campaigns (1)

I AM RVA
RESEARCH | FALL 2015

table of contents
Executive Summary
Secondary Research
Survey
Interviews
Focus Groups
secondary research
survey
interviews
focus groups
appendix
1
3
6
9
10
40
54
59
62
Photos courtesy of Kai Eason

executive summaries

secondary research
client background
I Am RVA’ s mission is to foster enthusiasm for bicycling in Richmond by encouraging
a sense of community, promoting safety among riders and drivers, and creating pride
in the city. The organization is run by a volunteer board of directors. I Am RVA is a
non-profit organization categorized under 501(c)(3).
key publics
Many members of the cyclist public are anti-helmet, regardless of proven medical
benefits of helmet use. Virginia legislators are very reluctant to pass any law improving
safe riding conditions for cyclists. Democrats and Republicans in the House are both
divided on the issue.
communications audit
I Am RVA lacks an integrative and comprehensive marketing strategy (i.e. no posting
schedule, meaningful content, and personal voice). They have four active social media
accounts, but they are most prominent on Facebook. The top communication goal for
most nonprofits is to acquire new donors and engage with current and new audiences.
social, political & economic context
Many Richmond citizens already want a more bike-friendly community. There is a need
for bicycle safety education as many motorists and bicyclists are unaware of the rules
of the road. Richmond motorists have negative views towards bicyclists because they
see them as hazardous and feel they do not follow traffic laws.
1

industry research
Many non-profits in the Richmond area have goals similar to I Am RVA, hoping to
improve the community and the way of living, along with smaller goals to make that
possible. Launching campaigns with a clearly stated mission attract attention from
sponsors and local government. Private donors help raise initial donations to produce
safe cycling campaign products, like jerseys.
competition & similar organizations
There are several other non-profit organizations involving bikes and helmets in the
Richmond area but none are doing exactly what I Am RVA wants to do. Competitor
organizations have successful social media accounts which the regularly update. The
key to success with competition seems to be the more large scale events they are
throwing in order to gain media attention and general awareness.
media coverage
I Am RVA was featured in Style Weekly on August 11, 2015. The article covered the
organization’s background information and main initiatives. The organization was
also mentioned in RVA Mag’s “Local storytelling series Secretly Y’all brings first bikethemed
festival to former GRTC bus depot,” article back in June 2015. In September
2015, I Am RVA’s president and founder Scott Keel was quoted in an article on NBC
12. The quote reads “It’s a mirror chrome helmet designed to reflect you because you
are where you surround yourself, and who you surround yourself with,” Dr. Scott Keel,
pediatrician and founder of I Am RVA, said. “We couldn’t choose a color for Richmond,
so we decided to let the helmet choose a color for you.”
2

survey
The survey was specifically designed to gauge the state of the cycling community in
Richmond. We sought to evaluate the cycling community on three major premises:
safety, cycling infrastructure and public awareness of both I Am RVA and bike safety
topics. The survey is best understood after first examining the demographics of our
respondents.
demographics
The majority of respondents are 21-26 years old, however, a significant number are
15-20 years old. The low age distribution can be attributed to college-age respondents.
The majority of respondents have an annual household income of $12,000-$50,000
per year which can also be linked to the aforementioned low age distribution.
The majority of respondents have 1-2 people in their household, however, 43% have
3-4 people in their household. Once again, we link this trend to college-aged
respondents.
The majority of respondents live in The Fan, with a notable amount residing in Monroe
Park.
Of the 26% of respondents that live in The Fan, 19% are involved with local nonprofits
such as JDRF, Ram Pantry, Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation, HAND, The Sierra Club and
HD Advisors.
Of respondents that live in The Fan, 46% own a bike, while only 39% of those living
outside of The Fan do.
Overall, it is apparent through an examination of the demographics that an overwhelming
majority of respondents are either college students or young professionals. Our team
suggests conducting research that focuses more heavily on the demographics of your
audience however we believe that your organization should also those under 40 because
of their proximity to downtown areas.
3

safety
If respondents answered that they did not own a bike, they resumed the survey at
“Have you ever been in a bicycle accident?” which means they skipped the questions
about helmet use and bike use. Additionally, those that said they were not cyclists
were ushered to the same question, allowing them to skip helmet and bike use questions.
Nine respondents both owned a bike and cycled, and were evenly distributed on
their helmet use. Results showed that those who never or sometimes wear helmets
either don’t own one or forget it. Outliers to the data also stated they “don’t want
to carry [it] around,” “it is not the law,” and they are “only going a short distance.” Of
those that do not wear helmets or sometimes wear helmets, half have been in a bike
accident. Note, however, that those that do not wear helmets also do not read about
bike safety, with 83% reporting they do not read cycling literature. We believe there
is a connection between being educated about bike safety and wearing a helmet,
however those that do not wear helmets also do not read about bike safety, with 83%
reporting they do not read cycling literature. We believe there is a connection between
being educated about bike safety and wearing a helmet.
infrastructure
Respondents aged 21-26 that are highly in favor of bike-related infrastructure also
show notable involvement with nonprofits as 21% report involvement. Of
respondents that are strongly in favor of the addition of a bike lane to Floyd Avenue,
21% are involved with nonprofits. JDRF appears twice on the list of nonprofits with
which that subset are involved. The list also includes Planned Parenthood, Special
Olympics VA, HAND, HD Advisors, The Sierra Club and Crossover Ministry. We believe
your organization should focus on influencing the middle ground of respondents--
those that have a neutral opinion of bicycling infrastructure in Richmond. Twenty-three
respondents answered that they feel neutrally about the addition of a bike lane to
Floyd Avenue. Of these respondents, 91% are on social media with the majority on
Facebook, followed by Instagram and Twitter. A majority, 83%, of these respondents
have never heard of I Am RVA. Fifty-two percent of these respondents are 21-26
years old. To target this “middle of the road” demographic, your organization should
focus efforts on social media.
4

public awareness
Of the 41% of respondents that own bikes, 76% have not heard of I Am RVA.
Respondents that have not heard of I Am RVA primarily use Facebook and Instagram
and get their news either on social media or online news sites. They are young, active
on social media and living downtown. Another important factor to note is their income:
53% of respondents that have not heard of I Am RVA make $12,000 - $50,000 a year.
Because I Am RVA’s goals center around the purchase of a helmet (which
60% of people who have not heard of I Am RVA either never or sometimes wear), your
organization should take income into consideration in future campaigns. It is also
important to examine the platforms and mediums through which it is best to reach your
audience. Ninety-two percent of respondents age 21-26 use social media. Of that age
range, 89% use Facebook and 74% use Instagram. Interestingly, 100% of
respondents aged 45-50 reported they are active on social media. Once again,
Facebook is the most popular with 86% of respondents active, and Instagram comes
in second, with
71% of respondents active. I Am RVA also currently maintains a Twitter account, a
platform which is used by 59% of 21-26 year old respondents and 57% of 45-50 year
old respondents. Social media is the number one platform through which respondents
get their news. Not surprisingly, online news sources come in close second. It is
interesting to note that 0% of respondents aged 45-50 get their news from print
sources, with the most newspaper readers being in the 51+ age group. Local news
sources were popular among 21-26 year old respondents, 45-50 year old
respondents and 51+ year old respondents. The Fan reports the same level of social
media viewership, with 84% of Fan resident respondents getting their news from
social media and 80% using online news sites to get their news. Monroe Park follows a
similar trend.
5

interviews
Our research group was tasked to complete 10 in-depth interviews surrounding
cycling in the Richmond community and I Am RVA. The overarching research question
our group focused on was “What can I Am RVA do to promote and ensure bike safety
on the road?” With this question in mind, we created specific interview questions that
dealt with bike safety in the Richmond area, cycling overall, the unity of cyclists in the
Richmond community, and the brand awareness of I Am RVA.
goals
As a group, we had specific information we wanted to find out through our interviews.
We created the following goals for our research:
Who is wearing a helmet?
Who feels safe riding in the city?
For what purpose do people use their bikes?
How often do people ride their bikes?
How do people feel about Richmond becoming a more bike-friendly city and what do
they think about the bike race?
Of respondents that live in The Fan, 46% own a bike, while only 39% of those living
outside of The Fan do.
Do cyclists feel that motorists respect them on the road?
How do people feel about Richmond becoming a more bike-friendly city and what do
they think about the bike race?
What do cyclists want drivers to know when sharing the road?
6

key findings
The interviews we conducted provided detailed information needed in order for I Am
RVA to make future actions. Below you will find the key findings and what this means
for I Am RVA moving forward:
Majority of people interviewed said they feel comfortable riding their bikes around
Richmond, however the few that felt uncomfortable credited this to drivers not being
educated about cyclists’ rights.
Almost all interviewees believe that there needs to be more bike lanes and that motorists
need to be better educated about cyclists’ rights. I Am RVA already has a strong
position on adding additional bike lanes in the community and therefore needs to continue
this positioning.
Majority of the interviewees agreed that cyclists should use lights at night, and that
it’s a state law that many do not abide by. I Am RVA needs to make sure their target
audience is aware of this law, and offer other alternatives for becoming more visible.
Moving forward, bicycle lights could become part of I Am RVA’s merchandise.
About half of the interviewees knew about cycling organizations within the Richmond
area. This means I Am RVA needs to make itself more known in the area.
Almost all interviewees believe that creating a cycling organization is a good idea.
This means that once I Am RVA achieves brand awareness, people can get behind its
cause.
The concept of supporting local charities was well received by all people interviewed. I
Am RVA needs to continue their push to support charities in the local area.
Unfortunately, only two of the 13 people knew who I Am RVA was and their mission.
This means I Am RVA needs to focus their efforts on brand awareness and making the
local population aware of their mission and focus.
7

