Does BMX have an image problem?

BBPR asks the question, "does BMX have an image problem?":

I have to wonder, why aren’t BMX riders as popular as skateboarders, snowboarders, etc.

It’s not for lack of talent, maybe it’s the industry’s fault? Mat Hoffman was right up there with Tony Hawk and a lot of guys now are doing amazing things, both at global events such as the X-Games or Dew Tour and on the streets like these riders.

I’ve never been to Interbike and have limited knowledge of the cycling industry, but I at a loss as to why the heroes on two wheels, with the exception of Lance, don’t get more non-endemic press. Maybe the downward spiral started when bikes went from specialty to discount retail, but skateboarding has followed suit and those guys are still out there in the mainstream. Besides, most kids have bikes before skateboards, shouldn’t the affinity for BMX riders be more natural?

My take
Like him, I don't know a ton about BMX, but I have wondered the same thing. Why did skateboarding become so much more popular than BMX, inline, or other sports that continue to struggle for respect in the action sports world? Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of inline, but to be honest I can't give you a good reason why I'm not.

The big takeaway for me is that you can't treat lifestyle brands as monolithic entities. In other words, there is no such thing as "action sports," "graffiti," "punk rock," and so forth. Each of those subcultures is itself composed of a nearly infinite number of microsegments that may have very little in common with each other. For example, if you try to engage skateboarders with the same marketing as BMX riders, you are likely to fail very miserably with both audiences. Instead, you have to talk to each one on its own terms. A lot of work? Absolutely, but that's what it takes to succeed in lifestyle marketing.