Pallavi Singh, Director Marketing, Harley-Davidson India talks about the strategy to build a presence in the country by driving experiences thorough events and the unique fan group H.O.G
By SALONI DUTTA
Q] How has the journey for Harley Davidson been in India since its launch here five years ago? What are the marketing strategies in place to increase reach?
We launched our bikes in India in 2009. The whole idea when we launched was that no matter where in the world you come from, when in India, you will still experience the same Harley Davidson. The idea was also to curate and develop the leisure motorcycling culture in the country. From a marketing standpoint, we have taken a very integrated approach towards the unique lifestyle of Harley Davidson. There are two things which are very different to Harley Davidson, one is the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G) and second is customisation. These two things really bring the whole essence and experience of the Harley Davidson brand to the customer. The H.O.G is the official riding club of Harley-Davidson that offers a wide variety of member benefits, membership options, and events. It is much more than just a motorcycle organization. H.O.G is something that the customers take a lot of pride in and our dealer network runs these chapters across the board. On customisation, no two Harleys are the same, and so anybody who wants to personalise their Harley can do so. We have close to 5000+ accessories and parts available at the dealer network and they can make the motorcycle the way they want it.
From an event strategy perspective, 150 experiential events were held in 2014 to provide an experience of the Harley-Davidson lifestyle. Back in 2009 we started with Harley Davidson Boot Camp, which was an experience of Harley Davidson lifestyle. So people would come in batches of five or six to experience our five families, and we put out all our 12 models across the five families in our line-up. They would be encouraged to go for a small ride with a lead rider and it is not a solo ride - it is a ride with your brothers, so that you experience the whole brotherhood. And when you are back there are other people to tell you more about the product, what it comes with. At the end of the day, it is not a motorcycle we are selling, it is a lifestyle.
We also have an another property which is called the Harley Rock Riders, for people who want to experience the Harley lifestyle, but may not be interested in the product right now.
In a nutshell, our strategy is basically touch and feel and to drive experiences, and as with all other brands, social media and digital play an important role because that is where you would want to know what Harley is doing and that is where we get a lot of insights about our present and potential customers.
Q] How different is the media mix that Harley Davidson employs in India?
Our big focus is on events and experiential marketing, and we focus on creating experiences which are riding-related and which demonstrate a lifestyle and culture. We have leveraged digital to a larger extent for mass marketing. We launched our Facebook and YouTube channels in 2012 and today we have close to 1.8 million fans on the page, engaging with us on a daily basis. We also reach and engage with the audience through initiatives like Harley Rock Riders, India Bike Week, national and regional H.O.G rallies. We have always been a brand that has wanted a two-way communication from the customers. Digital is a big medium for us. But on ground events which are more experiential is what we spend our marketing monies on and our mix is based on ground events.
Q] How would you define the profile of an average Harley owner?
There is no stereotypical Harley owner. Our customers come from different walks of life, so we have customers who are 24-years-old to 65-years-old. The passion people have behind owning a Harley Davidson comes from all walks of life but our major group of people and sales volume is coming from the 30-45 age groups and that is our main target group right now. However, we are seeing a lot of younger people coming into the family.
Q] What are the plans to increase dealership network from the current 18 locations, with the most recent addition being Lucknow?
We will be adding three more dealers by the end of this year. Our aim is to target Tier II markets, and we see a lot of interest coming from places like Indore, Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur. We are hence developing our strategyto target the Tier II markets and take the Harley experience to more and more cities.
Q] How is the association with Myntra adding to the brand’s reach?
This is a pilot that we are doing with Myntra as they are leaders in fashion and lifestyle. We have had a good relationship with them, and there are a lot of insights coming our way from the reach perspective, mainly from smaller markets, and from people who are looking for a Harley experience as well as from people who didn’t know about Harley Davidson at all. And it is great for us because we want to reach to these people. But that is where it is right now. We also need to learn from an e-commerce perspective, as it is altogether a different ballgame. This is something that we are looking forward to and will see how it shapes up and take action depending on what could be the future of e-commerce for us.
Q] How has the wave of premiumization in India worked for Harley Davidson?
We have led the pace for developing the premium space in the market. With new players coming in, whether from the auto segment, or lifestyle or fashion, it is a market which benefits everyone. This is an exciting time for every premium brand, from any landscape and talking from a Harley perspective, it is a time when customers are closer to wanting to experience and try and acquire things that they have been on their wish list from a long time. It is also a time when a lot of premium motorcycle brands are coming in to the country and which gives everyone a platform to try and create an extra edge for the customer today. Customising experiences is the key to any brand, you can’t have one tailor-made strategy, every customer is different and you really need to take insight from them and customise it for them.
Q] What is the brand’s market-share?
We are a dominant player in the premiere 600cc plus category with almost 65% market share. We want to grow in the market and with the new launches we have got new customers joining us and being a part of the family.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Harley-Davidson India is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harley-Davidson®, Inc. The company commenced its India operations in August 2009 and appointed the first dealership in July 2010. Since early 2011, Harley-Davidson has been assembling motorcycles in India at its CKD (Completely-Knocked-Down) assembly unit at Bawal in Haryana. India is the second country where Harley-Davidson has CKD assembly operations outside the US, after Brazil. Presently, Harley-Davidson offers a range of 12 models from each of its seven platforms – Street, Sportster®, Dyna®, Softail®, V-Rod®, Touring, and CVOTM. Currently, the Company has 18 authorized dealerships in India. With over 8,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles on the road in India the Company continues to invest in India as it embraces more and more people into the Harley-Davidson lifestyle.
FACTS
CREATIVE AGENCY: REPUBLIC
SOCIAL & DIGITAL MEDIA MARKETING AGENCY: BLOGWORKS
PR AGENCY: EDELMAN
CMO FILE
Pallavi Singh is Director Marketing at Harley-Davidson India, where she is responsible for providing strategic guidance in terms of all marketing campaigns and also for all planning initiatives pertaining to brand communications and development. Singh has been involved with Harley-Davidson India since its inception in 2009, in the capacities of Assistant and later, Manager Marketing. Singh is also very closely associated with H.O.G. Prior to this, Singh held executive managerial role at India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd. A marketing major, Singh holds an MBA from Birla Institute of Management & Technology. A celebrated athlete, Singh has been a national level basketball player and a gymnast. In her leisure time, she likes to read and travel.
MARKETING TIP
Listen to the consumers. Authenticity and connecting to the customer’s emotional side is what counts in marketing.
Feedback: saloni.dutta@exchange4media.com
