The marketing team at Harley Davidson are great believes in the adage that they merely own the Harley trademark, whilst the brand itself is owned by their customers, especially the members of the Harley Owners Group (HOGs). A participative approach to marketing is built into the DNA of the Harley business, governing everything from new product development to research. The man on the left of this photo is Willie Davidson, grandson of the company’s founder:
When asked by an interviewer, “Do you do any market research to learn more about the wants and needs of your customers?”, he replied: “Oh sure, we stay in constant contact with our customers. We ride with them all the time.”
Too many brand owners forget this simple truth about customer research – the more time you spend with them, the better you will understand their wants and needs. In fact, the companies that spend the most money on research are typically those that generate the fewest insights.