Consumer Behavior Group 8 | Building Brand Community for Harley Davidson | Analysis on the basis of Attitude Formation | | | |
Submitted To
Prof. Krishanu Rakshit
Submitted by:
Pranav Santurkar
Rakesh Mishra
Akshay Mahajan
Anjanjot Singh
Vinay Kumar
|
The Harley Owners Group (HOG)
The Harley Owners Group or HOG is a factory sponsored motorcycle enthusiast club established in 1983. Its main aim was to negate the influence of outlaw bike-gangs as the face of the Harley Davidson brand and enhance the lifestyle experience of a Harley Davidson owner. This was the roadmap of the firm’s broad philosophy of getting close to the customer. There was a great need to address two main issues with respect to the brand.
…show more content…
Posse 2 was described as the border to border ride from Texas to North Dakota passing through the legendary,” Road to Nowhere”. The registration limit for this ride was increased to 400 to accommodate the increasing interest in the Posse Ride, while at the same time preserving the exclusivity of the ride. Though many members did not approve of the route for the 2nd ride, they were actively interested in coming for it because it was the ride and not the route which mattered for them. This very aptly epitomises the entire concept of the Posse Ride. The Posse rides thus went a long way in addressing the issues of customer loyalty faced by the firm.
Analysis of the Posse Riders
The riders of the Posse ride are an integral part of the whole concept and their attitudes and perception regarding the ride is what builds the brand community for Harley. This ride has been intended as a learning process for the riders as they are passionate about their Harleys and riding them. The ride will cement not only their initial perception about the brand but will also build new linkages.
We look at the Fishbein multi-attribute model which helps us to figure out the score a customer attributes to the various dimensions to the brand. As the riders take part in the Posse experience, they already have built in ratings for the various attributes that contribute to the overall Harley Brand equity. The ride is a crucial exercise to change the
Marketing and Sales represents Ducati’s most significant growth opportunities because their brand management strategy advances the Ducati name into the consciousness of their markets. In addition to motorcycles, Ducati extends the brand by selling accessories and apparel. For sure, Ducati owners will buy these products but perhaps more importantly, the aspirational aspect of the brand drives people to buy Ducati-branded items even if they don’t own the bike. This behavior is seen with the Harley-Davidson brand: many people wear H-D clothing and
How can Harley Davidson marketing and sales, personnel interact with its purchasing personnel to further strengthen the supply chain and improve customer loyalty?
After reading about Harley Davidson and their CRM I had to research more. I really looked into their HOG membership and everything it had to offer. If I was a Harley owner and a HOG member I would be very satisfied. This membership and strategy that Harley Davidson has come up with is amazing and keeps lifetime members and creates new members with every motorcycle sell. The only things that I did not find that the HOG membership offered was having the members help
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) was founded in 1903. The home base was originally founded in and even today remains in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Harley-Davidson’s popularity grew significantly during World War I, when the U.S. infantry used 20,000 of the company’s motorcycles in its war effort (Taylor, 2010). Best recognized for its manufacturing of heavyweight motorcycles, Harley-Davidson has captured half the U.S. market and a third of the global market (Wikinvest, 2010). Harley-Davidson motorcycles are noted for their classic lines, custom paint jobs, dependability, fine craftsmanship and the Harley-Davidson signature choppy sounding engine. Most importantly, it has been
Historically, Harley-Davidson has managed to dominate the U.S. market by becoming a staple of American culture. Specifically, the Harley-Davidson motorcycle is considered “a part of American iconography” and is typically associated with well-known American symbols, including both the U.S. flag and the bald eagle. As a direct result of this association, the company has achieved strong and long-lasting brand loyalty among U.S. customers, which has undoubtedly contributed to its great success in the U.S. market.
