How do you feel about the Harley Davidson brand? There is no question that the company has certainly mastered the mysterious art of experiential marketing. Although I am terrified of riding motorcycles, I love the brand and all of things it has come to represent in American culture – notoriously cranky but beautiful, loud and loved passionately. There are few brands that can define their loyal customers the way Harley does. Every girl knows that a man who rides a Harley isn’t afraid of commitment.
More than half a million American Harley enthusiasts leather-up every year and travel to Daytona Beach and/or Sturgis, South Dakota to bond with other bikers and show off their machines. In Japan, Harley’s are gaining popularity but the brand and the rallies have been expertly adapted to nuances of the market and its loyal customers – a bit different than their American counterparts – older, affluent men and women and their families.
The annual event is called Blue Sky Heaven – the Harley brand intentionally left out of the name to encourage more women and family members to attend. Massive anime-flavored inflatable hogs (a cartoon take on the notorious nickname for Harley’s largest bikes) pepper the event. Beauticians set up tents so women can have their helmet-hair teased into a respectable coif, mani-pedis are also done on-site.
How does this very targeted event experience translate into how the brand is regarded by the Japanese? From the New York Times:
Japanese Harley enthusiasts interviewed at the festival were aware that the Hell’s Angels and movies like “Easy Rider” have helped define Harleys in the popular American imagination and some were aware that Harleys once had a reputation for being poorly made. But the bikes are more reliable now, so the Japanese view them as classic American driving machines.
“These bikes are expensive in Japan, so people think we have families, homes and understand quality,” said Jun Toda, 50, a trading company executive from Tokyo.
To see more, check out the audio/slide show that covers the marketing aspects of the event.
The name Harley Davidson has been synonymous with quality for decades and its a shame that the company felt they needed to change their branding to target families when most of us know that Harley Davidson means quality.
I don’t think they’ve changed their brand so much as adapted to fit the nuances of modern Japanese culture. The same triggers are still there to reinforce the identity of the brand — quality and customization being top line issues of pride with consumers. Look at some of the pictures from the rally in Japan and you’ll see more similarities (minus the anime inflatables) with their marketing than differences.