The Background
In 2021, WaterAid came back to us to help develop a brand new virtual cycling challenge. They'd spotted an opportunity to reach a new audience, tap into the surge in cycling culture, and generate additional income in the process.
The Brief
Create a new virtual cycling proposition linked to climate change and develop it into an MVP to test live in market. That meant developing the audience, product, proposition, name, creative and comms plan from scratch — with a clear test framework to understand the product's appeal, its ability to attract new supporters, and its fundraising potential.
The Work
We started with the audience: casual but serious cyclists — people riding multiple times a week, logging everything on Strava, mixing outdoor rides with indoor platforms like Zwift and Peloton.
The challenge needed to be achievable but hard enough to justify asking for sponsorship. We focused on elevation to give the product a real point of difference, and set the distance based on a mountain in one of the regions where WaterAid supports communities impacted by climate change. That gave us a second, direct link between the challenge and the cause — and a name that said it all: CLIMB-IT.
Strava is the one thing serious cyclists have in common, so we made it the primary platform for both the activity and acquisition. We consolidated multiple Strava Club pages into a single club to focus sign-up activity and build a solid database for future events. A detailed comms plan and shareable assets kept members engaged throughout, while driving awareness of WaterAid's work with climate-affected communities.
We also handled influencer recruitment, fundraiser incentives, Facebook digital assets, community management and all stewardship content.
The Results
The MVP delivered a wealth of insight — and some seriously impressive numbers. CTR on paid media was exceptionally high, influencer posts drove strong engagement, and 106,000 cyclists signed up for the challenge. The WaterAid Strava club grew by 700%, creating a ready-made database for future events. Peer support was strong throughout, with the WaterAid brand name surfacing every time a ride was uploaded. 26% of participants completed the challenge.