Harley-Davaidson

1. Do you believe brand communities like Harley-Davidson result in greater involvement with the brand?

Consumer involvement activities such as these give opportunity to companies to appreciate their costumers. In the other hand, it makes consumers feels extraordinary and being appreciated for their choice, values, and believes. It also makes consumers feel important, like Costco membership; the membership is a system of appreciation that company gives to its costumers; they are member of this community, they are part of the company, and they are exclusive.

2. What elements of the Posse Ride do you believe enhance the meaning of the brand for the riders?

The invitations for these rides are exclusively for product’s owners. The ride gives consumers a chance to share their values with each other and feel exceptional. They can make friends with equal values and feel being thanked by their right choice. Appreciation is the key to the Posse Rides; the company makes their consumers feel exclusive, selected, and important to be part of these rides and sharing this culture. Harley-Davidson bikes have become part of American dreams, a house, a car, a boat, and a Harley’s bike. Their brand became part of American culture just because of involving consumers. It is people’s dream and demand to ride their bikes. They have created a very unique culture for their consumers that most of the Americans want to be part of it.

3. Should Harley-Davidson gets more involve in the ride or would that dilute the ride’s meaning to the participants?

The more involvement will have opposite effect upon the society they have created and others. If they focus more on the ride idea, then other people feel left out or being outsiders, and they start showing reaction to it. If they only emphasizes on rides, then they will no longer absorb new consumers and generations. They also shouldn’t consider only the rides, because then their society feel being over controlled by the company. Once they feel being over controlled, they feel like an advertising sign for the company. They will start loosing their values of the culture they have created. People hate to be controlled by others, and once they feel there is no longer freedom in these products, they switch.

4. In addition to experiences such the Posse Ride, what other ways could Harley increase involvement in the brand?

In my opinion, they should start doing more advertising. They already appreciated their existing costumers by letting them create the Harley-Davidson’s culture. Now they need to invite new members to their family by letting the current members to promote their business and ask them to help them for bringing the new generation. New generation needs technology combined with adventure. In this manner, they are involving their existing members and absorbing new audiences. They need to open the door for new fox and let the current members to educate them about their culture.