Thursday, September 1, 2011

Motorcycle Irony

So, most of you know I've spent years (almost 20) having issues with motorcycles.  Obviously, those of you who are friends of mine on facebook have seen I recently had a change of heart.  I find it ironic that in reading the required text for my current marketing class that the example they used had to do with Harley Davidson.  I'm going to post it here because I find it insanely interesting and so true...


"Who rides a Harley?  You might be surprised. Motorcycles are attracting a new breed of riders - older more affluent, and better educated. 'While the outlaw bad-boy biker image is what we might typically associate with Harley riders' says an analyst, 'they're just as likely to be CEOs and investment bankers.' 'You take off the leathers and the helmet and you'll never know who you'll find' says one hard-core Harley enthusiast, himself a former New York City producer. 'We're a varied lot...America, at it's very best...a melting pot.' The average Harley customer is a 47-year old male with a median household income of $82,000. Today, women make more than 12% of Harley purchases."  


It goes on for a bit and then, "The research revealed seven core customer types: adventure-loving traditionalists, sensitive pragmatists, stylish status seekers, laid-back campers, classy capitalists, cool-headed loners and cocky misfits."


Not sure where I fit in all that, but whatever.  I just thought it was funny and rather ironic that the girl who swore off bikes and now loves them is also now reading about them in a marketing class. 


Ref:  Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., 2009. Marketing. An Introduction, Ninth Edition, Prentice Hall, Inc.

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