Harley Davidson Integrated Marketing Communications Plan to Target Females in Upstate New York

1. Table of Contents
Executive Summary 2
SWOT Analysis 3
Target Market 7
Promotional Program Situational Analysis 9
Positioning and Campaign Theme 10
Creative Recommendations 11
Creative Production
Television Story Board 12
Radio Commercial 15
Magazine Advertisement 16
Direct Mail Postcard 17
Website Homepage 18
Advertising Media Recommendations 19
Television 19
Radio 22
Magazine 24
Promotional Event 26
Direct Mail 28
Website 30
Budget Summary 32
References
Citations 33
PRIZM Descriptions 34
Television Schedule 40
Census Breakdown 41
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2. Executive Summary
Higher Ground has developed an Integrated Media Campaign for Harley Davidson
that will increase awareness and sales of their motorcycles among women in Central New
York. After in depth analysis, we decided that the most likely females in the Central New
York area to actually purchase a Harley Davidson motorcycle would be between the ages of
35-55. Furthermore, Harleys are a luxury item, we narrowed this group down even more by
making sure their annual household income was at least $50,000.
In order to properly address and attract this audience we decided on the campaign
theme of “Escape to Freedom.” The underlying message behind the theme is for women to
forget about all their responsibilities and obligations. This element of escape can be
accomplished by purchasing a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
To communicate the theme, Higher Ground has decided to advertise on television,
on the radio and in several magazines. Through the advertisements, women will form an
image in her mind that will allow her to see the product and its benefits. She will also feel an
emotional connection to the motorcycle because she can see how it will satisfy her needs.
While the target audience may see how they could benefit from owning a Harley it
doesn’t necessarily mean that she will actually take the steps to do so. The advertisements
use an emotional approach, but because a motorcycle is a high involvement product, the
proper amount of information must be provided. Therefore, in order to get the ball rolling
Higher Ground has also decided to make women in Central New York aware of the changes
that Harley Davidson is going through to better cater to their informational needs. To deliver
the information to the intended audience Higher Ground created a promotional event. This
promotional event is for those all women who may be interested in purchasing a Harley. To
get women to attend the event, as push them to attend classes and visit the website a
postcard will be sent out to potential buyers. Lastly a website was created to provide the
target audience with a plethora of information as well as a way to communicate with other
females and the dealership’s sales teams.
Our media mix consists of six separate outlets through which we will advertise. With
six media options we can communicate a sufficient amount of information as well as draw
in a large percentage of our intended target market. This mix will increase not only interest
but also increase the number of bikes sold to females at the Harley Davidson dealerships in
Central New York.
In conclusion, we used a combination of six execution formats to make up the
Integrated Media Campaign and we were still able to stay within the one million dollar
budget. We have fostered influential ideas to create an affective promotional plan to target
women in Central New York, while remaining within the campaign budget.
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3. SWOT
Brand Strengths
The Harley Davidson Motor Company has a multitude of brand strengths. First off,
the brand is a strength within itself. The Harley Davidson brand is extremely recognizable
and has a loyal following. Harley Davidson has a long history and rich tradition in bike
building and their bikes designs are unique to the brand.
Due to its licensing expansion, Harley Davidson has been able to further penetrate
the market and gain capital off of its name. Harley Davidson products now include clothing,
shoes, accessories and even home décor. This expansion has increased Harley’s image,
market reach and familiarity.
The number of dealerships that sell Harley Davidson Motorcycles and products
featuring the Harley symbol have also increased in recent years. Harley has decided to
franchise itself by allowing individuals with the wanted skills to open and run a certified
Harley Davidson dealership or sell out of an existing dealership. Expansion has led to an
overall increase in riders because the motorcycles are more available. By expanding into
more locations the relationship between the consumer and company has strengthened. On
Sundays it isn’t uncommon for Harley owners to meet up at their local dealership and then
head out for an afternoon ride.
One of the main reasons that people buy a bike from Harley Davidson is to feel a
part of that “Harley” culture. Harley Davidson, to many, represents a mix of freedom,
strength, rebellious attitudes, the occasional bad boy tendencies and pride in being an
American. In many ways Harley has become an icon of the American culture. Harley
motorcycles have a unique sound to them. For those even vaguely familiar with the sound,
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4. will recognize a Harley bike even before seeing it.
Brand Weaknesses
Traditionally, Harley Davidson’s are seen as a “man’s” bike. One stereotypical
image of a Harley rider is a middle aged man wearing a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt and a
bandanna on his head, riding a top a big, loud HOG. In the past Harley has catered more
toward males. They have done so because they know that majority of Harley’s current riders
are male and that the most likely purchaser of a bike will be male. Eighty-eight percent (88
%) of Harley owners are males, and the average age of a bike owner is between the ages of
35-47 (“Demographic Profile”). Therefore a brand weakness includes its minimal market
penetration and market reach.
The main reason as to why Harley has appealed mainly to men is because Harley’s
bikes are quite large in comparison to other bikes on the market. Because of their size they
can be tough to handle.
Harley Davidson’s bikes are higher end bikes that come with large price tag.
Customization as the type of model contributes to the overall price. Therefore a brand
weakness of Harley is that many individuals view owning a Harley as being financially
unlikely. In fact, according to Harley Davidson’s website, the average income for a Harley
bike owner is around $80,000 (“Demographic Profile”).