Interviewees believe the best options for I Am RVA to elevate their brand awareness is
to increase their social media presence and host more events. This means I Am RVA
needs to increase the social media platforms they are currently utilizing, and increase
the number of marketing events they host.
Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are the social platforms that were highly suggested
for I Am RVA to use to reach their target audiences. I Am RVA needs to increase their
presence and make their platforms more interactive.
conclusion
In conclusion, our interviews yielded valuable results that will help I Am RVA better reach
their target audience. It also will help them determine if their mission is possible in the
Richmond community, and whether or not people believe cycling can unite Richmond
for a common cause. Overall, we received a positive reaction regarding the mission of I
Am RVA, but unfortunately only two people knew that the organization existed. Through
these interviews, it has become clear that I Am RVA needs to focus on brand awareness
and marketing itself.
8

focus groups
In the research we conducted, we wanted to more accurately gauge community
awareness of bike safety as well as I Am RVA’s brand awareness. We need to assess
brand awareness in order to refine options for tactics. We also used our research to
draw conclusions about the general understanding of bike safety. The summary of our
findings is as follows:
Neither cyclists nor non-cyclists have clear understanding of bike laws and safety.
Our focus group consisted of both cyclists and non-cyclists. The participants did not
seem to have any clear understanding of bike laws besides the general knowledge
that motorists should remain three feet away from cyclists, and that cyclists were not
allowed to use sidewalks.
There needs to be more official means of disseminating rules and regulations pertaining
to bike safety. The participants said they never saw any official explanation or signage
of bike laws. We found that cyclists have seen information about the “three-foot”
law mostly on bumper stickers.
An education program would be the most useful way to bring about a positive change
in the community. Several participants wanted neighborhood community and VCU
community educational events throughout the year. In the past, bike safety and maintenance
was taught as a part of physical education programs in Richmond public
schools. Those in the focus group believed it would be a great part in educating the
future riders.
9

secondary research

client background
history
I Am RVA is a non-profit organization that was started in 2015 by Dr. Scott Keel. The
founder and president got the idea while traveling abroad in Vienna. Keel observed
the bicycle culture of the city and noticed many cyclists wearing the same helmet and
soon learned it was a fundraising campaign from the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Keel then began I Am RVA in Richmond, Virginia with the goal to unite the city and
promote bicycle safety all through a unique bicycle helmet. The purpose of the
chrome helmet is to reflect the city and community of each of the cyclists who wears
it. According to I Am RVA’s official website, “Our helmet is unique to
Richmond, serving as a visually compelling symbol of unifying symbol the public will
associates with our vibrant community.”
The organization website officially launched on March 13, 2015. The organization
itself launched on May 28, 2015. On August 27, 2015, I Am RVA held a kickoff party
to mark the official start of helmet sells.
organizational structure
I Am RVA is run by a board of directors under the leadership of Dr. Scott Keel. According
to the website, “I Am RVA is comprised of professionals from many different walks
of life. They are dedicated to the vision that I Am RVA sets forth and work purely on
a volunteer basis.” The board of director is made up of 9 professionals are business
owners, account managers, budget analysts, doctors, engineers, realtors, and
journalists.
client product and services
The organization currently offers two different products - the I Am RVA chrome
helmet and the 2015 I Am RVA biking cap. The helmet’s cost $50 and the cap can be
bought for $10. Right now, the money from the helmet sells goes to the organization.
In the future the organization will be donating a portion of each helmet sale to the
non-profit of the buyer’s choice.
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size and scope
Again, I Am RVA is run by a volunteer board of directors including nine individuals. They
are also currently partnered with Venture Richmond, Sportable, and Richmond Cycling
Corps. This is part of their attempt to grow the organization through partnerships with
local businesses and other profits. While one cannot tell how many people are actually
involved with the organization, we can look at their social media following to see how
many people follow and actively support the organization.
On Facebook, I Am RVA has over one thousand followers who comment, like, and
occasionally share their posts. Their Instagram account has about three hundred
followers and their Twitter account has only 40 followers. Facebook seems to be their
main method of communication with their supporters as of right now.
All in all, the organization itself is relatively small and it aims to serve the bicycle
community, which is continuously growing. It is a goal of the organization to unite the
city of Richmond as a whole, this includes both cyclists and motorists. The population
of Richmond is about 217,000 people, and the Richmond metropolitan population is
around 1.2 million people.
11

key publics
Determining I Am RVA’s key publics is an important step in analyzing the organization.
We determined that I Am RVA has six key publics that warrant attention in a public
relations campaign. After determining the key publics, we conducted research to
determine key characteristics about each group. In this section, we include some
important information about each individual key public. Each of these publics fall under
the main category of the local Richmond community.
cyclists
Cyclists make up one of the key publics most important to I Am RVA. Because I Am
RVA focuses on bike safety, specifically through the production of metallic helmets,
current cyclists are essential to the organization. For this key public, we asked ourselves
two questions to help us better understand this group. Why don’t some cyclists
wear helmets, and why should all cyclists wear helmets?
Why don’t some cyclists wear helmets?
Through our research, we found that there are large groups of cyclists who are
staunchly anti-helmet. We researched the rationale behind this in order to better help I
Am RVA develop campaigns to influence this group to practice bike safety.
An article by Bruce Barcott entitled “Senseless” explained some of the thought processes
behind the anti-helmet movement. According to this article, half of all bike riders
were wearing helmets by 1999 (Barcott, 5). Barcott also states that as more riders
used helmets, brain injuries also increased. Below are some key anti-helmet arguments
laid out by Barcott in “Senseless” that explain the rationale used by helmet opponents
(Barcott, 12). By understanding these arguments, we can help I Am RVA better combat
them.
They make motorists complacent. A study done by psychologist Ian Walker found that
motorists drove 3.35 inches closer to him when he wore his helmet.
They increase risky riding. If you trust your helmet to protect you, you may engage in
riskier behavior.
They scare away riders. Helmet laws make the sport seem dangerous.
They diminish bikeshare usage.
12

Sarah Knapton, a science reporter for the Telegraph, cited a British neurosurgeon,
Henry Marsh, in her article “Cycle helmets are useless, says brain surgeon.”
According to the article, Marsh believes that cycling helmets are too flimsy to be
beneficial. (Knapton, 1). This article also cites the same study done by Ian Walker that
examined how motorists treat cyclists who wear helmets.
Now that we understand why some cyclists feel helmets may do more harm than
good, we must examine why cyclists should wear helmets. Pro-helmet arguments will
help us determine effective ways to target cyclists who don’t currently wear helmets,
as well as those who are anti-helmet.
why should all cyclists wear helmets?
The use of helmets is widely promoted. We sought to find key arguments for the
importance of helmet use that would be helpful in I Am RVA’s quest to connect with
cyclists to promote bike safety.
A study done by the Cochrane Injuries Group looked at how the use of helmets
impacted injury in crashes, including those that involved motor vehicles. The study
found that helmets provide “a 63 to 88% reduction in the risk of head, brain and
severe brain injury for all ages of bicyclists,” (Thompson, Rivara, Thompson, 1).
This diagram shows how helmet use affects fatalities
related to cycling accidents. Source: Oklahoma State
University
Cyclists who wear helmets are better protected from injuries that can be fatal. By promoting
this idea to current cyclists, I Am RVA can increase awareness for their organization
while also promoting bike safety in the Richmond community.
13

