Reference no: EM133259267

To mark its 100th anniversary, Harley-Davidson celebrated Canada's 150th birthday by riding in style. The dual milestone drove the famous motorcycle company to attract a younger and more diverse clientele to the iconic brand by demonstrating that its current customer base extended well beyond the expected 50+-year-old white male rider. Harley-Davidson created "Common Ground," an experience-based promotion in which diverse riders shared their stories. People from New Zealand, Mexico, and India journeyed across Canada with a local Canadian host while a film crew documented the six-day road trip as they all met with Canadians from all walks of life in many towns. The insight that sparked the initiative focused on the belief that individual differences disappear when experiencing new things together.Livestreaming occurred in paid and owned social media during the tour. From the raw footage, a 12-part story emerged that played in social media and at dealer-ships. Other promotional activities included promoted tweets about specific models, and a website that relayed additional video, participant biographies, route informa-tion, and a link to book a test drive. Other stakeholders were not forgotten: dealers received a supportive tool kit, and media received a press kit to ignite publicity. No doubt potential customers obtained considerable exposure and multiple opportunities to experience the Harley-Davidson message content. Product information, inspiring stories, and continued social media communi-cation contributed to a potential customer receiving an immersive shopping experience while considering a pur-chase. Research indicated that novice interested riders could require 40 dealership visits prior to purchase.Communication prior to the travels featured profiles of the local guides in owned social media and through news media, and wild postings in large urban markets. The campaign ran from June to September and hit 47 million media impressions and 7.7 million video views, both well above the anticipated goals. Market share grew 2 percent in the face of a 4 percent decline in market sales. The campaign garnered significant national and international media publicity. The Discovery Channel picked up a one-hour version of the journey and 475,000 viewers watched. The campaign earned numerous national and international creative awards for Harley-Davidson and for its agency, Toronto-based Zulu Alpha Kilo.To round out its marketing communications around the time of the journey, Zulu Alpha Kilo created pop-up cafés for Harley-Davidson in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. While the brand did sell over 12,000 cups of coffee, the main point of the effort allowed consumers to experience the culture of the brand with historic displays used as decor. After this, the brand asked the agency to design the interior of its new head office. The impres-sive design established a proper working environment and paid tribute to the legacy of the brand's history. For example, the lobby design recreated images of the original shed where the inventors made the first bike, and meeting rooms reflected classic Canadian rides like British Columbia's Sea to Sky Highway and Ontario's Georgian Bay Loop.

How could brands of other product categories emulate the spirit of Harley-Davidson's promotional and design activities?