It isn’t uncommon for Harley riders to be stereotyped. The Harley Davidson brand is
associated with a rough crowd and motorcycle gangs. While this appeals to some people, it
also deters potential consumers because they don’t want to be seen in that light. It must be
noted that there are two branches of motorcycle clubs. The first is the “99 per centers.”
These clubs make up 99% of the motorcycle riding population and many are members of the
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5. American Motorcycle Association. The other type of Motorcycle Club is the “one per
centers” or Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (“Motorcycle club”). Due to popular culture, the
Harley Davidson brand has a long-standing association with the concept of a outlaw
motorcycle gang. Gangs like Hell’s Angels, the Outlaws, Pagans and Banditos are
international gangs, whose members can be found riding on top of a Harley Davidson.
Because of their association with the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs and societies continuing
belief that Harley Davidson’s attract individuals with criminal dispositions, the brand itself
has been tainted.
Brand Opportunities
“Women represent an economic powerhouse, making over 85% of the consumer
purchases (in the United States) and influencing over 95% of total goods and services.
Women also purchase 50% or better in traditional male categories like automobiles,
consumers electronics, and PCs” (Learned). The previous statistic demonstrates why women
are becoming an important group for marketers to focus on. The ability to for women to
climb the corporate ladder is no longer an issue. Many women are holding important
positions in companies and therefore have a greater disposable income. Harley Davidson has
not tapped into this market. While the number of female riders has slightly increased in past
years, there is still a lot of room for expansion. The Harley Davidson brand can take
advantage of this opportunity and increase their number of female riders.
Everyone in the United States knows and is experiencing the effects of the
increasing price of gasoline. A motorcycle is a more economically savvy approach to getting
around. You can ride just as far on a motorcycle and not have to spend as much on gas.
More people may be willing to invest in a motorcycle or switch over to a motorcycle to
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6. decrease their gasoline consumption.
Brand Threats
With the increasing importation of foreign motorcycles to the American market,
more people, especially women have been driven to these brands. Foreign motorcycles
companies offer smaller bikes. Also, foreign companies offer their bikes at lower prices than
Harley Davidson.
Depending on ones economic situation, people, especially those in Central New
York might not be willing to spend as much money on luxury goods or have the financial
means to do so. This would have implications for the dealerships in Central New York
because the campaign would be compromised.
The weather is very unpredictable in Central New York. It can go from being a
beautiful sunny day then a snowstorm will blow through. The winters can be especially
harsh and driving a motorcycle in winter could be dangerous. The roads could be plowed or
they could be covered in snow. A potential buyer might wonder if it is worth buying a
Harley motorcycle if they can only drive it for a limited time throughout the year.
Target Market
Using the PRIZM market segmentation tool we were able to break up the social
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7. groups found within Central New York. We looked up the groups in cities like Skaneateles,
DeWitt, Cicero and Baldwinsville. These cities are home to such groups as the Upper Crust,
Big Fish, Small Pond, God’s Country, Greenbelt Sports, American Dreams and Mayberry-
ville (“My Best Segments”). [Definitions of these segments can be found in the references
section] Each of these groups backed up our beliefs on whom we thought the best target
market for our campaign and their availability in Central New York.
Our primary target market is a woman between the ages of 35-55, and who live in
the Central New York area. The Central New York area includes Cayuga, Madison, Oneida,
Onondaga and Oswego counties. Their annual household income is $50,000 and above.
These women can be workingwomen or stay at home moms and they can be single or
married. Based on our research of census data we narrowed this specific group down to
20,678 women. [For the complete breakdown of the census information please turn to the
references section]
Their psychographic and behavioral traits are that they enjoy the outdoors and like
excitement in their lives. While they love spending time with their families and friends, they
also enjoy their alone time. While society does have an effect on what they do, they also
pride themselves in their personal independence. They have tomboyish tendencies and are
active. They are adventure seekers in the fact that they like to have fun and try new things.
For our women ages 35-55, the people that will influence their purchase decision the
most are their significant other, family and friends. Significant others will be the main
source of influence because they are both contributing to the household income. A large
purchase it is going to have an effect on the other individual. Family and friends are also
another influence because they shape who an individual is. Family and friends will most
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8. likely be concerned with the safety of their friend more than anything. Women also tend to
be more self-conscious and concerned with what others think of them. However, our goal is
to make a Harley so emotionally appealing to the female audience that they don’t care what
others think.
Out target market will be more likely to buy a motorcycle if they are provided the
proper amount of information to make an informed decision (Learned). Other decision
criteria includes if the motorcycle is within their financial budget. Is the dealership making
an effort to get to know them and address their needs and concerns? Will they be able to
handle the bike and ride it comfortable without fear? What type of features and warranties
are available to them if they do purchase a bike? The quality and safety of the bike is of
great concern to females. Does owning a motorcycle address their emotional expectations?
Do they feel free while riding, does it allow them explore Central New York and while
riding are they able to get away from stress and just focus on themselves?
