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Marketing: Harley-Davidson

Michael Rickman

MKT-265

Tara Kolojejchick

12 March 2023

Marketing: Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (often known as Harley or H-D) is an American company that designs, manufactures, and sells motorcycles. Harley was established in 1903 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. The company is among the leading motorcycle manufacturers in the United States to pull through the Great Depression alongside Indian Motorcycles. Further, Harley has pulled through several subsidiary arrangements, ownership arrangements, intense competition, and periods of slow economic growth to become one of the biggest motorcycle manufacturers globally and an iconic brand (Catulli et al., 2017). Harley's long-term success can be attributed partly to its marketing strategies. The following paper will analyze Harley's current digital marketing and determine how they align with its marketing campaign and overall brand.

Harley-Davidson's Use of Digital Marketing

Harley-Davidson employs various digital marketing strategies to promote its products. According to the company, ninety-five percent of vehicle/bike buyers use digital sources before purchasing anything. They research bikes online to know in advance which brand is best for them. They also use social media platforms to get detailed product reviews and look for the best deals. Therefore, companies need to invest in digital marketing to capture the interest of online shoppers.

Harley dealers can use search engine marketing, display advertising, social media advertising, and video advertising to reach a wider audience. Search engine marketing (SEM) entails using paid advertising to increase the visibility of dealer websites in the search engine (Harley-Davidson, n.d.). On the other hand, display advertising is graphic advertising that targets customers visually via animations, videos, logos, and text. Display advertising is often shown based on customers' past search history (such as their interests) and the relevance of a given ad. On the contrary, social media advertising uses paid advertising on Instagram and Facebook to reach the target audience. Harley dealers will use social media advertising to promote awareness and increase lead generation. Social media advertising can be engaging and graphical. It can utilize images and sometimes videos, which can help drive engagement across different channels, thereby expanding the company's reach to potential customers and increasing lead conversions (Harley-Davidson, n.d.). Lastly, video advertising encompasses YouTube ads that viewers can watch before or in the middle of a video. The ads are designed to drive more awareness and lead generation. They may feature different Harley-Davidson models alongside dealership information.

Market Positioning

Harley's market positioning is very strong in consumers' minds. As seen earlier, the company uses different digital marketing strategies that mainly focus on strengthening Harley's iconic brand image, helping the company engage with its existing and potential customers, and positioning its brand's premium status in the marketplace. As we all know, it is through marketing that a product or service becomes known and reaches the target audience. Thus, Harley strategically designs and implements digital marketing to reach potential customers and connect with customers on an emotional level. This has helped the company promote itself as the world's most iconic motorcycle brand.

Relationship between the Company's Digital Media Strategy and Marketing Campaign

Harley's digital marketing strategies relate to its overall marketing campaign. The company has always created interactive marketing campaigns to build awareness around its products. Besides, Harley designs emotive marketing campaigns to connect with consumers meaningfully. For instance, Harley's "Inner Child" attempts to target and capture consumer emotions. In this campaign, the company encourages people to unleash their inner child to achieve personal freedom. Besides boosting engagement with the brand, emotive marketing campaigns drive customer loyalty and increase sales.

Alignment between the Digital Marketing Activity and the Organizational Overall Brand

Harley's digital marketing activity corresponds to the company's brand. As indicated above, Harley is known as an iconic brand. The brand is built on innovation, customer loyalty, and emotional attachment. People owning Harley-Davidson motorcycles love the brand and take pride in owning the motorcycles (Motorcycle Tourer, 2022). Despite technical issues, such as oil leakages, many people love the brand, particularly its personality. According to Sonny Barger, the founder of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, everyone loves the Harley-Davidson sound: the purr and the rumble. Besides, the Harley-Davidson bike has low-end torque and does not have high speed. Nevertheless, most Harley owners do not care about high speed; they prefer low-end torque that provides a more relaxed biking experience. Therefore, Harley has a powerful, strong, and rugged brand personality. And through its digital marketing, Harley gives users the feeling of being themselves and the freedom to travel and explore the world.

Conclusion

Harley-Davidson employs various digital marketing strategies to promote its products. These include search engine marketing, display advertising, social media advertising, and video advertising. These marketing strategies focus on strengthening Harley's iconic brand image, helping the company engage with its existing and potential customers, and positioning its brand's premium status in the marketplace. Harley's digital marketing strategies relate to its overall marketing campaign and align with its iconic brand.

References

Catulli, M., Cook, M., & Potter, S. (2017). Product service systems users and Harley Davidson riders: The importance of consumer identity in the diffusion of sustainable consumption solutions.  Journal of Industrial Ecology,  21(5), 1370-1379.

Harley-Davidson. ( n.d.). Digital Advertising: Why should I enroll with the Harley-Davidson® Dealer Digital Advertising Program? Retrieved from: https://www.harley-davidsondigital.com/DigitalAdvertising

Motorcycle Tourer. (2022). Why Everyone Loves Harley-Davidson. Retrieved from: https://www.motorcycletourer.com/why-love-harley-davidson/