Many companies bank on a loyal customer following to help keep them in business; however, it is one thing to be a loyal customer that continues to purchase from the same store or manufacturer and quite a different thing when that customer goes to their local tattoo parlor and has the company logo inked onto their chest or bicep. Now, that is customer loyalty and Harley-Davidson motorcycles have their fair share, and then some, of that type of customer loyalty.

It has been said that there is not another company around that works harder to create and maintain genuine customer loyalty; they follow a pattern of dedicated interactions with their customers. The Easy Rider movie not only increased their popularity, it also led to Harley-Davidson motorcycles becoming a cultural icon. With its toughness, powerfulness and distinctive roar it cultivated a bad-boy image; which attracted celebrities and consumers alike.

While they did experience a few rough patches they were one of the few companies that were able to completely invent new models and reinvent the existing models. Harley wanted to differentiate themselves from the Japanese competitors by broadening their customer base from only catering to what were considered “hard-core” bikers and include the weekend rebels and leisure riders. Traditionally the bike owners came from the middle and working classes, however when prices and quality increased they began attracting a different class of buyers. Over one third of Harley buyers are managers or professionals and 60% of them are college graduates. Hell’s Angels no longer ride in the same group anymore; now there are doctors, lawyers and accountants. Today women account for a significant portion of the new riders and there are women only riders clubs springing up everywhere.

Harley-Davidson motorcycles acknowledged this sector’s need for an atmosphere of community and began to change the premise of the existing method of comparison from brands being compared as one service or product to another service or product to comparing it more like their lifestyle versus the competitor’s lifestyle. Harley managed to differentiate the experience value on qualities other than strictly bike performance and these included the bikes look and feel, the unmistakable sound of their bikes and just as relevant, clothing, accessories and events in the communities that actually had nothing at all to do with their bikes performance. In other words Harley went from merely supplying motorcycles to selling a lifestyle; a concept that was lost on competitors and ensured that they could not begin to compete against Harley-Davidson, especially on something that was considered Harleys home turf.

All of this enabled Harley-Davidson to reinvigorate their relationships with dealers by cosponsoring events within the communities, which had become one of the main focal points of a completely new Harley division. The world’s largest motorcycle club, the Harley-Davidson’s Owners Group, or HOG as it is better known, was organized and Harley began to expand their brand to include Harley lifecycle accessories, such as clothes, for biking life.

Harley-Davidson motorcycles brand of a rebel lifestyle is a profitable business model that has been studied by both the consumer business and manufacturing circles as a one of a kind success story.

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