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9. Past Promotional Events for Central New York dealerships
Harley Davidson has hosted and sponsored many events in previous years. They
have recently made an effort to get more women involved by showing support through
promotional events. At these events, dealerships across the country present consumers and
non-consumers with knowledge and support. A few events include: Women’s Garage Party,
“Rides of March”, Open House Party for New Service, Demo Day, Ride for a Cure and a
Winterization seminar. Each event addresses different aspects of being a Harley rider. At the
Women’s Garage Party, interested females are introduced to current riders in their area. A
garage party is a social gathering at a dealership for potential female riders. At the
dealership, these women are exposed to the Harley motorcycling experience and are able to
socialize with women who share their same passion. A Demo Day is a hands-on experience
for women and men where they are educated on the proper ways to ride, sit and even pick
up a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Ride for a Cure was an open house event where the
proceeds were donated to Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer research fund. Women who get
involved such in events such as these seem to have adventurous and courageous attitudes
and are less concerned about getting their hands dirty for a change. While these events were
helpful in drawing some attention, we believe that they were not affective as they could
have been. This is due to the fact that they didn’t cater specifically to women. Such events
weren’t widely advertised and those who might have been interested in attending were not
aware of the events.
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10. Positioning and Campaign Theme
In terms of our positioning strategy we will position ourselves away from the
competitors. We will accomplish this by showing our primary target market how they can
benefit by owning a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Harley Davidson offers a benefit that no
one else can match and we can cater our product to the wants and needs of the female
consumer. Higher Ground will use brand superiority as well as the idea of “Freedom” to
position ourselves to the consumer.
Our Positioning statement for this campaign for Harley Davidson is to increase
awareness of Harley Davidson among female clientele ages 35-55 in Central New York. We
chose this age range because we believe the established workingwoman has the financial
means to buy a luxury vehicle such as a Harley. Our campaign is directed to more of a
pastime rather then a vehicle of transport so the middle to upper class is the main part of our
target audience. The awareness of Harley Davidson is common amongst most of America,
but many women just don’t associate themselves with riding a Harley Davidson. Our goal at
Higher Ground is to place Harley Davidson in a light that shows women how and why they
will benefit from owning a Harley.
The theme for our campaign to drive women to buy a motorcycle and become part of
the Harley family is “ Escape to Freedom.” These workingwomen have busy lifestyles.
They have two jobs. They have to fulfill the needs required by their occupation and in many
cases, raise a family. We at Higher Ground feel the best way to grab a hold of our target
market is to make them aware of their daily stresses and hardships and then show them how
they can get away from it all. A Harley is the best way for workingwomen to focus on their
personal happiness.
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11. Creative Recommendations
To help Harley disseminate their message to the target audience, an effective
approach must be used to pique interest in the brand itself. To help facilitate this process,
Harley Davidson must attract the 35-55 year old female population in the Central New York
area. This can be achieved through several different types of marketing executions.
The advertising objectives of Higher Ground’s IMC plan are to increase awareness
about the changes Harley Davidson has made in designing their bikes to be more female
friendly. Another objective of our advertisements is to increase female attendance at Harley
Davidson classes at Performance Harley Davidson and Harley Davidson/Buell of Utica.
Lastly, our advertisements will cause the target audience to realize that a Harley Davidson
motorcycle is the best way to escape from their daily responsibilities and just focus on their
selves for once.
Once again the campaign is designed to connect with the modern workingwoman
who has a busy lifestyle and wants an outlet to escape from her hectic schedule. The goal is
to strike an emotional chord by showing a female who is able to balance her busy lifestyle
and take time for her by riding her own Harley Davidson motorcycle. The campaign uses
affective (feeler) strategy because the motorcycle is a high involvement product that
produces a psychological response. The campaign will elicit emotional responses by
highlighting the benefit of owning a Harley motorcycle, which is self-satisfying and a
needed release from responsibilities. The advertisements will stimulate interest by using the
emotional appeals of excitement, self-realization, pleasure and freedom. Then to make the
women actually buy the motorcycle we will provide them with the information and steps
necessary.
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15. Promo Radio Script
Sound: Door opening
Sound: Heels clicking
Sound: Harley engine sound
Play song (Life is a Highway) from 59 second mark for around 6 seconds then fade during
dialogue
Dialogue: “Ladies, do you want to escape to freedom?”
Action: Pause
Dialogue: “You can with a Harley Davidson. Just come down to Wegmans off Thompson
Road on April 26-27th from 11 to 3 for the How To On Being Female
Biker. For more information visit your local Harley Dealer or check out
www.womenridersCNY.com.”
Bring song (Life is a Highway) back to full strength after dialogue
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17. Direct Mail
QuickTimeª and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
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18. Advertising Media Recommendations
Higher Ground has come up with a comprehensive media mix list. Our media mix
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19. will consist of television, radio, magazine, a promotional event, direct marketing and a
website.
Television commercials will play during programs that a majority of the target
market watches. Commercials will also be placed on radio stations where the majority of
viewers are women and at times when the target audience viewing is the highest. To cater to
this particular segment we will place our advertisements in several magazines that have very
high percentages of women readers who fall into our target market. Hosting an event,
where potential female bikers and current bikers gather and discuss their experiences, will
create strong bonds between existing and future owners. Our brand loyalty will be even
stronger after this occurs. It will create excitement and interest by showing how committed
the brand is to its female riders.
Through direct mail and a website we will be able to inform the target audience
about the instructional clinics each dealership holds for females interested in motorcycles.
