Getting small business owners to talk about debt is like getting blood from a stone. Getting small business owners to positively talk about a small business loans company is like getting blood from a stone, in space, with lasers on its flank. Nevertheless, that was the objective here. My solution was a grassroots community sports initiative to positively associate iwoca with cycling.

I chose cycling because the demographic fit well, older men, it’s a geographically dispersed sport, it’s accessible to most (you don’t need a swimming pool to do it) and most importantly it takes place in public spaces, so there’s a halo awareness benefit for branded kit. 

The project involved both a bottom up approach, sponsoring local cycling clubs and giving them branded kit, and a top down approach: sponsoring the UK’s leading cycling podcast. Unfortunately, covid killed the idea before it could really fly.