Digital Communication - Week 3/ Assignment 2

Why: 

"We Fulfill Dreams of Personal Freedom." 
Harley- Davidson strives to "fullfil dreams of personal freedom" by providing their customers with elegant, reliable and robust motorcycles with the unmistakable Harley sound. When riding a Harley you will hear nothing exept of the rumble of your engine and feel nothing but freedom. 












How/ BHAG:

Through their heavyweight motorcycles Harley- Davidson embodies passion, high quality, endurance and elegance. 
Not only through representation on the road, but also through their several social media channels and their own website, Harley- Davidson informs customers about the latest events,brand clothing and newest bike- releases (f.i.). What really makes Harley- Davidson stand out as a brand is the aspect of togetherness. "We ride with our customers and apply this deep connection in every market we serve to create superior value for all of our stakeholders." (their disciption of their duty on their Facebook page).


What:

Harley- Davidson sells high- end motorcycles you can rely on. Buying a Harley means buying freedom and entering a community.
Besides the magnificent bikes, H- D offers a wide range of brand merchandise, riding gear and apparel.



Fundaments for a new community building plan using the 4 Cs:

Context:

- Technology principle:
Harley- Davidson is quite active on their social media. Due to the continuously increasing use of the internet, H- D can connect with even more people online. By keeping up their strategy of giving their existing customers the freedom to share their own stories with their bikes and even lifestyle and thereby giving other people the feeling of being integrated/included. Through the personal touch many people get attracted and want to be part of "the free community".

- Open communication principle:
As mentioned above, Harley- Davidson gives their fans the opportunity to post stories about their personal lives on their social media pages. They get their followers to do so by posting articles about their events, for instance, and then ask their customers to share if they have taken part at the event. This can effect the success of the in a positive way, as the interest in their customers can be clearly seen.



Consumer:

The consumers I would like to focus on are women all over the world. The motorcyle industry is still dominated by men, but more women are starting to ride.By supporting and encouraging women to start riding, Harley- Davidson can win more customers and enlargen their community. 

Community:

The online community's behaviour with the company is quite informal. It is more like a community of friends bonding over their motorcycles and their experiences they have made with Harley- Davidson. In the United States H- D is bigger than anywhere else. I found out that here the communiy of "Lady riders" is getting more popular and outnumbers any other country in this aspect.








Connection:

Harley- Davidson has to find different strategies to target/reach the new found consumer: women.
There are already some improvements on Instagram, for example, where the hashtag #HarleyWomen was introduced and only women rider shared their pictures. But compared to the male percentage there is more to be done. Many women still have the image that riding a motorcycle is only for men and therefore don't have the courage/ interest to ride. Through online campaigns, for instance, women can be informed and encouraged to join the community.
As mentioned Harley- Davidson is very active on social media. By connecting the context with the new target consumer the brand can spread the new value preposition fast and widely and can also receive direct and fast feedback. As I found out that in the United States more women ride Harley than anywhere else, the focus of tha brand to win more women should focus on the international aspect, to reach women from all around the globe. 




















Sources:https://www.facebook.com/harley-davidson/?fref=tshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley-Davidsonhttps://www.google.nl/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=667&q=Harley-+Davidson&oq=Harley-+Davidson&gs_l=img.3..0j0i30l9.2268.8792.0.8978.18.17.1.0.0.0.163.1322.14j3.17.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..0.18.1323.0tp6jmOEFOs#hl=en&tbm=isch&q=harley+davidson+iron+883&imgrc=nZ7cVjP_BjV1AM%3Ahttps://www.google.nl/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=667&q=Harley-+Davidson&oq=Harley-+Davidson&gs_l=img.3..0j0i30l9.2268.8792.0.8978.18.17.1.0.0.0.163.1322.14j3.17.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..0.18.1323.0tp6jmOEFOs#hl=en&tbm=isch&q=harley+davidson+skull+logo&imgrc=WtUge2OmPh8mFM%3Ahttps://www.instagram.com/harleydavidson/https://www.instagram.com/p/BETuQLvxSB4/?taken-by=harleydavidsonhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BEKC_LHRSIo/?taken-by=harleydavidsonhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BFJrQr_xSB_/?taken-by=harleydavidson