Television
When trying to reach our target market, we believe that television is a profound way
to advertise Harley Davidson to women in the Central New York area. Television has taken
over as one of the most popular media outlets in the past few decades. This is because
television allows viewers the chance to experience new and creative ideas that are difficult
to fully understand without the use of images, pictures or sound. The popularity of television
has drastically increased, especially now that there is cable television. Television has
become a huge part of peoples everyday lives, tuning into popular television shows may
help increase the outlook on Harley Davidson, especially those geared toward women.
Daytime television, early fringe and prime time television are our main focal points and we
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20. are hoping to influence women to learn more about the Harley products and services. We
are also willing to run advertisements during morning television shows that most women are
likely to watch. Television is the ideal advertising medium and with this said, we are hoping
that it develops into a very interesting and ingenious appeal for women in the Central New
York area.
Advertising our commercials during different time segments is essential when
deciding to raise awareness in women aged 35-55 in the Central New York area. Many
woman have demanding lives and we came up with six television shows that our
commercials would show during, either because of the show’s popularity or because we felt
that woman would have a more effective response during these times.
Time Television
Segments Shows Months
Daytime The View
Television Monday-Friday March thru July
11a-12p
Early Oprah February thru July
Fringe Monday-Friday 4p-5p
Newschannel 9@ 5p
Monday-Friday March thru July
5p-5:30p
Primetime Desperate House
Television Wives September-November and January-May
Sunday 9p-10p
Grey’s Anatomy
Thursday 9p-10p September-November and January-May
Newschannel 9 @
11p
March thru July
Monday-Friday
11p-11:35p
In selecting these time segments wisely, the showings of the advertising
commercials will be shown either once or twice every time the show airs. For The View
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21. Oprah and the News the commercial will run twice. For the series Desperate Housewives
and Grey’s Anatomy the commercial will show only once but will run for the entire season.
There may be a high variation in the type of television shows that women watch, so
we have decided that it was wise to have a variety of television shows that market to the
individual characteristics of the distinct Harley woman. The View would target those
women who are home in the mornings and have time in the day to lounge. It is possible that
the women who watch this talk show are open to new ideas and may consider unusual
ventures. The View has a diverse group of women who have dissimilar opinions, but are
likely to influence others.
Oprah has a considerable effect on women and running our commercials during this
show and time will have a drastic response, especial for those women who are dedicated
viewers and look up to the messages that she sends across. These women tend to look for
exploration and want to get away from the everyday hassles of life, which are sometimes
depicted in the talk show.
We believe that two separate news times are necessary if a workingwoman returns
home late in the evenings; she will be given the opportunity to see our commercials again if
she decides to watch the primetime news at 11pm, or for the first time if she wasn’t home at
5pm.
As for Desperate House Wives and Grey’s Anatomy, which only run once a week
for both shows, most women stay glued to their television sets. Although these television
shows are showed on one network, ABC, the overall reach to our target market will develop
knowledge of Harley for women on a consistent scale and encourage women to “Escape to
Freedom”. It is important for women to be interested in Harley products and our theme, but
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22. the main goal is to increase awareness, create a product need and encourage women to
purchase a Harley Davidson motorcycle as soon as possible.
Radio
In terms of using the radio for our activation plan, we feel that the radio can be a
strong outlet to reach out to women and expose Harley Davidson. The radio is an
inexpensive way to get a message across to listeners at one time. We plan on using radio
stations such as classic and light rock stations in order to capture our target market. By using
the radio as a media outlet we can be both selective and flexible with our actual ad. Based
on our target market of women ages of 35-55, we were able to selectively choose which
radio stations to use in order to get full market reach.
According to an article published by Arbitron Inc. and Joint Communications about
female radio listeners, “There are nine factor groups driving tune-in. Each of these nine
groups is looking for music when they first turn on the radio, yet each of them is attracted to
a specific aspect of radio programming.” Our primary target market, females is categorized
into the “Mood Seeker”, “Infoholics” and “Just Music Fans.” For all three groups their top
formats include Adult Contemporary and Contemporary Hit Radio.
The stations we will use are Lite Rock FM 105.9 and 96.9 Classic Rock. Both stations
have a similar genre of classical or contemporary rock. Our main reasoning for this is that
we believe that these stations will fit our age range of women best (“Character Clusters”).
Lite Rock FM 105.9 96.9 Classic Rock
7-9am 2X’s 7-9am 2X’s
3-6pm 2X’s 3-6pm 2X’s
In terms of actual rates for these radio stations, a typical radio spot during the day
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23. cost from about $100-$250 for a 30 second to 1 minute spot (Baldini). We will be able to
direct our radio spots during times that we feel are adequate in reaching the target audience.
We will be running two radio spots throughout the spring and summer months, each
30 seconds in length. The first one is directed toward our promotional event at Wegmans in
late April. This radio spot will be a great way to gain recognition for this event to ensure
that people are aware of it.
The times for these radio spots will air 4 times a day on each station we use. The
distribution of the 4 times will consist of twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon.
The morning time spot will be from 7am-9am. We chose this times section because many
women within our target market will be driving to work at this point in the morning and/or
driving there kids to school. Our second time slot is from 3pm-6pm. Starting at 3pm
schools get out so many moms will be picking up their kids or starting their commute home
from work.