non-cyclists
Non-cyclists are another vital public for I Am RVA. Part of the organization’s stated
goals is to promote an overall healthy lifestyle cycling being a part of that lifestyle. For
that reason, non-cyclists are an important public for I Am RVA. The organization needs
a better understanding of this public in order to develop ways to increase cycling within
the Richmond community.
While most cyclists are not vehemently against cycling, there are a portion of non-cyclists
who are staunchly anti-cycling. To increase cycling, it is important to understand
what drives the anti-cycling campaign. To better understand this public, we asked
ourselves why are some cyclists extremely anti-cycling?
why are some cyclists extremely anti-cycling?
There are factions of non-cyclists who strongly oppose cycling, as evident through
Facebook groups like “There’s a perfectly good path right next to the road you
stupid cyclist.” Our goal was to figure out why these groups exist. The most apparent
and broadcasted reason relates to motorists. For instance, the “about” section of the
aforementioned Facebook page states: “No matter how far to the left you are, you’re
taking up my road. My car is hard, and I am not slowing down!” Additionally, it is
apparent that anti-cycling zealots often feel that cyclists are “self-righteous” about the
environmental impact of cycling (Liddle, 1).
The main argument behind the anti-cycling movement seems to be fueled by not
wanting to accommodate cyclists on the road. With that in mind, I Am RVA can use
idea of building bike specific infrastructure as a way to limit motorist and cyclist
clashes, and therefore alleviate some negative feelings.
14

legislators
Cycling related legislation has become a hot topic in recent years. Laws relating to
cycling safety, cycling infrastructure, and road sharing are often being debated by
legislators throughout the U.S. and across the world. However, to better understand
how legislators are a key public for I Am RVA, we need to focus on Virginia
legislators in specific. When looking at these decision makers, who can have a great
deal of impact on cycling culture in the region, we wanted to know, what is the state of
cycling related legislation in Virginia?
What is the state of cycling related legislation in
Virginia?
When it comes to laws regarding cyclists, and the legislators behind these laws,
Virginia is considered to be behind the times compared to other states. For instance,
there is no law protecting cyclists from being tailgated (Weiner, 1). But what makes
laws protecting cyclists so difficult to get passed in Virginia? The legislators.
House transportation subcommittee no. 2 has traditionally handled cycling legislation
for the state. For many years, however, John A. Coxan opponent to legislation that
protects cyclists served as chairman of the committee. This meant that legislation
was never passed (Weiner, 1).
15

For I Am RVA to be successful in building bike infrastructure and promoting bike safety,
it is import ant to understand key legislators who could influence the success of legislation.
It is not, however, as easy as separating Democrat from Republican. As we saw
in 2014, when numerous bills were voted on in the House regarding cycling safety,
Republicans and Democrats are divided on the issue (Weiner, 1).
Legislators play a key role in the success of I Am RVA’s mission of promoting bike
safety and a healthy lifestyle in general. Improvements to cycling infrastructure can
only be made when legislators agree. Therefore, it is essential to understand the
divisiveness of the issue, and what sways each individual legislator.
college students
Richmond is a college town. Both Virginia Commonwealth University and the University
of Richmond are in or near the city center. With that being said, a significant portion
of the population of Richmond is made up of college students. While some of these
college students are cyclists, too, many still walk or drive as a means of transportation.
Therefore, we believe that Richmond area college students are a key public of I Am
RVA in its quest to promote cycling in the community. There are two main questions
we must ask when discussing college students and cycling. Why do some college
students cycle and how can we get more college students to cycle?
why do some college students cycle?
Many college students already use cycling as their primary mode of transportation. Understanding
why these students choose cycling can help I Am RVA better understand
how to encourage non cycling college students to try cycling.
An article in Momentum Magazine lays out four reasons that college campuses encourage
students to cycle: (Hurd, 1)
16

Universities breed 20-minute neighborhoods
They create car-free spaces
They use public space to enable density
They charge for car parking
Essentially, a major reason that students cycle on campus is that it can be
cumbersome and expensive to drive a car on campus. Cycling is often more efficient,
and cheaper, than driving on college campuses.
Another article posted on University Language Services outlines five reasons that
students should ride their bikes on campus: (Services, 1).
Save money
Protect the environment
Park with no hassles
Get to class quicker
Exercise
17

how do we get more college students to cycle?
Now that we understand what motivates students to cycle on campus, we need to
evaluate ways to engage non-cycling students. An article by the New Jersey Bicycle &
Pedestrian Resource Center explained 10 ways to encourage non-cycling students to
start cycling on campus: (NJBPRC, 1)
Create bicycle education programs
Make it easy to obtain a bike
Construct new bicycle infrastructure
Provide adequate and varied bicycle parking facilities
Build bike stations
Make streets safer
Create incentives to encourage cycling as a primary mode of transportation
Adopt policies to minimize use of automobiles
Improve links between cycling and other modes of transportation
Promote a culture of cycling with schoolwide events and student organizations
Students who currently cycle, as well as those who do not, are important publics of I
Am RVA. This public is integral to the Richmond community and can be a valuable tool
for furthering the organization’s varied goals.
families
One of I Am RVA’s main goals is to promote cycling safety. Parents are an important
tool to achieve that goal. When children first ride bikes, their parents have a responsibility
to teach their children bike safety rules. For that reason, families are a key public
of I Am RVA. The organization can connect with families to promote bike safety and
healthy lifestyles. Our main question relating to families is how do parents influence
their children’s bike safety practices?
18

There are already numerous resources for parents explaining bike safety practices
to teach their children. An essential item found on every checklist is a properly fitting
helmet. Articles that outline bike safety tips for parents, such as an article by Parents
Central, stress that helmets are a necessary part of gear that protects children.
I Am RVA goal of promoting bike safety and a healthy lifestyle should also include the
youngest members of the cycling community. Parents and families play an important
role in furthering I Am RVA’s cause.
public health officials and medical community
Public health officials and the medical community are important publics of I Am RVA
because they can be influential in the life choices others make. We feel that this is an
important group because many of I Am RVA’s goals can be related back to the medical
field i.e. maintaining a generally healthy lifestyle, preventing traumatic brain injury, etc.
When evaluating this group we wanted to find out what role does and can the medical
community play in promoting cycling safety?
what role does the medical community play in promoting
cycling safety?
Public health officials and those in the medical field are influential in their communities.
Their word is trusted, and, therefore often followed. Because of that, it is vital to
evaluate how this group fits in as a public of I Am RVA.
Public health officials, especially, can help influence cycling safety habits in the
community. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration even put out a list of
43 detailed ideas that public health officials can use to promote bike safety in their
community. An example of an idea found on the list is “hold a helmet use challenge at
school, between schools, or between competing groups in the community.” Those in
the medical community are an important public for I Am RVA because they can help
the organization a well trusted voice to speak from.
19

communications audit
This section will provide a brief overview of I Am RVA’s strengths and weaknesses
relating to their communication materials, strategies and campaigns distributed widely
to the general public. Information reviewed will be the following: social media profiles,
organizational media, websites and advertising.
I Am RVA’s application of social media, organizational campaigns and online marketing
is lacking engagement, connectivity, and usability for users. Increasing stewardship,
donors, and brand equity among key publics and consumers is an objective for this
organization. Their goals are engaging new audiences, visibility of the I Am RVA brand,
and promoting their mission of bike safety.
For I Am RVA to increase its visibility and awareness, they must interact, properly
market and be socially engaged with their publics including prospective clients and
donors.
social media profiles and campaigns
I Am RVA has three active social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).
They campaign to foster enthusiasm for bicycling in Richmond by promoting a sense
of community, safety among riders and drivers, and creating Richmond pride through
shared and promotional content.
facebook
20

I Am RVA is primarily engaged with their audiences through Facebook, targeting 1,178
Facebook users. Content is posted infrequently, is often shared content and
occasionally promotional.
I Am RVA employ a loose structured engagement with their followers through visual
imagery. However, there is little call to action and recognition of donors and sponsors.
Although a portion of the content is promotional, this content is infrequently posted
and does not increase product/brand recognition.
A portion of I Am RVA’s work is raising awareness for pediatric brain surgery research;
for them to share content encouraging their followers to be informed about this cause
and participate as donors would increase their user engagement and initiate call to
action behavior from consumers.
This infographic outlines the 70/20/10
posting rule for Facebook. Seventy percent
of your activity should add value to
your organization, 20% should be sharing
other ideas or similar interest content,
and 10% should be promotional.
I Am RVA has obtained a large following on Facebook. In order to initiate a call to action
among key publics, they must make sure content is meaningful, creative and resourceful,
recognizable, and endorsing their brand.
21

