Harley Davidson's 105th Anniversary: A lesson in customer loyalty
Filed under: Entrepreneurship, Transportation, Travel, Relationships
Thousands of Harley riders are thundering out of town and I am resting up. The Harley Davidson's 105th Anniversary celebration was a huge success topped off by a 3 1/2 hour concert by Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. The festivities have been nonstop for the last week, and I, like many fellow Milwaukeeans, joined in the fun.
My kids set up a lemonade stand on our corner and sold gallons of lemonade to thirsty, friendly riders of all ages. Their sign said:
- Cars $1
- Harley Riders $ .75
- Hondas $5
Several riders took pictures of themselves with the kids and the sign. We went down to the festival grounds and listened to ZZ Top, Foo Fighters and the Black Crowes. Rows and rows of motorcycles lined every street in the Third Ward and the people watching was unbelievable. We saw one man who had a braided beard down to his ankles. It started out brown and got grayer as it moved up to his face. Now you just don't see this everyday.
I have a lifetime of fascination with Harley, though I have never owned one. My father worked for Milsco Manufacturing for 43 years and they made the seats for the Harley's. As a little girl, we would visit Harley and sit on the cycles. It has been a local brand since 1903 and its customers love it.
There are Harley clubs, Harley events, Harley clothes, and a Harley culture. While its customer base has grayed, as the average age of a Harley rider has risen from 38-46 in the past decade, they remain loyal to the brand. What Harley-Davidson has reinvented is the motorcycle world. Harley today has more to do with fraternity than with machinery.
When you buy a Harley, you join a culture and a ready made family. While its competitors sold motorcycles, Harley sold a lifestyle. Even though it sells a niche product, Harley ranks among the ten best-known American brands. Not bad for a product that most mothers pray their children won't buy. Like one rider explained, "You know you have a great brand when people taytoo your logo on their arms."
Barbara Bartlein is the People Pro. For more tips to build your relationships and balance your life, please visit: Marriage Tips. For Barb's Free E-Mail Newsletter, visit: The People Pro.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-04-2008 @ 1:40PM
Mark said...
I would have to agree with Barbara, the Harley-Davidson 105th Anniversary Celebration was the talk of the town here in Milwaukee this past week. The roar of motorcycles was not only a welcome sign to many of the merchants but simply made for an electrifying atmosphere all week. Harley-Davidson provided a great show, cudos to them and all of the friendly riders. For those not in the area I found this neat slideshow of the parade that occurs with each celebration every 5 years from MKEimages.com, you may want to check it out. http://www.creativepd.com/slideshows/hdparade/index.html
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9-08-2008 @ 1:03AM
Shovel Head said...
I agree with most of what Barbra says, but it still starts with the machinery " Harley Davidson" and it will always start with that motor cycle in America. That is the great thing about a Harley, it becomes like the individual who rides it. The love of the machine is first and the love of the ride is second. When you do something you love there will always be others that will want to join in on the fun and to do that you have to get the great American machine that is personalized your way. In terms of Milwaukee, the music, and the people, they were great. The 105th should be a case study on how business, the city government and people being respectful should work together to make our country a better place for all. All the different looking people on Harleys sure did know how to act and the city welcomed them with open arms for a great time. I had one vendor tell me that he never saw a party where the people looked so tough but yet were the most respectful to each other. I rode my 1975 Super Glide from Detroit to Milwaukee and it was a breath of fresh air to see an event put on by a great company and a great city. It was truely a great anniversary party. We are looking forward to making ride again in five years.
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