the course of one or two days, we intentionally extended the launch over months so that it was buzzing the whole time.

cyclespeak
With obvious success?

Bregan
We had feedback from Ass Savers that not only did this particular product receive a real boost in awareness but general sales across the company’s online shop also saw a significant increase. Of course, we had a great product to work with and when you see a project like that coming towards you, you want to immediately jump on board.

cyclespeak
What changes have you witnessed in the creative tools, mechanisms and platforms that you use to communicate a brand’s message or vision?

Bregan
I started Crank in 2014 before social media was so ubiquitous. Back then you approached a magazine through your PR contacts or you took out an advertisement. But now we have so many options…

cyclespeak
Is that a good thing or a challenge?

Bregan
It can be a little of both [smiles]. So what you need is the relevant experience to choose the right path forward. 

cyclespeak
Can you see any differences in how Crank achieves this pre and post pandemic? Because the period in between saw enormous growth in cycling with people wanting to purchase bikes and components.

Bregan
Which increased competition between brands and resulted in our business growing in tandem with this expansion in the industry. But one difference I have noticed is that there’s a lot less enthusiasm about travel which has resulted in a huge increase in local events across Europe.

cyclespeak
For me, the lockdown restrictions encouraged me to start exploring routes from my own front door. And that still heavily influences how I ride.

Bregan
It’s very difficult for international events to attract sponsorship right now. When before, we wouldn’t even blink at the thought of flying a bunch of journalists in for a bike show. But times change and you’re right when you say there’s more focus on local rides and community. And that’s something our brands also understand.

cyclespeak
Do you ever turn down clients?

Bregan
Yes. Often.

cyclespeak
Can I ask why?

Bregan
Sometimes we’re approached by brands not really ready to use our services. And you don’t want to start a project that will end in sadness for everyone.

cyclespeak
Your business is ultimately driven by consumers buying products. And I wondered how you squared the environmental impact of a world with more stuff?

Bregan
Having worked with Brooks England on their PR for 14 years, it’s a theme that often comes up. And if you make good products, then people tend to respect that investment and look after what they’ve chosen to purchase. But there’s also the understanding that kit and components can lead a hard life and will need to be replaced at some point. So there is this balance between need and want but it’s usually the case that if you buy cheap, you buy twice.

cyclespeak
I’m guessing influencers have a valuable role in building an audience? And I was wondering how you match them up with the needs of a brand?

Bregan
The most amazing influencers are real people and not one-trick-ponies that just post the same picture again and again. We want to work with people that are consistently interesting and have the ability to take you on a journey with them. We’ve had the privilege of spending time with some super high profile influencers and do you want to know their secret? They are actually awesome people.

cyclespeak
Can I ask what strategies inform how you recruit and develop Crank Communication as a business?

Bregan
We’re very play-it-by-ear [laughs]. It starts out with people asking you to do things that you don’t have time for but want to do anyway. So then you look for people that can help and that’s how I’ve pretty much found everyone that’s worked for us.

cyclespeak
I gather a lot of your team work remotely?

Bregan
When I was offered the job at Brooks England, they wanted me to be based in Italy. But I didn’t want to move there—not because I don’t like Italy but because I have a family and didn’t want to uproot everyone. So we started to use all these remote working tools that we now take for granted but that was way back in 2009.

cyclespeak
And then the pandemic swept across the globe and it’s now something we’re all doing.

Bregan
It’s certainly a different way of working but totally possible with the technologies that are available. Sometimes it makes sense to sit down in person with someone but often it’s much easier to work things out over a video call.

cyclespeak
So is there such a thing as a typical working day?

Bregan
It’s not a job for someone who doesn’t want to work hard [smiles]. You have to keep a lot of balls in the air.

cyclespeak
So what keeps you motivated?

Bregan
I love it when we really nail slogans and communications. For me, probably the most satisfying aspect of the job. And it’s good to be part of the bike industry and be respected for the part we play. The media and brands understand our function and we, in turn, are proud to be a useful part of a great industry.

cyclespeak
How do bikes and your own riding fit in and inform your work with Crank?

Bregan
We actually don’t get to ride as much as people think. They assume we spend every day out on our bikes!

cyclespeak
No?

Bregan
Everyone else is cycling and we’re working [laughs].

cyclespeak
But riding is still at the heart of your business?

Bregan
Everyone cycles at our agency and we talk about cycling all the time. Something that I always hope can be a feature of Crank because it really helps us connect authentically with our clients. So it’s like I’m fond of saying—we speak bike [smiles].

Bregan Koenigseker

Images with kind permission of Crank! Communication