Hootsuite says Facebook is a great way to connect with your fan base through interesting
and relevant posts. Marketing tips such as adding visual references to your content,
scheduling post ahead of time, and establishing your own personal voice helps to
increase brand identity and bridge the gap between consumer interest and consumer
action (Hootsuite, 2015).
instagram
I Am RVA capture viewers through the use of visual and promotional content. I Am
RVA’s Instagram (@iamrva) has 354 followers (672 following). They are frequently
active on Instagram, usually posting content which strikes a personal voice and touch
for the organization through personable pictures of pets, local supporters and staff
and images of individuals whom have benefited from I Am RVA.
Posts are usually infrequent, sometimes ranging from days apart to weeks. Although
some images are promotional in layout, they have not mentioned or recognized their
donors and sponsors. Also, photo quality is not of professional grade which adds and
takes away from the brand.
According to Nonprofit Tech for Good’s article, Top 5 Instagram Best Practices for
Nonprofits, Nonprofits consistently using hashtags on Instagram have twice as many
followers as those that don’t. Instagram users regularly monitoring hashtags enable
your nonprofit to gain more exposure to potential new followers.
Also, you can crowdsource images and videos on Instagram by asking your followers
to use your hashtag when sharing images on Instagram and then convert the images
using your hashtag into a slideshow or embed them directly into your website or blog
(Nonprofit Tech for Good, 2014).
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twitter
I Am RVA has 65 followers on Twitter. They do not actively engage with their audiences
although Twitter has been considered very institutional for grassroots promotions
of nonprofits and their campaigns (Nonprofit Tech for Good, 2015).
I Am RVA have not maximized engagement on Twitter. Their content posting schedule
is very infrequent and unable to track and manage a following pool. According to
Nonprofit Tech for Good, a nonprofit must tweet or retweet at least twice daily to gain
traction on Twitter (28 times daily). It’s also good practice for nonprofits to tweet on
the weekends since the vast majority of them do not (Nonprofit Tech for Good, 2015).
I Am RVA’s first Twitter post. A better introduction would be to announce your
organization with a picture of your logo, link to your website and possibly a hashtag.
summary report
Social media is imperative for small businesses and nonprofits to survive in the digital
age. 4 out of 10 small businesses surveyed as not using social media as one of their
business components in March 2015 (eMarketer, 2015). Around 55% of small
businesses update social media monthly or infrequently, 30% weekly, and 15% daily. I
Am RVA updates infrequently; if they adopt a schedule for postings they will be able to
target and track engagement and what times are best to post relevant content.
Online marketing is essential to any small business or nonprofit looking to enhance the
quality of their business and awareness. It successfully keeps organizations ahead or
in direct line with their competition. According to Shama Kabani, author of The Zen of
Social Media Marketing successful online marketing is a cyclical process: attract,
convert, and transform (ACT) (Kabani, 2013).
You attract the customer usually through visual/ promotional content. Consumers are
sometimes willing to sample or test a product, but might not actually buy. When you
have achieved buying power with the consumer you have converted them. The last
and final stage is to transform your success into something attainable to draw other
potential consumers (Kabani, 2013).
23

organizational media
I Am RVA do not have any representative or formal organizational media. This is partially
due to them being a startup nonprofit (launched in May 2015).
However, what may work for I Am RVA is creating a blog or working in tandem with
nonprofit media organizations to gain media attention and traffic to their website.
According to the Council for Foundations, Nonprofit media organizations are receiving
a lot of media attention these days for stepping up to fill a void in critical public interest
reporting (Council for Foundations, 2015).
website
I Am RVA’s website is used as a resource for the organization’s mission statement,
goals and objectives, sponsorships, and current/future events. Aesthetically, the
website offers a minimalist quality with a clean background and layout.
Its functionality and usability are functional, but transitions are slow. Most items can
be reached within 23 clicks from the homepage. I Am RVA also capture newer design
techniques by using web anchors to quickly engage users with the top content source
tabs. Images are also clear and buttons are visible and easy to find.
The webpage’s lack of visual content, user interactivity, and textual/visual balance
breaks the seamlessness of the website. This is formally shown underneath the ‘About
Us’ tab which displays column style information about each member of the
organization. Due to its heavy textual layout, information is clouded and not easy to
digest.
24

The Nonprofit Website Project Handbook offers guidance to nonprofits seeking to
build engagement through website use and development. Listed is information
containing a step-by-step process on ideas, tools, and tips for creating a user-friendly,
engaging and resourceful webpage to support your nonprofit’s cause.
If I Am RVA enhances their visual content, express meaningful content through text
and their public’s perspective they could increase engagement and consumer appeal.
media coverage
I Am RVA have obtained minimal media coverage since their launch in May 2015. Style
Weekly wrote an article “I Am RVA Is Selling Chrome Bike Helmets for Charity” on August
11, 2015.
From the article:
“The first order of 288 helmets, which can be preordered, will be available Aug. 27
during a launch party at the Valentine museum”, Keel says. Venture Richmond also has
donated $5,000 to help defray costs. Style Editor Jason Roop volunteers on the board
of the nonprofit.
A larger order is expected in November. Keel says the plan is to set up local charities
that can raise money for projects by selling helmets through IAmRVA.com: “The buyer
would go to a computer, click on the dropdown and pick the charity they want.”
Keel says I Am RVA’s signature helmets will keep Richmond bikers safe while acting
as a “unifying symbol the public will associate with our vibrant community,” (Galuszka,
2015).
In a RVA Mag article, “Local storytelling series Secretly Y’all brings first bike themed
festival to former GRTC bus depot” I Am RVA was also mentioned.
“Over the last two months, Brady and King contacted local bike shops and organizations
to come out and support the inaugural event. Rag & Bones Cooperative, a
Scott’s Addition bicycle repair shop, is sponsoring Bicycle Y’all and RideRichmond, I
Am RVA and BikeWalk RVA are also on board,” (Amy, 2015).
25

I Am RVA was also mentioned in September in an article titled, “Shopping & dining
event Pop Up Revolution opens Saturday,” written by Heather Sullivan.
“Pello Bikes will show bikes for kids, and I Am RVA says it will raise money for a brain
trauma charity through sales of their specially made, reflective helmets.
“It’s a mirror chrome helmet designed to reflect you because you are where you surround
yourself, and who you surround yourself with,” Dr. Scott Keel, pediatrician and
analysis
According to Joe Garecht, author of “3 Ways to Get More Press Coverage for Your
Nonprofit,” says an organization must stay in regular contact with reporters, position
your staff as topic experts, and take advantage of online reporters’ website to make
yourself available (Garecht, 2013).
I Am RVA has to target their audience and the media to be visible to their audience,
donors, and the Richmond Community.
additional findings
Followers, donors and prospective clients may be confused by the domain iamrva.
com/. Most nonprofit organizations use “.org”, specifying they are an organization receiving
monetary or in-kind donations to charities or public/ private services. This also
helps to protect the brand of I Am RVA being a nonprofit and leaving users feeling
confident about the organization they are involved with (Curry, 2015).
This article encourages nonprofit organizations to register their domain names to protect
their brands. Registering also ensures validation for your organization and website.
Engagement on the website is also hindered through slow transitions, unneeded
source tabs, and donor recognition being low. Merchandise and pictures are also not
properly labeled, and website traffic.
26

social, political, and
economic context
As a new nonprofit, it is important for I Am RVA to analyze the current environment
surrounding bicyclists and bicycle safety efforts here in Richmond. The following are
findings on the social, political, and economic factors that may have an effect on the
organization. Additional information that may not have any positive or negative effect
on I Am RVA, but is still important to make note of and, can be found at the end of this
section.
i am rva opportunities
need and want for bicycle safety and education
In 2011, the Science Museum of Virginia held an event in which bicycling advocates
spoke out on making Richmond a safer area for bicyclists (WILLIAMS, 2011). The
speaker, Tim Miller, explained how the community could make Richmond more bike
friendly. The event had over 150 attendees.
Also in 2011, a resolution to support bicycle safety and road sharing was adopted by
The Board of Supervisors who said, “It is important to raise public awareness of the
many benefits of bicycling, to promote bicycle safety, and to encourage bicycle riding
through organized activities. Bicyclists and motorists have the same rights and duties,
and the law governing traffic regulation apply equally to both.” (Silverstri, 2012).
According to The Richmond Times Dispatch, “The Sheriff’s Office has always
recognized the need to meet with and educate cyclists of all ages from preschoolers
to adults, in order to promote safe cycling in the country. (Silverstri, 2012).
This shows that people are aware that there is a problem with safety and many people
want that to change, this puts I Am RVA in the position to promote bicycle safety and
use of safety gear. This current environment of Richmonders wanting change shows
that there is a need for I Am RVA and their efforts.
27