The clip begins with the sound of a door opening, which a representative of a woman
opening a door into the world of Harley Davidson. Since our campaign theme is escaping to
freedom this is a good opening for our commercial. Then the sound of heels clicking is
played in the radio spot. Since our target market is woman this represents the typical
business woman/mother, this tells the listener that a woman is involved in this commercial
before they even here any dialogue. Following the heels, the classic Harley Davidson engine
sounds is played. Instead of veering away from the classic Harley style, in our activation
plan we feel that keeping classic Harley sound is important. So the loud sound of an engine
revving really gives a classic feel to our radio commercial. After the engine sound the first
dialogue is spoken “Ladies do you want to escape to freedom.” This ensures the listener
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24. knows that this commercial is directed towards women as well as introducing our campaign
theme “Escape to Freedom.” We decided to use the song “Life is a Highway” because it
serves as a song of empowerment as well as a very catchy song for the listener. We felt it
was important to use a song that would remain in the mind of the consumer after hearing it.
Also, since we are playing this spot on classic and lite rock stations it is a song that fits that
genre of music. The final dialogue consists of information about our promotional event and
also tells listeners to visit our website, www.womenridersCNY.com.
For our second radio spot the same basic components will be involved. The only
difference is there will not be any information about our promotional even because it would
have already happened. Instead there will be more information about the website, classes.
This radio spot will be aired in the summer months (May-August).
Magazine
Choosing to advertise through magazines came about through our research into the
various media outlets. By employing magazines, we would be able to target our specific
demographics without heavily overlapping into other target segments. Women use
magazines as a way to supplement their daily lives and connect with other women.
Magazines are also recycled as they are passed down from friend to friend. Magazines target
very specific audiences and can be expected to influence more viewers opinions. Lastly, the
quality of the print will reflect positively on Harley Davidson and we can provide a copy
with information.
The magazines that we decided would fit best into our marketing plan are, Cooking
Light, Martha Stewart Living, and Good Housekeeping. We chose these magazines due to
the present demographics represented by the subscription numbers we found in the media
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25. kits. Based on the amount of women in our target market that read these magazines, we
have determined that it would be most beneficial to advertise in these magazines.
Martha Stewart Living in the Northeast/Mid Atlantic region has 390,000 issues in
circulation. It is a huge benefit to be able to advertise in a particular region of the country,
especially since we are only targeting women in the Central New York region. Better
Homes and Gardens creates an even bigger opportunity in being able to reach our target
market with 400,000 subscriptions in the Northeast region. We decided to advertise in
Cooking Light based off of the demographic profiles given to us in their media kit. The
profile of their affluent readers suggests around 2.7 million women read this magazine. The
median age of the readers is 49 years of age thus Cooking Light fits perfectly into our target
market. Besides affluent readers, women make up 84% of the total readers of this magazine
and the median household income per reader is $66,000.
The magazine print advertisement will be a one page, full color ad that will be
placed prominent place within each magazine. The advertisement will appear once in one of
the monthly magazines. The advertisements will appear during the following months.
Month Magazine
January
February
March Good Housekeeping
April Cooking Light
May Martha Stuart
June Good Housekeeping
July Cooking Light
August Martha Stuart
September
October
November Martha Stuart
December Cooking Light
As we are reaching our target market through several reputable magazines, we
will be concentrating on our main campaign theme of “Escape to Freedom”. This is the
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26. underlining message we are sending to all the women who view our advertisement. The
way this will help get women to notice our brand, and therefore purchase a Harley, is
through emotional appeals. Appeals that our advertisement evokes will be pleasure,
excitement, self-realization and freedom. All this will be portrayed through our beautiful
imagery of the woman driving her bike out of the city into the bright clear countryside and
free road.
As a Harley Davidson motorcycle is a luxury item, and is a high involvement
purchase for any demographic, it is necessary to include a copy at the bottom of the page, as
a lot of information will be necessary before arriving at the conclusion that you should
invest.
Promotional Event
As part of our IMC campaign Higher Ground will be hosting a Promotional and
Informational event, “The how to…on being a female rider.” The purpose of this event is to
create a visible event for Harley Davidson centered on women. This event will not only
serve as a promotion but an informational session in which Harley personnel will have a
chance to explain to women why a Harley bike is right for them.
The event will be hosted in Wegmans’ parking lot of Thompson Road. Wegmans is
an ideal location to host the event. It is a high trafficked area by those in our target market.
It can be a convenient stop for those who want to plan it with a trip to the grocery store.
Also, since there will be a high volume of our target market at Wegmans on the weekend
there is a high possibility of attracting the attention of those just there to shop. Being in
Wegmans’ parking lot provides easy access to catering from Wegmans. Wegmans provides
a good variety of catering options. The increased traffic at Wegmans that the event will
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27. create will forge good relations with Wegmans and possibly allow for more of a partnership
in future events. We will be offering a 10-dollar gift card to Wegmans for every woman
who test-drives a bike. We chose to host the event from April 26th and 27th. We felt that
springtime in Central New York would be the best buying time and therefore the best time
to host this event. The event will be hosted from 11am to 4pm giving a five hour block for
people to come each day.
