This century-old American company is making a big return to BMX Freestyle with the launch of the Huffy Sledgehammer. You’ve probably seen the marketing, especially that hilarious Napoleon Dynamite–inspired video, but something stood out to us: where were the women? While Huffy doesn’t yet have a woman on their freestyle team, we wouldn’t be The Bloom BMX if we didn’t feature the woman behind the marketing! If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to work in the bike industry, meet Katie Begley, Marketing Events Coordinator for Huffy and the marketing mastermind behind the launch of the Huffy Sledgehammer.
Katie, thank you for doing this interview, please tell us more about you and how you ended up working for Huffy!
For sure! I’m Katie – a wife to my lovely husband, Tanner, and mama to our sweet and crazy 2.5-year-old son Knox. I enjoy cooking, baking, embroidery, and truly just love being anywhere my boys are. I’ve been an Ohio gal my whole life, living in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and now Dayton, where Huffy is headquartered! I lived at home through college and attended Northern Kentucky University for my bachelor’s degree in marketing, and after I graduated, I got my first job at a marketing agency, where I worked for a few years before coming to Huffy in 2021. I started out mostly writing product copy for our retail partners, and over the years, my job has morphed into quite a few different things, one of which has been getting to help shape our program and marketing for Huffy BMX! Fun fact: Before 2023, I had pretty much 0 experience with anything related to BMX, but I’ve gotten a crash course over the last two years, and it’s been a blast. I’m eternally grateful to my coworkers and our riders for their support, advice, and grace with my millions of questions as I’ve learned (and am still learning) my way in the world of BMX.
How did the Huffy Sledgehammer project land on your desk, like what does the pitch process look like?
In short, the pitch was “let’s go big for the Sledgehammer launch!” So, I did a little dreaming and just went for it, and thankfully, the team here loved the idea!
Since mid-late 2023, it’s been my privilege to be a part of the team at Huffy that’s helped shape Huffy BMX into what you see today. I’ve had the joy of working closely with our riders, developing the voice and strategy for our brand as we’ve reentered the BMX space, and now, officially launching the Sledgehammer. So really, the project was just another part of what I get to do every day. My entire job isn’t solely focused on BMX, though lately it’s felt like it (but no complaints from me on that)!
What inspired you to take this direction in the marketing for the Huffy Sledgehammer?
From the start of planning for this launch, the PR box idea was stuck in my head. Being in marketing, I sometimes receive sample packages or PR packages from brands or other companies, and last year I got one with a cool newspaper leaflet that I saved for, I kid you not, probably a year, because I knew I wanted that to be part of the Sledgehammer launch. As I thought about what else might go in the box, I wanted it to be things that made sense for Freestyle riders. I thought about our team, their styles, and things they all use a lot, and that’s really what sparked everything! Hats, tees, water bottles, stickers, all pretty classic items with a little freestyle flair on them with the acid wash and distressed garments. As for the mini sledgehammer, I just couldn’t resist! It obviously fits perfectly with the name, and it’s a tool riders can actually use! I worked with our design team and vendors I have relationships with to help create everything, and I could not be happier with how it all turned out.
As for the box itself, our Advanced Product Design and Packaging teams here at Huffy get ALL the credit for that beauty. I was simply thinking that a high-quality box with the frame and some goodies inside would punch the ticket, but they took it miles far and above what I even dreamed of with the wooden box – laser engraved, clear-coated, and everything!
What’s the most exciting part of the process from pitching to sending out the PR package?
The most exciting part of this process was seeing it all come to life. It really felt like a “pie in the sky” kind of idea when I first thought through it all, and I thought there was no WAY it would actually happen. But I’m so thankful I was wrong because the excitement over it snowballed, and every team got behind it to help bring it to fruition. We wanted to go big for the Sledgehammer launch, and we definitely did — seeing the finished product was surreal. It was a major team effort that took it from ideation to creation, so seeing it all come together (and come together on time – ha!) was just incredible.
What piece of advice do you have for a creative looking to be in your profession in the future?
Always say yes! Yes to new projects, yes to things that feel miles outside of your comfort zone, yes to things that sound fun but you have no idea how you’ll do them. I have had the joy of doing so many different things in my short career so far, and I really think it’s because of my willingness to say yes to as much as I can handle, and give it my best shot!