In 2011, the Virginia Department of Transportation hired on a Bicycle, Pedestrian,
and Trails Coordinator, Jakob Helmbolt, who set out to make Richmond motorist and
cyclists “street smart.” Helmbolt stated, “It’s very much a messaging and educational
thing for motorists and bicyclists,” Helmbolt said. “It says to motorists that there should
be a heightened expectation of encountering bicyclists on these particular roads.”
He was also quotes saying, “So the next step is “addressing education for motorists,
bicyclists and pedestrians ... and just encouraging people to take advantage of those
opportunities.” (Thompson, 2011)
The current lack of education amongst bicyclists and motorists presents I Am RVA
with the opportunity to educate the community on bicycle rules and regulations.
According to the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), in 2013, 68% of bicyclist
deaths in the U.S. were in urban areas. These statistics show the need for bicycle
safety and education in urban cities (including Richmond).
Graphic shows some of the common misconceptions about bicycling, again displaying
the need for an organization like I Am RVA to educate the community on bicycle use.
28

The Science Museum of Virginia had a bicycle exhibit, just in time for the UCI World
Race. They invited visitors to get excited about cycling and learn about the history of
the bicycle. (Botkins, 2015).
The Richmond community has taken special interest in cycling since hosting the UCI
Road World Race. With people becoming more interested in the cycling, more people
will may be looking for ways to get involved in bicycle community which is where I Am
RVA comes in.
bicyle infrastructure
Hanover County has plans to increase options for non-motorized methods of
transportation, such as sidewalks, walking and bike paths. The plan includes designing
new roads to accommodate both pedestrian and bicycle movements. Hanover worked
alongside Virginia Department of Transportation to complete road improvements and
improve safety for everyone who uses the roads. (Silverstri, 2012).
Richmond has created a master bike plan which aims to create 12 new bike lanes
within the next four years. It is aimed at making biking and cycling a part of everyday
life in the city and region. Richmond also has goal to increase the number of bike
commuters 4% by next year, 6% by 2020, 10% by 2025 (Llovio, 2015).
Richmond’s master bicycle plan also hopes to create signage for bicyclists and
motorists:
29

This may be a pro and con. People want bicycle infrastructure and getting it could
possibly get more people riding bicycles and in turn create more cyclists for I Am RVA
to target. It could be a con because bicycle infrastructure is hard to develop and could
come with more economic and political problems.
i am rva problems
not wearing helmets is socially acceptable
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), millions of Americans ride
bicycles, but less than half of them wear helmets. A survey from 20012003 found that
only 48% of children aged 514 wore helmets when riding, and older children were even
less likely to wear helmets. Some bicyclists are not wearing helmets because they feel
the bicycle community should be safe enough to not have to rely on helmet.
In the San Francisco Bay Guardian, Andy Thornley, program directors with the San
Francisco Bicycle Coalition states, “there is a significant minority who ride without
head protection for reasons ranging from a simple preference to philosophical
opposition to the notion that cycling is dangerous enough to require armor. The best
way to make cyclists safe is to prevent them from crashing, and that means wide,
hazard free bike lanes and awareness by motorists of cyclists and our right to share
the road.” He also stated, “On balance, you’re going to be a little safer riding with a
helmet, but I choose not to for my own personal reasons.” (Jones, 2010).
There are many other bicyclists who have similar ideas about helmets. The Telegraph
covered a story in which a leading neurosurgeon, Henry Marsh, stated, “I ride a bike
and I never wear a helmet. In the countries where bike helmets are compulsory there
has been no reduction in bike injuries whatsoever.” Some reasons for not wearing a
helmet were much simpler and included complaints about helmet hair, sweat, having to
carry the helmet,
Researchers at Lancaster University questioned 1400 people to learn what deterred
them from cycling to work. 27% of women wanted to avoid helmet hair and 19% of
women said sweating was a factor (Riley, 2011).
This is a complication for I Am RVA because it may be hard to convert people into
helmet wearers of they are currently riding without helmets. If people don’t want to
wear helmets, people won’t wear I Am RVA helmets.
30

motorists opinion of cyclists
Time Dispatch editor, John Vassar, writes, “Richmond is on the cusp of becoming
a world-class, bicycle friendly city. We all need to step up, change our behavior and
obey the law. In order for motorists and pedestrians to respect cyclists, we need to respect
them by obeying all traffic laws… in short, let’s ride our bikes as if we were driving
out cars,” (Vassar, 2014)
It may be hard to for I Am RVA to rally motorists to get involved with bicycle safety
efforts if they do not believe bicyclists are also trying to do their part.
According to the Richmond Times Dispatch, letter writer Robert Gambill claimed “bicyclists
are strictly hobbyist’s intent on impeding traffic to indulge in a worthless and
expensive pastime.” This is an opinion that many motorists have towards bicyclists.
Times Dispatch editor argues that many cyclists are riding as transportation to and
from work, and Virginia traffic law states that bicyclists ride with the flow of traffic
(Kessler, 2014)
For I Am RVA, this mindset among motorists could be damaging. A goal of the organization
is to educate the community, including motorists, on bicycle safety. When
people have negative ideas and attitudes about the issue, it may be complicated to
involve them in safety efforts.
additional findings
bicycle safety campaigns in richmond
The Virginia DMV began pushing bicycle safety efforts amongst bicyclist and motorists
in August 2015. They promoted use of headlights, tail lights, reflectors, and bright colors
to increase visibility. They created a “Show the World” campaign on social media where
bicyclists were invited to use the hashtag #SafetyLooksGoodOnYou while wearing their
brightest attire and using reflectors and lights. (Plus Media Solutions, 2015).
I Am RVA could benefit off of this campaign because the issue has now been brought to
light, and people may be looking for ways to continue promoting bicycle safety efforts in
Richmond.
31

In Hanover, The Sheriff’s Office has worked with cycling organizations such as The
Richmond Area Bicycling Association (RABA), Her of Virginia, and the Richmond Sports
Backers, in order to ensure cyclist safety during organized events (Silverstri, 2012).
This information is important to know, as the Sheriff’s Office and these organizations
could be prospective partners.
bicyclists in the U.S.
Over 786,000 people commute to work via bicycle. Workers age 16 to 24 have the
highest rate of commuting via bike. More male commuters bike to work. People with
income between $10,000 and $24,000 are more likely to bike to work. (McKenzie,
2014)
According to the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), in the U.S., 24% of all
bicycle trips are made by women and 76% are made by men.
Almost all of the growth in bicycling in the U.S. over the past two decades has been
among men between 2564 years old. Bicycling rates don’t vary much by income level,
but bicycling purposes do. Low-income persons bike mainly for utilitarian purposes,
and high-income persons bike more for recreation and exercise. (Pucher, 2011)
On CNN’s best states of bicycling, Virginia ranks thirteenth in the nation. (Grinberg,
2015).
32

industry research
The Richmond area has a wide range of nonprofits with varying areas of interest, but
similar methods to gain attention, publicity and success. It is important for I Am RVA to
understand the current nonprofits in order to effectively establish standing and recognition
in the community. The industry is not simply nonprofits that are interested in
cycling or health, but are similar to I Am RVA in scope and goals
venture richmond
The local nonprofit responsible for the Richmond Folk Festival and Riverrock has
a larger goal than to host events in the downtown area, Venture Richmond aims to
enhance the community and develop relationships with local businesses and government.
It hosts free events in Downtown Richmond where the profits go toward improving
the community and helping those that live in Richmond.
The Richmond Folk Festival is an event that helps bring thousands of people, which
listen to music, eat local food from vendors, and interact with local businesses that are
sponsors and partners with Venture Richmond.
Dominion Riverrock is an event that is organized with the help of Sports Backers to
promote Richmond’s outdoor attractions to the community. Profits from the events
are given to local nonprofits. “Since 2006, Venture Richmond has donated more than
$160,000 to local nonprofit organizations,” (Venture Richmond).
bicycle action place (bac)
A Florida nonprofit that works with the individual city to create a cycling jerseys that
will be sold to generate money to provide safety equipment and educational material
for cyclists (Miller). The nonprofit is partnered with the City of Fort Lauderdale, and
has partners in counties around the city. BAC aims to work with the cities to promote
awareness and safety, and hopes for future infrastructure to help make the cities
more biker friendly (Cahlin).
“We take a softer approach to bike safety awareness than trying to reconstruct
roads,” founder Richard A. Cahlin said. “Our mission is to get the clothing out,” (Miller).
33