The event will be centered on the attending women test-driving a Harley. Current
female riders and sales personnel will be on location. The riders will be there to offer a
seminar type experience. The riders will outline tips and points that make it easy for women
to envision them being able to handle a Harley Davidson and why a Harley is necessary in
their life. The goal of this promotion is to give women who are interested in purchasing a
Harley Davidson a chance to ease some of their doubts and also gain visibility and interest
from a larger portion of the target market. The sales people will be on hand to discuss
purchase points and begin a sales conversation. In a high involvement purchase it is
important to establish a relationship with the customer. Having sales people on hand,
especially female sales personnel will begin the process of developing this relationship. The
female personnel will connect better emotionally. Having the chance to establish a good
rapport with the customer before they begin the purchase process will put them at ease.
There will also be multiple stations set up with information on customization, specifications,
and testimonials. We hope to get around 500 women to walk through and experience, and
300 test-drives.
We have allocated seven thousand dollars to this event. Renting the parking lot will
cost approximately 500 dollars for the two days. The catering will cost around 2,000 dollars.
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28. We will allocate 3,000 dollars for the Wegmans gift card, and another 1,500 dollars for
equipment.
Direct Mail
Through the use of direct mail, the Harley Davidson dealerships of Central New
York will be able to instantly direct their efforts to their intended target market. As
mentioned before the target market consists of 20,676 women.
Higher Ground chose to use direct mail as part of our campaign because women the
most likely member of a family to sort through the mail. While direct mail has a high rate of
disposability, we will combat this issue by using high quality materials and an eye-catching
image on our postcard. If her husband or boyfriend currently owns a Harley motorcycle then
she is even less likely to dispose of the postcard cause she instantly has a direct connection
with the brand.
The postcards have a coupon for riding classes on the back. The classes will be
taught by females and will introduce our target market to the bikes and facilitate Harley
Davidson into their evoked set of brands. At these clinics, we will show women how to
mount the bike, straddle the seat correctly, and not fall off. In addition to this, we will let
the bike tip over and demonstrate the appropriate means of lifting it back up. The clinics
will allow females to bond with others in their class and ask any questions they may have.
The 4 x 6 postcard will be in full color, front and back. The postcard will consist of a
bold picture of a Harley in purple set against a fading black backdrop with the “It’s Your
Time to Ride to Freedom” in purple across the top of the postcard. The overall postcard will
have a glossy look to it.
We will acquire some addresses for our target market through direct marketing
28

29. services and the US Postal Service. However, we have figured out a more strategic approach
to compiling the mailing list. We will use the current database that the two dealerships have
in addition to the corporate Harley Davidson’s database. Using the dealerships database will
we take the male riders in Central New York who have a spouse or girlfriend in addition to
the females that have submitted their information to the dealers’ database. That list plus a
list of females in Central New York who have created an account on the corporate website
will make up our beginning mailing list. Before each batch of direct mail is sent out the list
will be updated to include new information gathered from the promotional event and any
new subscribers
While reading through a variety of articles, it became apparent that many current
female riders purchased their bike because their husbands or boyfriends had one. Patty
Stahlgren explains here reasoning for buying her Harley Dyna Glide, “It took me six months
on the back of my husbands bike before I wanted my own…It’s so free-spirited and it’s a
good stress release” (Hundley). “A lot of women have ridden on the back of motorcycles
and they’ve gotten tired of it, because you can’t see anything or do anything back there,”
said Jamie Rosenkrans, the current owner of Jim’s Harley Davidson in St. Petersburg,
Florida, “Plus, we women have broken the glass ceiling a tad and we’re able to afford these
things” (Hundley).
We will send out the post cards during 3 separate times during the year. One in
November, right before the holiday season starts to get women thinking about what they
might want as a gift. A postcard will also be sent out in March, the month before our
promotional event an again in June. June is right in the middle of Central New York’s peak
riding season.
29

30. Using www.directmail.com a batch of 25,000 postcards can be created for a printing
price of $1,000 and $6,139 for shipping. In total the price for direct mail will be $7,139.00.
Website
Higher Ground will launch a website specifically designed for the women of Central
New York. Within the website there will be multiple pages to address the concerns and
needs that may come about during the process of purchasing a Harley motorcycle and even
after they have their own bike. The website will enable Harley Davidson to reach a large
portion of the target market.
The features of the website include a Events page which lists the different events the
dealerships and Harley Davidson Corporate will be hosting. Next there is a page, which
contains a calendar of the classes that are being held at Performance Harley Davidson and
Harley Davidson/Buell of Utica. Within the Classes page, visitors can sign up for classes
online and pay for them with a credit card via Paypal. The Bikes page will feature
information on the bikes available at the dealerships. Many people in general are uneducated
about motorcycles and what certain specs of a bike mean. To assist them in their journey to
becoming an educated Harley rider we will provide definitions for certain specs. Such an
effort is also available on the corporate Harley Davidson website.
A very important feature of this website will be the link to the Escape to Freedom
blog which is for the women of Central New York. Here potential women riders and current
riders can exchange information on their favorite bikes, riding routes and whatever else they
wish to discuss. The Contact page will allow potential buyers to contact members of the
sales team with questions and concerns. The Links button provides links to clothing outlets
that specialize in motorcycle clothing, customization garages in the Central New York area
30

31. and other websites that might be helpful.
The reason why Higher Ground decided to create a website as part of the Marketing
Mix is because we found articles that said that females are the majority of online users.
