Who is MAAP?

If you’re a cyclist, you’ll already know. 

MAAP is a cycling apparel brand with a huge fan base that includes over 164,000 Instagram followers. They were born in Melbourne but now have a worldwide presence, with cyclists all over sporting the ever-stylish rig-outs.

What did we do?

• Website copy
• Collection pages
  

Working with MAAP’s search marketing team, we wrote the copy for a number of product category pages - from cycling jerseys down to cycling shoes and loads in between.

The MAAP team provided some key search terms, which we inserted authentically into the conversation to boost visibility to the right audiences.

The mindset of a rider

Aside from twice a year when I dig my bike out of the shed, I’m not much of a cyclist. My job as a copywriter, though, is to become a cyclist. If I wanted to engage with serious riders, I had to come across as genuine. To do that, I had to get into the mindset of a rider.

So, I joined the conversations.

I spent a lot of time over at Reddit for this project. It helped me get a real-life feel for what cyclists are looking for in, say, gloves or bib shorts. What features mattered to them? When did they find them most useful?

By using other resources such as customer reviews and Instagram conversations, I got genuine feedback from MAAP cyclists about the products I was discussing. 

Monitoring these conversations proved to be key in translating what was so great about the range - without having to deal with any saddle soreness myself. 

Capturing the essence of MAAP

Though we were writing for a B2C audience, we had to adapt to MAAP’s approach. That meant writing C2C - cyclist to cyclist.

MAAP is a premium brand that’s grown to reach new audiences across the globe, but is dedicated to staying true to its roots. So, in order to maintain consistency with how the brand sounds and feels, we got specific with the tone-of-voice.

Authentically inserting the product

We’re not after the hard sell here. The approach with these collection pages was to set the scene for a rider. That meant portraying the culture and the challenges of the ride, and inserting the product into this picture wherever it was relevant.

Appealing to new riders

Cycling is like a religion, complete with its own lingo. In order to make sure we weren’t alienating new riders, we avoided old-fashioned or specific cycling language. “Call a vest a vest” was the ethos we followed.

The grit of the ride

Cycling isn’t always pretty. You’ll come across hail, grit, rain, dirt, and probably the odd bug in your eye. We weren’t here to gloss over reality. Capturing the sweat and grit of the ride was important.

So what did that look like?

Head to the MAAP website to see some of our work on-screen (and get a load of the sleek styles on offer.)

Otherwise, here are a few samples we like.

Cycling socks

“Each pair in the range has been created to help you tackle the unpredictabilities. From the hot and humid to those times you’re caught in heavy rain, our well-placed soft mesh fabric provides ventilation where you need it most.

A little extra length highlights calf muscle definition - because, well, you worked hard on those.”

Cycling shoes

“Whether you’re racing with mates or riding solo, kick it off in cycling shoes that have been tested to meet the demands of the world’s best racers.

For uncompromised style on and off the bike, slip into the perfect balance of power, stiffness and all-day comfort.”

Cycling vests

“Chase the conditions even when they won’t keep still. Our new season styles are updated with weather-proof protection and stand-out colourways, and always backed by MAAP high performance fabric. Safeguarding against wind and rain, it’s time to step out in designs from our latest drop of cycling vests that will have you ready for whatever’s waiting behind the door.”

Do you need some words?

Whether you’re an eCommerce brand or a service-based business, we get to know what your customer wants to help you build better connections and, ultimately, make more sales.

Fill out a contact form or email amy@dot-doc.com to chat all things copy.