This is a similar approach to I Am RVA’s and the founder has been able to express it
clearly to the media. According to the Sun Sentinel article, the organization raises
money “mostly through private donors” which fund 100 outfits, which are sold in the
local shops to benefit the local community (Miller). This creates a mutual benefit for
both the nonprofit and the store, initiating a necessary relationship
richmond cycling corps
The first organization to create a high school cycling team in the Richmond public
school system, at Armstrong High School. The nonprofit has been in Richmond for
5 years and hosted an event at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with the help of
ART180, called Legacy 2020.
The event consisted of “23 hand built Italian bicycle frames that have been placed in
the hands of Richmond’s art world to create an array of completely unique artifacts
available for perusal and auction” (RCC). Before the event the organization utilized
social media, specifically Instagram, to showcase one bike frame per week.
virginia bicycling corporation
The nonprofit has a larger scope and mission, which is to gain statewide attention by
promoting safety, changing policies and attitudes, and advocating cycling for transportation
(VBF). They work closely with other cycling advocacy organizations and government
organizations like the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). The organization
works with individual cities and organizations in the community to achieve a
common goal. Working with other organizations and clearly expressing the goals of the
campaign in advertisements, like the example given, prove to reach more publics. The
city of Virginia Beach is advocating for bike safety by posting on their blog and having
the mayor make comments about the campaign
34

“two way street”
An Ad Campaign for Safer Bicycling in Virginia Beach Needs Your Support
Please join Mayor Will Sessoms, The City of Virginia Beach, area bicycle groups, race
teams, shops, solo bikers and safety minded motorists in launching a cycling themed
media campaign during the spring of 2012. This campaign is intended to promote
safe interactions between cyclists and motorists including safe cycling practices in
traffic. Ad placements on television and in a variety of other media are planned.
Funding for this effort is being shared by the city, the bike community, and supportive
drivers.
We need your help to raise $10K by March 1st. Please donate today!!!
For more information:
Bruce Drees 757.647.3987 or bwdvb@cox.net
Bill Conoscenti 757.217.5204 or bccono@verizon.net
Two ways to donate!
By credit card:
Virginia Bicycling Federation
vabike.camp8.org/twowaystreet
Mail a check payable to:
Virginia Bicycling Federation c/o: TBA Two Way Street P.O. Box 66522
Virginia Beach, VA 234666522
All donors will receive a letter of acknowledgment from the VBF, a charitable nonprofit
org in the public interest under IRS 501(C) (3).
Donations are deductible to the extent permitted by law.
35

swimrva
Swim RVA “operates the Collegiate School Aquatics Center which is a state of the
art indoor aquatics center in Chesterfield County, Virginia whose mission is to provide
quality aquatic programs at affordable prices for children and families in the Richmond
area,” (Greater Richmond Aquatics Partnership).
Swim RVA provides swim lessons to make Richmond “drown proof.” This nonprofit
also hosted an event, 24 Hour Swim for RVA. This is a popular way to raise awareness,
funds, and sponsors. The organization also is focused on a healthy lifestyle, offering
yoga classes, summer camps for kids, and safety courses.
codeva
CodeVA is a nonprofit that is focused on educating the community on computer
science. They offer a course to teach kids coding in the event called Hour of Code
hosted at the Science Museum of Virginia in December. It is nationwide and has
connected the world through social media with the main coding organization, Code.org.
CodeVA has connected with local organizations with similar interests, like the VCU
School of Engineering and RichTech, but also has corporate sponsors. The nonprofit
uses social media and interacts with its partners and community events regularly to
reach more of the target audiences.
conclusion
The industry in Richmond is more focused on hosting events than creating products.
I Am RVA could engage a similar campaign to gain publicity for the event similar to
other nonprofits in the area. Many of the organization’s events are covered in local
publications and increases awareness for the cause and the organization’s mission.
Partnering with organizations that have property that already has regular admissions
and interest from the community.
36

competition and similar
organizations
I Am RVA is a fairly new and still growing nonprofit. There are several other established
nonprofits in the Richmond area that are similar and/or could be seen as competition for
I Am RVA. It is vital for I Am RVA to analyze the efforts of their competitors in order to be
successful. The following is an analysis of some similar organizations and competitors
and what those organizations have done or are doing in order to be successful.
bike walk rva
Sports Backers is a local Richmond nonprofit that hosts an annual bike walk. They
state that their Sports Backers is a local Richmond nonprofit that hosts an annual bike
walk. Their mission statement says that their goal is to “transform greater Richmond
into the most physically active community in the nation by leading the area in
embracing and celebrating an active lifestyle.” (BikeWalk) They created their Bike
Walk campaign in 2012 in order to support bike and pedestrian friendly infrastructure
projects. Similar to I Am RVA, they hope to create a sense of community though this
campaign. Although they are a nonprofit that involves biking they would not be direct
competition for I Am RVA because their focus is directed towards improving
infrastructure as opposed to general safety, helmet usage, and community.
This nonprofit has seen a lot of success in Richmond. Their current infrastructure
projects include working with the City of Richmond to develop a “Bicycle Master Plan”
which would create more urban bikeways in the city. They also won Bicycling
Magazine’s People’s Choice Award for Bike Advocacy Organization of the Year for
their efforts. Sports Backers launched the Connect RVA campaign alongside Bike
Walk, which received high praise from the Richmond Times Dispatch.
The launch of Connect RVA, a campaign coordinated with other local advocacy
organizations and Richmond residents to secure funding for more bikeways and trails in
the city of Richmond. Connect RVA included working closely with the Mayor’s
Administration, City Council, and the Richmond community to secure a combined $4.5
million in the City Budget for new bikeway and trails projects. (Richmond Times
Dispatch). They had success once more in promoting themselves and bike month when
they were featured again in the Richmond Times Dispatch in May. 37

They have several active social media accounts including Facebook and Twitter that
they keep updated weekly. They promote their events through their main website
page which connects to the Sports Backers main sight as well as through social media
and articles in local papers such as The Richmond Times Dispatch. I Am RVA could
take note of their active social media accounts and efforts of working with the local
city government to enhance their efforts to make themselves well known.
richmond cycling corps
The focus of Richmond Cycling Corps (RCC) as said in their mission statement is to
“reengineer the behavioral and developmental gaps that are prevalent among youth
in public housing,” they do this though bicycling. Starting in 2010, RCC began to promoting
bicycling with youth in Richmond. They now have several components to their
nonprofit; RCC youth lab which teaches kids bicycle mechanics, Richmond Bicycle
Studio which is a high-end studio for bike sales and classes, the Armstrong Bike Part
which is the nation’s only inner city mountain bike park, Armstrong Cycling Team which
is a cycling team of inner-city high school youth, and RCC Youth artist Series which
gets kids to design and create bikes, t-shirts, and logos.
Their notable success can be seen in their national recognition for the Armstrong
Cycling Team. They are paired with several sponsors including Bon Secours, Dominion,
and Virginia Credit Union. RCC recently hosted an event and the Virginia Museum of
Fine Arts in partnership with ART 180 this event auctioned off several custom designed
and painted bike frames and coincided with the UCI bike races in Richmond.
RCC has seen a lot of success and has expanding their nonprofit work while still
remaining in the Richmond area. They have a blog on their main website however it is
not extremely active. Their social media is very active with updates several time each
week on their Facebook page. They include a lot of images and articles when they are
posting on social media. One of their recent posts showed some of the youth involved
in their program leading team USA in the UCI bike race opening ceremony.
38

helmets-r-us
Helmets-R-US would serve as competition for I Am RVA. Although they are not a
nonprofit directly in the Richmond area, they are partnered with over the thousand
organizations nationwide. Similar to I Am RVA their goal is to promote bike safety. They
do so through selling bike helmets on their website at extremely low prices. Their mission
statement on their website says, “Our mission is to protect Americaś children by
supplying quality helmets that meet the highest safety standards at affordable prices.”
They do not have active media accounts or any major campaigns that I Am RVA would
need to worry about as far as competition the one factor they have going for them is
simply the price of the product they are offering.
swichio
Swichio is an organization based in Richmond that in part relies on the donations of
bike equipment including helmets. They are paired with several organizations in
Richmond to enhance their efforts including United Athletics, Sportable, and Richmond
Cycling Corps. Bicycling however is not their only focus. Swichio also provides gear
for swimmers and runners. Their focus is not strictly for donations, Swichio also buys,
sells, and trades equipment to users and is a trusted marketplace for Richmond
cyclists.
Their social media is not extremely active with only 78 followers on their twitter page.
They do have a Facebook page with over four thousand followers however they did
not have any post for the month of September. This organization would not be an
extreme threat to I Am RVA and their success because it is not strictly a nonprofit
organization. They do supply some helmets to other local organizations which could be
an idea that I Am RVA could look into.
39