Andrea Learned, in her article The Six Costliest Mistakes You Can Make in Marketing To
Women writes, “Women have become the majority of Web users and do the most on-line
shopping in the US.” She continues
“If you truly understood the role of women want your brand to play in their life, all
your efforts would focus on informing them as consumers. This includes any e-mail
correspondence, site navigation, archives and customer service. Seventy-eight
percent of women in the US use the Internet for product information before making a
purchase and 33% research products ad services on-line before buying offline”
With this website we will provide the information needed to make an informed purchase
decisions while also allowing them the to meet other women and form relationships. The
ability to form relationships through, talk to real people and overall serve them better will
not only reflect positively on Harley Davidson dealerships but also create a continuous
emotional attachment to the brand itself. The website itself will cost $4,000 to design and
launch and $50 a month to maintain (Jacob). The total cost for the website for a year will
come out to be $4,600.
31

32. Budget
Higher Ground ended up not using the full million dollars we were provided. We
chose to reserve around $19,000.00 for anything that could come up in the future. The
money could be used to throw another promotional event, to feature more radio spots or
send out more direct mail. The final budget has been broken down as follows:
Media Mix
Percentage
Starting Amount $1,000,000 of Budget
Television (March thru July) $275,440 27.54%
The View $20,000 2.00%
News Channel 9 @ 5pm $56,000 5.60%
Desperate Housewives $13,440 1.34%
Oprah $48,000 4.80%
News Channel 9@ 11 pm $60,000 6.00%
Grey's Anatomy $78,000 7.80%
Direct Mail $7,139 0.71%
Printing $1,000 0.10%
Shipping $6,139 0.61%
Website $4,600 0.46%
Design and Hosting $4,000 0.40%
Maintenance(per year) $600 0.06%
Radio $200,125 20.01%
Magazine (March thru July) $486,598 48.66%
Cooking Light, 2 Months $206,000 20.60%
Martha Stuart, 3 Months $135,468 13.55%
Good Housekeeping, 2 Months $145,130 14.51%
Promo Event (April) $7,000 0.70%
TOTAL $980,902 98.09%
Citations
32

33. “Advertise with Us.” Cooking Light Magazine Online. 3 Nov 2007
<http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/perks/advertise/index.html>.
“Advertise with Us.” MarthaStewart.com. 3 Nov 2007
<http://www.marthastewart.com/advertise?rsc=footer>.
Baldini, Joe. Personal Interview. 12 November 2007.
“Character Clusters: Soccer Mom Block.” Mediaspan Network. 23 Nov 2007
<http://mediaspannetwork.com/Article.asp?id=330495>.
“Contacts”. Better Homes and Gardens. Meredith Corporation. 3 Nov 2007
<http://www.meredith.com/mediakit/bhg/print/contact.html>.
“Demographic Profile (2002-2006).” Harley Davidson USA Online. 28 Sept 2007
<http://investor.harley-davidson.com/demographics.cfm?bmLocale=en_US>.
Hundley, Kris. Stereotypes left in their dust. 7 Nov 2004. St. Petersburg Times Online. 28
Sept 2007
< http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/07/Business/Stereotypes_left_in_t.shtml>.
Learned, Andrea. The Six Costliest Mistakes You Can Make in Marketing to Women. 2003.
Inc.com. 28 Sept 2007 < http://www.inc.com/articles/2003/01/25019.html>.
Jacob, Gerald P. Personal Interview. 30 Nov. 2007
“Motorcycle club.” 7 Dec 2007. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 18 Oct 2007
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_club>.
“My Best Segments.” Claritis Inc. 23 November 2007
< http://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegments/Default.jsp>.
“What Women Want: Factors Driving Tune-In and Tune-Out.” April 2002. Arbitron Inc.
and Joint Communicatons. 29 November 2007
33

34. PRIZM NE Segmentation System
01 Upper Crust
The nation's most exclusive address, Upper Crust is the wealthiest lifestyle in America--a haven for
empty-nesting couples over 55 years old. No segment has a higher concentration of residents earning
over $200,000 a year or possessing a postgraduate degree. And none has a more opulent standard
of living.
2006 Statistics:
US Households: 1,699,636 (1.51%)
Median HH Income: $110,142
Lifestyle Traits
L Spend $3,000+ foreign travel
Shop at Bloomingdale's
Atlantic Monthly magazine
Golf Channel
Jaguar XK
Demographics Traits:
Ethnic Diversity: White, Asian, Mix
Presence of Kids: HH w/o Kids
Age Ranges: Age 45-64
Education Levels: Graduate Plus
Employment Levels: Professional
Homeownership: Mostly Owners
Urbanicity: Suburban
Income: Wealthy
Income Producing Assets: Elite
34

35. 09 Big Fish, Small Pond
Older, upper-class, college-educated professionals, the members of Big Fish, Small Pond are often
among the leading citizens of their small-town communities. These upscale, empty-nesting couples
enjoy the trappings of success, belonging to country clubs, maintaining large investment portfolios
and spending freely on computer technology.
2006 Statistics:
US Households: 2,539,806 (2.26%)
Median HH Income: $82,416
Lifestyle Traits:
: Belong to a country club
: Own a motor home
: Atlantic Monthly magazine
: 1960s nostalgia music
: Lexus LS430
Demographics Traits:
Ethnic Diversity: Mostly White
Presence of Kids: HH w/o Kids
Age Ranges: Age 45-64
Education Levels: Graduate Plus
Employment Levels: Management
Homeownership: Mostly Owners
Urbanicity: Town/Rural
Income: Upscale
Income Producing Assets: Elite
11 God's Country
When city dwellers and suburbanites began moving to the country in the 1970s, God's Country
emerged as the most affluent of the nation's exurban lifestyles. Today, wealthier communities exist in
the hinterlands, but God's Country remains a haven for upper-income couples in spacious homes.
