The Loyal Following of Harley-Davidson Wasn't an Accident
"Modeling those who have already succeeded can save you years of pain."
- Tony Robbins
Think of a brand that has succeeded in living up to the promise of changing lives. The first brand that comes to mind is Harley-Davidson. This Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer with an unremarkable name has survived the Great Depression and every economic or competitive challenge since to become a brand widely known for its loyal following. I was wondering, how exactly did it earn this following? So I did a little research this morning.
What is fascinating is that, throughout the 1950's, 60's and 70's, the company experienced a steady decline because the bikes were expensive and came to symbolize inferior performance and poor handling. Japanese bikes were technically far superior and, because of its bad reputation with consumers, the company nearly went bankrupt. According to Wikipedia, "The "Harley-Davidson" name was mocked as "Hardly Ableson", "Hardly Driveable," and "Hogly Ferguson", and the nickname "Hog" became pejorative."
In 1981, the company was sold to a group of 13 investors, who did something remarkable to completely turn the company around. Rather than competing on quality and price, the company deliberately exploited the "retro" and "all-American" appeal of the bikes. In a brilliant move, the company founded the Harley Owners Group (HOG) in 1983.
HOG was sponsored by the company as a community-building effort to promote not just a consumer product, but a lifestyle. HOG created close ties between Harley owners, the company, and its employees. HOG members spend 30% more than non-member Harley owners and they spend it on clothing and attending sponsored events.
Harley's success and reputation wasn't an accident! This was the result of a deliberate attempt by marketers to build a tribe!
Harley-Davidson serves as the perfect example of the power of tribe-building. This is a brand that has gone from near-bankruptcy to become a $5 billion company. Central to this massive success is the tribe-building effort that began in 1983. The HOG tribe now includes more than 1 million official members and they did it by enabling like-minded people to meet-up and have fun together. This is perhaps the best example of marketers delivering the promise of a brand by turning it into a lifestyle that millions of customers experience every weekend around the world.
This can be done by any brand and, in the world of social media, it can be done far more easily than back in 1983. Why aren't more brands following the remarkable and blindingly obvious success story of HOG? Let's stop doing what is urgent and let's get to work on something important.