surveys

method
We chose to distribute a survey so that we can reach a wide range of people/get a
large sample of people. Surveys allow us to conduct research remotely without
inconveniencing participants, while also getting a good feel for demographics and
data in an easy to calculate format. Rather than selecting a specific subset of people
in Richmond, we surveyed the entire community. This broad sampling method allowed
us to gauge the state of the cycling community as a whole.
distribution
To distribute our survey on social media, we used Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Diversifying platforms used allowed us to reach three distinct demographics--millennials,
30-60 some- things and professionals. Our client also expressed an interest in
reaching college students. We distributed surveys to VCU classes at varying levels
and disciplines. We also contacted students at other institutions on an informal basis.
response rate
We reached out to approximately 200 people, both directly and indirectly via email and
social media. We received a total of 104 responses – 97 of which live in Richmond
and its surrounding areas and completed the remainder of the survey. Participants that
responded that they did not live in Richmond or its surrounding areas were thanked for
their participation and exited out of the survey.
40

findings
Question 1: Do you live in Richmond or its
surrounding areas?
We began by asking a qualifying question to assess whether or not survery participants
lived in Richmond. Results showed that 96% of the participants lived in Richmond. The
4% who did not, were thanked, then automatically exited from the remainer of the
survery.
Question 2: Do you own a bike?
Our second question determined what percentage of our audience owned a bike. We
found that only 25% of the participants did. Therefore, only a quarter of the
respondents answered questions regarding their cycling habits. The highest rate of
bike ownership occured in the 21 - 26 year old age range that also lived in The Fan.
Within these demographics, respondents reported using their bike primarily for leisure
and commuting purposes.
41

Question 3: Are you a cyclist?
Results showed that 78% of those who owned a bike did not consider themselves a
“cyclist.” We believe this can be attributed to the connotation surrounding the term
“cyclist” a connotation that could be corrected with education and awareness efforts
by your organization.
Question 4: How many times a week do you ride
your bike?
We asked the “cyclists” how often they rode their bike to better understand their
cycling habits. A majority said that they rode more than 8 times a week. Others only
rode 3 - 4 times a week or less than 2 times a week.
42

Question 5: Do you wear a helmet?
Out of all the participants who considered themselves “cyclists,” 33% always wore a
helmet, 33% never wore a helmet, and 33% sometimes wore a helmet.
Question 6: Do you own a helmet?
We found the main reason cyclists do not wear a helmet is because they don’t own one.
Other responders shared that they choose to withhold from wearing helmets because
there is no law that requires bikers to wear helmets, they don’t want to carry one around,
they always forget, or they only travel short distances and fell it is unnecessary. We
believe I Am RVA could have an impact on those who do not own one.
43

Question 7: For what purposes do you ride your bike?
Almost all of the participants who considered themselves cyclists rode their bikes for
leisure. However, two thirds of the respondents used their bicycle for exercise and
commuting. This showed that the cyclists liked to use their bikes for a many
different purposes and aspects of life. Bike use purposes also varied within age group
and respondent location, with the majority of 21 - 26 year old respondents living in The
Fan using their bikes for leisure and commuting purposes.
Question 8: Have you ever been in a bike accident?
Because bike safety is a big part pf I Am RVA’s mission, we wanted to assess how
many people had been involved in bicycle accidents. While the majority had not been in
an accident, 24% of the respondents reported that they had. Data shows that 61% of
these accidents occured among respondents age 21 - 26.
44

Question 9: Do you read articles on bicycle safety?
When asked if they read articles about bicycle safety, 87% of respondents reported
they do not. Currently, 13% do read articles, but we believe that there could be an
increase in bike safety readers if delievered in an entertaining way.
Question 10: Please rank your opinion of the addition
of bike infrastructure on Floyd Avenue from 1
t0 5 with 1 being least in favor and 5 being most in
favor.
We were able to assess the Richmond community’s desire to add bicycle infrastructure,
which can help us see how in favor they are of developing a bike community. The
majority of respondents are in favor of adding a bike lane on Floyd Avenue.
45

Question 11: Have you ever been seriously injured
on a bike?
We inquired if participants had ever been injured on a bike. We chose to ask this
because not all accidents necessarily lead to injuries. We found that 11.5% of people
said they had been injured at some point while riding their bike. This means that only
1% of the intial participants who had been in an accident did not get hurt.
Question 12: Are you on social media?
In an effort to gauge how I Am RVA could better communicate with their publics, we
asked whether or not participants were active on social media. Ninety four percent of
respondents replied they were active on social media.
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Question 13: Which social media platforms do you
use? (Select all that apply).
We asked which social media plat forms respondents used in order to gauge how I Am
RVA could best reach their target audience. The top sites were Facebook, Instagram,
and Twitter. While this is not surprising data, we do believe it helps solidify the I Am
RVA’s communication efforts should be put into these three social media platforms.
Question 14: Are you involved with any cycling
communities?
In hopes of predicting whether or not partnering with cycling communities could be
beneficial to the company’s mission, we asked participants if they were involved in any
cycling communities. 2% of respondents stated that they were members of a
community. We feel more research would need to be completed to determine whether
or not partnering with cycling communities would be worth the time, effort and money.
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Question 15: How do you get your news?
(Select all that apply).
We asked how participants received their news to get a feel for which media outlets I
Am RVA should focus on. The majority said they received their news on social media,
followed by online news sites and local news. We feel this is helpful to gauge where
media relations could be utilized to generate buzz around the company. Other
responses included Reddit, and word of mouth, which could be helpful in development
of media outreach.
Question 16: Are you involved with any local nonprofits?
Because I Am RVA is a nonprofit organization we wanted to get a feel for how involved
our participants were with nonprofits. Seventy four percent of the participants said
they were not involved at all, 26% of participants said they were.
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Question 17: Do you own a car?
We asked whether or not our participants owned a car in order to gauge which forms
of transportation they used regularly. This was helpful considering a large majority of
participants did not claim to ride their bikes. Of respondents that do own a car, 63%
also do not own a bike and use walking as their primary source of transportation.
These respondents are between 15 and 26 years old and live primarily in Monroe Park.
Question18: What other forms of transportation do
you use? (Select all that apply).
Since not everyone used a car or bike, we wanted to assess how else they might get
around. We found that more than half of participants walked to and from each
destination, followed by Uber/Taxi. Because there were not many participants who
rode their bikes and skateboards, we concluded that the majority of our audiences in
the Richmond community choose to walk or ride in a car.
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Question 19: Have you ever heard of I Am RVA?
We asked whether or not participants had heard of I Am RVA and found the while a
majority had not, 17% of our 95 participants had heard of them. This shows us that I
Am RVA is a somewhat recognizable name in the community, but that there is room
for improvement.
Question 20: If yes, how did you hear of I Am RVA?
We wanted to know how I Am RVA was known by the 17% who recognized their name.
We asked how they heard of them, and the majority responded that they heard of the
organization through social media and friends. One or two mentioned newspapers and
colleagues.
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Question 21: Are you following them on social
media?
We also asked whether or not those who had heard of I Am RVA were currently
following them on social media. A majority said they were not following them, even
though they had heard of them through social media. This could mean that I Am RVA
could use assistance in gaining followers from their social media efforts.
Question 22: How old are you?
Here we gathered demographic information. The research showed that most
participants were between 21 - 26 years old, followed by 15 - 20. However, a large
amount of the remaining respondents were 27 - 32, and 45 and older.
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Question 23: What is your annual household income?
We asked what respondent’s annual household incomes were in order to gather
whether or not they were inclined to have extra money for spending, buying or
contributing to I Am RVA. We found that majority made less than $90,000 a year, with
11.5% of households making over $129,000.
Question 24: What is your current household size?
We also gathered information on household size, and came to the conclusion that
most participants lived in 1 - 2 person households or small family sized households.
Only 2% of respondents claimed to reside in a 7 - 9 person household.
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Question 25: Which Richmond neighborhood do you
live in?
We asked which part of Richmond participants were from in order to better
understand whether or not they were in neighborhoods that were bike friendly or had
easy access to cycling environments. We found that a majority of participants lived
close to VCU with the exception of a few in Chesterfield, the West End, and Hanover.
We determined that these areas were still significant because they were less than 20
miles away from the city, and still have small urban areas where cycling could be
convenient.
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interviews
57