Typically college-educated Baby Boomers, these Americans try to maintain a balanced lifestyle
between high-power jobs and laid-back leisure.
2006 Statistics:
US Households: 1,735,899 (1.55%)
Median HH Income: $83,827
35

36. Lifestyle Traits
L Travel for business
Take a golf vacation
Skiing magazine
Outdoor Life Network
Toyota Land Cruiser SUV
Demographics Traits:
Ethnic Diversity: Mostly White
Presence of Kids: HH w/o Kids
Age Ranges: Age 35-54
Education Levels: College Grad
Employment Levels: Management
Homeownership: Mostly Owners
Urbanicity: Town/Rural
Income: Upscale
Income Producing Assets: High
23 Greenbelt Sports
A segment of upscale exurban couples, Greenbelt Sports is known for its active lifestyle. Most of
these middle-aged residents are married, college-educated and own new homes; about a third have
children. And few segments have higher rates for pursuing outdoor activities such as skiing, canoeing,
backpacking, boating and mountain biking.
2006 Statistics:
US Households: 1,612,141 (1.44%)
Median HH Income: $57,042
Lifestyle Traits
L Go snowboarding
Go horseback riding
North American Hunter magazine
American Experience TV
Subaru Impreza
36

37. Demographics Traits:
Ethnic Diversity: Mostly White
Presence of Kids: HH w/o Kids
Age Ranges: Age 35-54
Education Levels: College Grad
Employment Levels: White Collar, Mix
Homeownership: Mostly Owners
Urbanicity: Town/Rural
Income: Upper-Mid
Income Producing Assets: Above Avg.
29 American Dreams
American Dreams is a living example of how ethnically diverse the nation has become: more than half
the residents are Hispanic, Asian or African-American. In these multilingual neighborhoods--one in ten
speaks a language other than English--middle-aged immigrants and their children live in middle-class
comfort.
2006 Statistics:
US Households: 2,447,099 (2.18%)
Median HH Income: $52,863
Lifestyle Traits
L Go ice skating
Go sailing
Read Sunday newspaper
Ebony magazine
Lexus IS300
Demographics Traits:
Ethnic Diversity: White, Black, Asian, Hispanic
Presence of Kids: Mostly w/Kids
Age Ranges: Age 35-54
Education Levels: Some College
Employment Levels: WC, Service, Mix
Homeownership: Homeowners
37

38. Urbanicity: Urban
Income: Midscale
Income Producing Assets: Above Avg.
37 Mayberry-ville
Like the old Andy Griffith Show set in a quaint picturesque berg, Mayberry-ville harks back to an
old-fashioned way of life. In these small towns, middle-class couples and families like to fish and
hunt during the day, and stay home and watch TV at night. With lucrative blue-collar jobs and
moderately priced housing, residents use their discretionary cash to purchase boats, campers,
motorcycles and pickup trucks
2006 Statistics:
US Households: 2,794,581 (2.49%)
Median HH Income: $53,563
Lifestyle Traits
L Eat at Lone Star Steakhouse
Go hunting with a gun
Bassmaster magazine
Country Music TV
Chevy Silverado
Demographics Traits:
Ethnic Diversity: Mostly White
Presence of Kids: HH w/o Kids
Age Ranges: Age 35-54
Education Levels: High School Grad
Employment Levels: BC, Service, Mix
Homeownership:
Mostly Owners
Urbanicity: Town/Rural
Income: Upper-Mid
Income Producing Assets: Above Avg.
38

39. Television Schedule
January-May 11a-12p 4p-5p 5p-5:30p 9p-10p 9p-10p 11p-11:35
Desperate Grey's
The View Oprah Newschannel 9 House Wives Anatomy Newschannel 9
Week 1 (M-F) (M-F) (M-F) (Sun) (Th) (M-F)
Desperate Grey's
The View Oprah Newschannel 9 House Wives Anatomy Newschannel 9
Week 2 (M-F) (M-F) (M-F) (Sun) (Th) (M-F)
Desperate Grey's
The View Oprah Newschannel 9 House Wives Anatomy Newschannel 9
Week 3 (M-F) (M-F) (M-F) (Sun) (Th) (M-F)
Desperate Grey's
The View Oprah Newschannel 9 House Wives Anatomy Newschannel 9
Week 4 (M-F) (M-F) (M-F) (Sun) (Th) (M-F)
September -
November 11a-12p 4p-5p 5p-5:30p 9p-10p 9p-10p 11p-11:35
Desperate Grey's
House Wives Anatomy
Week 1 (Sun) (Th)
Desperate Grey's
House Wives Anatomy
Week 2 (Sun) (Th)
Desperate Grey's
House Wives Anatomy
Week 3 (Sun) (Th)
Desperate Grey's
House Wives Anatomy
Week 4 (Sun) (Th)
* (M-F) = Shows run Monday
through Friday
* (Sun) = Shows run only on
Sundays
39