I'm back! All that I can say is that getting a new business off the runway is way more than a full-time job. But, I'm loving every second of it.
Check out this photo of a guy that I met last week on the tram at the Atlanta airport.
He was standing next to me in this packed tram, and I quickly observed that he was covered up (as they say in the South) with Harley-Davidson logos ... leather jacket (of course), tee shirt, sweatshirt, belt, ring, boots, and God only knows what else. I passed on the tatoo check.
And look at this guy ... he's a businessman in his late 40's, and it didn't seem out of place to him that he was clad in all of this H-D gear, on a Wednesday morning enroute to Chicago.
When I asked him why he was such a Harley-Davidson brand ambassador, as we were on one of those escalators to the sky that they have at Hartsfield, his whole body seemed to glow with a smile. He told me that he travels extensively in his work, and that his Harley helps him escape from all that craziness.
I began to understand how Harley-Davidson attracts customers from all demographics (from doctors to prison guards, and just about everything in between), and how the brand cultivates passionate, and at times unusual, behavior.
When you land on the Owners page on their website, where they explain in compelling language what the benefits of membership are for the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.), you encounter the following warning ... "But beware: Prolonged exposure may lead to extended periods of uncontrolled euphoria".
Harley-Davidson goes on to explain in their mission statement that "Here's the bottom line: We like to think of Harley-Davidson - from the top corporate officer to the newest Harley owner and rider - as one big, happy family. Their membership slogan is "If everybody could join us, they would".
Once you've made the decision to sign on as a H.O.G. member, you can choose between Full, Associate, or Lifetime membership; and, you can also join a local H.O.G. Chapter. And what would your leather or denim jacket look like without specially designed patches and pins recognizing every possible dimension of H.O.G. membership, including 10 or 25 year service awards?
Today, more than one million H.O.G. members worldwide "share their passion, and show their pride" in the Harley-Davidson brand.
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and even some work, on the "brand ambassador" model and its powerful impact on leading brands, and this chance meeting with a H.O.G. member last week has charged me up to learn even more on this topic.
So, help me out here ... tell me, and our group, your story about your best encounters with passionate brand ambassadors. Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving.