method
Stratified sampling/simple random - we circulated our request email to friends and
family in and around the metro Richmond area, of which we knew biked at least on a
recreational basis. We chose this method because we wanted to reach different
cyclists within the Richmond community, who we knew were cyclists.
target audiences
The target audiences we interviewed were cyclists and the overall Richmond
community who are “bike-friendly.” Cyclists included recreational, communter, urban,
and athlete bikers. These people have a working knowledge of the needs that cyclists
face, and whether or not I Am RVA is on the right track with their mission. The overall
“bike-friendly” Richmond community is key to interview since they provided insight on
the best way to unite cyclists and non-cyclists to live a healthier lifestyle, which I Am
RVA is trying to promote. These target audiences helped us determine the level of
brand awareness I Am RVA has.
response rate
All the people we asked to participate in the interview did end up participating and
answering our questions. We received a total of 13 interviews.
findings & analysis
Question 1: How comfortable do you feel riding your
bike around Richmond?
The majority of people interviewed said they feel comfortable riding their bike in
Richmond. However, those who did elaborate on why they feel uncomfortable at times
mentioned that educated drivers who create dangerous conditions on the road is their
main cause for concern.
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Question 2: What are your suggestions for making
Richmond a more bike-friendly city?
Almost all of the interviewees stated that there needs to be more bike lanes in the
city. In addition, a few said that drivers need to be more educated on sharing the road
with cyclists. I Am RVA has a chance to hold a strong position in the community and
should advocate that the city create more bike lanes for cyclists.
Question 3: In what aspect could bikers make
themselves more visible to drivers?
Most interviewees said that lights help motorists see cyclists. I Am RVA wants to make
sure all cyclists are educated about cycling laws. Using bike lights at night is a law and
one person said, “It’s a law, and people don’t abide by it.” I Am RVA needs to make
sure its audiences know of these laws and can offer suggestions on how cyclists can
be better seen; maybe even include lights as part of its merchandise.
Question 4: What aspects of cycling makes it fun for
you?
Answers to question #4 varied which is great because that means there are a lot of
reasons why people ride their bike. Exercise, saving money, and being more
environmentally friendly were the most popular answers. A lot of people said they like
that they can go on rides with friends and its fun. If I Am RVA had more events, it would
give these groups of people on rides a place to go where it’s a bike-friendly
environment and have a good time.
Question 5: Are you aware of any local nonprofits
that advocate cycling?
About half of the interviewees didn’t know about any cycling organizations in
Richmond. There are other cycling organizations that have been around longer and still
aren’t known by the community. I Am RVA needs to make itself more known early on in
the cycling community.
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Question 6: How do you feel about cycling
organizations in the Richmond community?
While most of the people interviewed did not know of any organizations in Richmond
that focused on cycling, almost all of them responded that they think it’s a great idea
to have them in the city.
Question 7: Do you think cycling could spark a
movement to unite Richmonders and affect positive
change?
Everyone interviewed thinks that cycling can start a movement in Richmond. While
some have doubts about just how impactful it will be, I Am RVA can use this as a
selling point for why people should support the organization.
Question 8: How do you feel about uniting
Richmond cyclists for a common cause, such as
local charities?
Support of local charities was an idea that was well received by all people interviewed.
It was something that I Am RVA needs to continue to use to keep up its success as
well as make itself more known within the community.
Question 9: To what extent do you know about the
organization I Am RVA?
Only two out of the 13 people interviewed had an idea about I Am RVA, which showcases
the need for more brand awareness in the Richmond community.
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Question 10: In what ways could I Am RVA better
reach their target audience?
Social media and more events were the most common responses about ways I Am
RVA can better reach its target audiences. I Am RVA needs to increase its social media
presence to connect with people online and reach a bigger audience. Hosting more
events to market itself and also being part of other organizations’ events is another
key way I Am RVA can reach its audiences.
Question 11: In your opinion, what is the best social
media channel to reach cyclists and unite them?
Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter were the only three social media sites named by
interviewees. I Am RVA needs to be more active on its accounts for these three as
well as getting involved with other social media sites. I Am RVA needs to make the
sites interactive, hold contests, trivia, and let followers know what you as an
organization are doing for the community with frequent updates.
Question 12: Which social media channels do you
use most?
Facebook and Instagram were most popular among the responses.
demographic summary
Ten of the 13 people interviewed were in their early 20’s with two other being over the
age of 40. A majority of the interviewees were either in college or had graduated.
Given the age groups, the people that had already graduated, did so within recent
years. The average income was around $30,000 a year. This can be attributed to the
fact that a lot of college kids who identified as “single” were interviewed. Half of the
people identified as Caucasian and the other half identified as European descent. The
trend of the people interviewed was that they were all young, in college, or recently
graduated college- this needs to be I Am RVA’s target audience. If they cared enough
to sit down and talked about cycling, they will care enough to support an organization
who advocates for cycling.
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focus groups

method
Our primary research method chosen was to conduct focus groups. In choosing the
focus group we were able to ask more open-ended questions than a survey and allow
for participation interaction that could occur in one-on-one interviews. For location, we
used Virginia Commonwealth University’s conference room and were able to conduct
the focus groups with very small overhead costs.
data collection
Participants were chosen on first-come., first-serve basis from within the VCU network
and surrounding community members. They were chosen for their proximity to many
cyclists and the feasibility of them riding a bike as well. Each group had four
participants and lasted 45 minutes on average.
findings & analysis
it isn’t popular to be an urban cyclist.
Out of the two groups, only a few people considered themselves to be an urban
cyclist, which they kater collectively defined as “someone who rides for transportation
or pleasure on a regular basis in an urban environment” . The majority that didn’t cited
various reasons as to why they did not or stopped cycling, from infrastructure to
safety.
cycling is important to Richmond.
A majority said that cycling was very important and agreed that it was most important
to VCU and the adjacent neighborhoods, which are also central to the city. In particular,
they noted Oregon Hill and The Fan due to proximity and mix of residential and retail,
especially the smaller bike shops. They noted it was also important to Church Hill, but
agreed they have it harder than the rest of Richmond due to the steep climb,
cobblestone, and descent.
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enefits come with downsides.
To the majority, the benefits were clear: the money saved from paying parking, tickets,
gas, and maintenance on a car were huge.
“It’s so much easiler to hop off my bike and lock it up rather than look for
a spot, having to take one-way streets, and then pay for it.”
The downsides of who rules the road and being safe and seen at night were priority
concerns for the groups. Nighttime safety came down to a mix of bikers wanting to be
safe and the non-bikers wanting to keep the bikers safe.
“I don’t want to hit anybody as much as I don’t want them running into my
car.”
The incidental issue of road hierarchy came up frequently. Even though some were
familiar with the 3-feet law, most motorists in the group weren’t sure how to gauge
three feet or if passing was a lawful option.
With the recent UCI bike race, participants noticed the impact in the improving
infrastructure around the city. For future development they want to see more bike
lanes or even recommended bike “highways” of suggested roads for cycling to avoid
meshing drivers and cyclists during busy hours for safety.
the city needs to continue improvements for cylists.
Groups were unaware of bike to car distance required by VA state law, and wanted
continued or beginning education for people in high-cyclist areas like downtown
Richmond.
“So many students ride bikes and when they are starting the semester is
the best time, I would think, to make sure they know how to be safe and
do things right.”
Using campus police to crack down on infractions at the beginning of each semester
would allow more people to become aware of their cycling errors and allow for more
cyclist uniformity in behavior.
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promises of helmet wearing are strong, but cyclists
say they don’t wear one always or often.
An overwhelming amount of participants said they never wear their helmet if they ride
a bike and only one said they always do. He had also been in a bike accident where his
wrist was fractured and was thankful he had worn a helmet that day. We then asked,
“What would it take to get you to wear a helmet” and the responses included:
“If it looked nice and was something hip.”
“I care about my brain and my life more than I care about my hair, so yeah
I would definitely wear one the whole time, all the time.”
They were intrigued by the idea of a helmet that had a large portion of proceeds going to
charities. Most accepted that they would purchase a more expensive helmet because
they money went to the charity or cause of their choice.
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