The first strategy Harley-Davidson uses is customer focus. Harley-Davidson offers a wide range of products and services, from children’s’ tricycles, clothing accessories, and affordable motorcycles to more higher-ended luxury motorcycles targeting customers in all age groups. By allowing their customers to personalize and customize their motorcycles, this strategy helps build their second strategy, which is brand loyalty. Other strategies that help build brand loyalty and selling dreams are to have groups, such as the Harley Owners Group (HOG) and the Buell Riders Adventure Group (BRAG), so they can emphasize to their customers that everyone is welcome to join its large extended family for riders,. Their value is: “Tell the truth. Be fair. Keep your promises. Respect the individual. Encourage intellectual Curiosity.” (Harley-Davidson web
Celebrating their 100th anniversary next year, Harley-Davidson is a true American success story. From their modest beginnings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to one of the most recognized company names worldwide, they have been passionate about motorcycles. Harley offers an experience like none other with the one of a kind look, feel, and sound only available on a Harley. Besides their main business of building and selling motorcycles, they have began to offer financing and insurance through Harley-Davidson Financial Services, and they also offer a full line of accessories and apparel to make the Harley experience complete.
| * Outstanding core competencies in design and racing * Engagement of Yamaha’s employee’s toward the satisfaction of the end consumer
Since the founding of Harley-Davidson in 1903 by Arthur and Walter Davidson and William Harley, the company has a rich heritage and a loyal following. The company has proven to be resilient and innovative throughout the years. They have made their fair share of mistakes, especially while under the ownership of AMF, whose decisions almost destroyed Harley-Davidson. They have also made an inspiring come back, recapturing their share of the market and more. Harley-Davidson has managed to attract all sorts of riders including motorcycle “rebels”, women and blue and white color workers. In fact, in our church small group there are two
1.HOG has been phenomenally successful at attracting members and chapters. From nothing in 1983 it has grown to half a million members in 1,160 chapters. This is the core of Harley-Davidson's market and it is easily reachable through Hog Tales magazine. This is particularly important for Harley given that its customers are so varied making it hard to reach them through traditional marketing methods. HOG overcomes
We think it would be interesting to quote first Harley-Davidson 's mission, in order to get a first approach of what is the purpose of the company from their point of view. The mission talks first about dreams, rather than motorcycles, which is what the public has in mind. This mission says:
Harley Owners Group (HOG) Rallies: The company has its characteristics rallies named as “Harley Owners Group” on a regular basis which involves Harley owners from different parts of the nation to communicate & experience a different lifestyle. The members of Harley owners groups are 1.2 million.
Harley-Davidson's mission statement is to "fulfill dreams through the experience of motorcycling, by providing to motorcyclists and to the general public an expanding line of motorcycles and branded products and services in selected market segments." (Harley Davidson, 1999). The company's main objective for the entire organization s is to have happy and satisfied stakeholder; this includes their customers, employees, suppliers, investors, and the entire society in general. Harley-Davidson makes the customer's experience with their products the core of their business and every effort is made to make this experience as enjoyable as possible. It is this strategy that has helped Harley Davidson meet its current level of success.
Currently H-D is the leading seller of heavy weight motorcycles across the entire world. Because they are at the pinnacle they are the target for the competition. Some of Harley Davidson 's advantages are name recognition, brand loyalty, brand quality and customer loyalty (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson, 2013, p. 81). The company benefits by having “the made in America” image attached to its products. The image of a Harley rider and owner is one of a tough, independent, free spirit, ready and willing to take on the world type of man. The sound of a H-D motorcycle in idle or being ridden is unique and very identifiable.
Companies can build customer relationships at many levels, depending on the nature of the target market. Harley-Davidson established the Harley Owners Group (HOG) in 1983 which gives Harley riders a way to share their common passion of “making the Harley-Davidson dream a way of life” HOG also build on the strong loyalty and community of Harley-Davidson enthusiasts as a means to promote not just a consumer product, but a lifestyle. HOG members typically spend 30% more than other Harley owners, on such items as clothing and Harley-Davidson-sponsored events. HOG went international in 1991, with the first official European HOG Rally in Cheltenham, England. Today, more than one million members and more than 1400 chapters worldwide make HOG the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle organization in the world. HOG benefits include two magazines (Hog Tales and Enthusiast), a HOG Touring Handbook, a roadside assistance program, a specially designed insurance program, theft reward service, a travel center, and a “Fly & Ride” program enabling members to rent Harleys while on vacation.