Harley Davidson Essay

What are the key elements of Harley Davidson’s efforts to build relationships with its customers? The main element of Harley Davidson’s success with its customers is idea that owning one of their bikes gives you an elite status and let’s you join an exclusive community. Some of the ways they have built this image is by offering events where the owners can meet each other and form friendships. They also offer services directly through the Harley Davidson Company such as insurance, theft rewards and shipping, and even an exclusive apparel line. Harley Davidson has also continued to produce its bikes in the United States and portrays itself – and in turn, its buyers- as patriotic. It has become an icon of American freedom and consumers want to be a part of it. Can you think of other companies that create such strong relationships with their customers? How do they do that? Rolex is another company that offers its customers an elite product. Like Harley Davidson they have built an elite community and offer special services to owners of Rolex watches. One of their famous services is the registration of the serial number, which not only helps trace stolen watches, but once helped identify a body in a murder case. In 1996 a murder victim was found in the English Channel- it was so decomposed that it could not be identified. Then a Rolex was found on the victims arm and the serial number was used to indentify the victim. In a twist, thanks to the precision works of the watch and its waterproof feature, the time of death was also determined within a few hours. Rolex has always been a company that provides customer service above and beyond any regular level. To own a Rolex means that you have reached a certain level of success. How else can Harley Davidson build or deepen its relationships with its customers? For a long time, Harley has been a man’s world with women being little more than the icing on the back of the bike. Today more and more women are being attracted to the riding experience. Many of them come because they have husbands or boyfriends who ride and they have found they enjoy the experience. Harley Davidson needs to expand on this interest and start offering incentives for female riders, such as bike fests targeting females and female biking apparel similar to the men’s lines. Perhaps a campaign showing real female riders in their day jobs or with their families, and then with their bikes would bring the appeal to the attention of other women that may be interested and would play on the duel role most women have.