Topic 3
When Consumer Reports Talks, Buyers Listen
Harley-Davidson
http://www.harleydavidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/home.html
http://www.harley-davidsontaipei.com.tw/index.php
Harley-Davidson
Few brands engender (casue, produce) such intense
( strength) loyalty as that found in the hearts of
Harley-Davidson mototcycle owners.
Why? Because the company’s marketers spend a great
deal of time thinking about customers.
They want to know hwo customers are, how they think
and feel, and why they buy a Harley. That attention to
detail has helped build Harley-Davidson into a $5
billion company with more than 900,000 Harley
Owners Group (HOG) members, the largest compnaysponsored owner’s group in the world.
Harley-Davidson
Harely sells much more than motorcycles. The
company sells a feeling of independence,
individualism, and freedom. These strong
emotional(concerned with emotions and
feelings) connections (a relationship between
two things,people, or groups) have made
Harley-Davidson ownership much more of a
lifestyle than only a product consumption (the
act of buying and using things) experience.
Harley-Davidson
To support that lifestyle, Harley-Davidson knows that
its most important marketing tool is the network of
individuals that ride Harleys. For this reason, HarleyDavidson engages (involve) its customer base
through company-sponsored travel adventures,
events, and other things such as clothes and
accessories (belts, neck) both for riders and for those
who simply like to associate (join) with the brand.
Harley-Davidson
After reading the story of Harley-Davidson, answer the
following questions about managing profitable
(good) customer relationships.
1. How does Harley-Davidson build long-term
customer relationships?
2. What is Harely-Davidson’s value
proposition(suggestions)?
3. Relate the concept (thought) of cusotmer equity
(justice ) to Harley-Davidson. How does HarleyDavidson’s strategy(policy) focus on the right
relationships with the right customers?
Harley-Davidson
Reference: Armstrong & Kotler,Marketing An
Interoduciton, ninth edition. Pearson
International Edition.