Next to the figure of Jordi Tarrés, linked to one of the most ambitious and eagerly awaited projects ever carried out on a Trial bike, he highlights Marc Arañó, rMarketing & Sales Manager at Jotagas, the company that encompasses JTG and the two Trial models and Enduro that will be released in the coming months: JT & MK.
The long-standing and well-known Marc’s experience in the off-road motorcycle sector, forged in major brands such as Gas Gas, Mesbo and Derbi, have been awarded a Extensive knowledge of this market in all his areas of knowledge, both nationally and internationally, which he is currently implementing in Jotagas together with Jordi Tarrés, the most successful rider of all time. We are, therefore, at the foundations of a brand that aspires to the maximum.
We have contacted Marc to find out what are the keys to this particular market such as that of Trial motorcycles and to know where it is heading, as well as knowing in more detail what is behind JTG in an exciting interview, full of knowledge and current affairs.
Text: David Quer
TRIALWORLD: Your extensive experience in different sectors of Trial at the Marketing level allows you to know this market perfectly. How would you define it?
MARC ARANYO: It is a beautiful market, both for the product itself, and for the dedication and passion it arouses in the people who make it up, professionals and users.
There is a high nostalgic component and a large part of the practitioners are nostalgic by family heritage; It is precisely for this reason, among others, that it is a small market compared to the rest of the segments of the two-wheeled world, however it presents a growth potential in my opinion significant, more and more people are trying it and/or combining it with another modality and it has also become clear that it is not such an exclusive sport in terms of the cost it implies Practice.
As for the application of marketing in this market, it is very different from other applications in other segments; It is a small market, as I mentioned, about nine thousand units/year around the world (enduro moves almost 200 thousand) and to be distributed among a few “players”, no more than five, who manufacture and market the motorcycles without great strategies, the quality of the product, the service and the attention to your customers for the day to day prevail.
TW: What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a sport that is as exclusive as it is a minority?
MA: I think that it is neither a question of advantages nor disadvantages, it is a reality with which all of us involved live well, we are few both at the level of manufacturers and at the level of distributors and obviously of users and the numbers come out ahead; If the market grows we will grow with it, I think we would all like that to happen, not so much for one thing. From an economic point of view, factories today are profitable, and more so because of a matter of enthusiasm and commitment to this modality.
If it is true that there is an “advantage” due to the fact that they are small, the policies that are applied are not very aggressive, this allows you to allocate the resources that many (other segments) invest in marketing and large advertising campaigns, to what is the product itself and the competition.
TW: In 5 years we have gone from living through a 4T fever to burying them shortly after. What defines the success of a trend, the factories or the consumer?
MA: Both of them; If the factory has a good product, it will be easy for it to make it trendy; And if there is a consumer that we can consider as a leader or head of the group, it will be easy for him to drag the rest of the people in the group and make the factories follow him.
TW: Back in the day, Montesa designed the Cota 315R to compete and then adapted it to the market. With the Cota 4RT the opposite happened. Where do you think factories are still aiming to evolve their models, competition or user?
MA: I think both; in the case of JTG, Jordi is doing a brilliant job, he is well aware that we must develop a winning bike and at the same time a bike that the general public can have fun with; when we go to test the proto, it’s not just him, Marc Freixa or any other top rider who tests it, it’s tested by a few people from the team, for him it’s even important my opinion as an occasional user understanding that my level is far from the level of these people I’m referring to.
TW:
Tell us a little bit about how JOTAGAS came about and what philosophy it has to join the market.
MA: The idea of creating Jotagas arose more than two years ago; Jordi Robinat, majority shareholder of the company with 88%, visited Motorland’s facilities in Alcañiz; The reason for his visit was to carry out an urban development project around the circuit so that the entire project that has been carried out there would be completed. Jordi Robinat, in addition to being a businessman, is very passionate about the world of off-road motorcycling as well as a regular practitioner; After visiting the circuit and the area several times, as well as the facilities of the technology park within the same circuit destined to house companies in the sector and connoisseur of the excitement both Jordi and Miki for developing a trial and enduro bike respectively, decided to put all the ingredients together and create a team in order to launch a new brand on the market.
From here, our philosophy is none other than to introduce a new brand to the market with people who are knowledgeable and have proven experience, so that people and especially our future collaborators can work enjoying and feel part of a new company. Family, we are small and at the moment we have no plans to be excessively big, it is the best way to move forward with this philosophy.
TW: Your professional work at Gas Gas y Mesbo has given you a great knowledge of the market. Do we need a JT at dealerships?
MA: I think so.
TW: Are there any differences between a Trial consumer in Spain and the rest of the markets?
MA: Broadly speaking, there isn’t a big difference; although it is true that in Spain there are a couple of
that very important of sporadic users, people who have the trial bike at home and who use it once a month or even once every two months for excursions; In the rest of the countries, there are fewer users with this profile and those who own or buy a motorcycle is to be used more often.
TW: Let’s go a little deeper into the project. Who came up with the idea to start it?
MA: Jordi Robinat with Javier Castany, professor at the University of Zaragoza, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
TW: Would this project have been possible without Jordi Tarrés? Another contemporary, Marc Colomer, comes to mind.
MA: The figure of Jordi, his prestige and his knowledge, as well as his meticulousness in the work, are essential for the project to have the dimension and recognition by the future commercial network that it needs. Without Jordi’s presence, the bike would not be as you will see shortly, nor would people have opened the doors to me commercially in any country in the world as they have. Without a doubt, it would have cost more.
TW: What are your aspirations? Will we see the JT competing in the 2012 season?
MA: Our aspirations are to be in the world championship with a good bike, with a good infrastructure and to get a good result. Of course, JT will be at the 2012 World Cup.
TW: A pilot with great potential is Jordi’s own nephew, Pol Tarrés. Could he be the first to take the helm?
MA: I could, I personally would love to, but Jordi is Jordi and Pol and his career are a separate project, we’ll see later.
TW: Despite the fact that the dirt bike is not at its best, brands such as Ossa and JTG are betting big. What pros and cons have you found when taking such an important step?
MA: As for the cons, the typical ones of any new project, none that have to do directly with the fact of being a brand of trial and enduro motorcycles. As for the pros, a few, the administration in Aragon has supported us and future clients have turned to us.
TW: Regarding your location, in Motorland, far from the big factories and elite riders. Does it really pay off or will you work more outside the factory?
MA: The location in Motorland is more of an added value and not the other way around; in Motorland we have impressive infrastructures and in line with our needs, the needs of an off-road motorcycle factory.
For us, an elite pilot is very important, so is a distributor, for example the one in Zaragoza, Madrid and/or Andalusia, and they will also be able to travel to Alcañiz, for some it will be even easier and as for foreigners, it is exactly the same; some elite pilots are even closer to Alcañiz or at the same distance as certain factories; Let’s not forget that from BCN to Girona there are a hundred km. and from BCN to Alcañiz just over 200, however Beta is for example about 1,000 and the Scorpa are manufactured in French territory. Even so, we will have an office in the Barcelona area.
TW: Do you already know when and at what price the JT will be released?
MA: We know both prices and dates, but we don’t want to communicate it yet, I can only say that it will be soon and at a market price.
TW: How will the JT differ most from the rest of the bikes on offer on the market?
MA: It is a one hundred percent new bike, it improves aspects that in our opinion should be improved and innovates only in what is strictly necessary.
TW: Tell us in a few lines where you think the trial bike market is going and what outlook we will find, for example, in five years’ time.
MA: To tell the truth, I’m not a fortune teller; In any case, I have a good feeling about the evolution and development for the future of this market. I’ve been practicing trials for about 24 years; I still remember as a child, being in a bar on Sunday morning and seeing at the door more than 30 trial bikes that were about to leave, all that in a town of no more than five thousand inhabitants, Bultacos, Montesas, some Halleys, etc… That image has been disappearing over time, however, a couple of years ago naturally, in that same bar you start to see more motorcycles than normal, as well as in the mountains, you find different groups that you don’t know; These signs, as well as the change in the political trend, the new regulations in competition and other aspects such as foreign countries that begin to import trial bikes, make up a positive reality for the sector, the vibrations are good and the expectations are too.
TW: Progressively, the big communication groups have been downplaying the importance of Trial, even though they are World Champions. What is your opinion about the media that the Trial is about? Is Jordi Tarrés’ sponsorship also essential at this point?
MA: The relationship with the media is fundamental, with everyone, and we will work on that so that our relationship with all of them goes further, I am convinced that the rest of the factories will do the same.
TW: Anything else you’d like to add?
MA: Not at the moment, I hope that the next talk can be had during the presentation in Alcañiz and mounted on a JT.
HERE TO SEE THE FEATURES OF THE JT
MARC ARAÑÓ MARTINEZ
Sales & Marketing Manager Jotagas, S.L. (JTG off road motorcycles)
International Sales & Marketing Manager Mesbo parts (Hebo, XC-ting, Twins, …)
Sales & MK Manager Gas Gas Motos, S.A.
Export & MK Manager Derbi Nacional Motor SAU
Product Manager
Hallmark Cards Ibérica, S.A.
Sales Area Manager Grupo Industrial Colomer Munmany,
S.A.
Product Manager Candy Ibérica, S.A.
{bonckowall source=”2″ pkey=”album” pvalue=”dqtrialworld” pvalue2=”Jotagas” }{/bonckowall}
