Harley Davidson fans practically live and breathe their motorcycles. How they get around, the way they dress, the social circles they travel in and even elements of their personalities are shaped and influenced by the brand. The air about them is electric, an expression of an undeniable sense of power and freedom — caught and felt by every passerby. When fellow Harley owners, or seekers, see each other, they might feel pride, respect, or even envy. Even when seen separate from their rides, you can tell that they own a Harley. Inevitably, they become walking, talking advertisements through their intense passion for their beloved motorcycle. 

Social media has sparked a fire among the Harley-Davidson community. As a result, the company now holds over half of the US motorcycle market. With a massive and intensely loyal customer base, the brand doesn’t even need to spend a lot of money on ads. The emotions the product and its customers evoke come together to create a passionate, and even infectious, brand relationship. As a result, these customers can actually build a brand better than the top marketing professionals ever could. 

In my book, BRANDcebo, I cover the ins and outs of how and why this occurrence happens. Not to mention, how to make it a reality for your brand. It all comes down to the powerful placebo effect of brands. That is to say, when a customer feels so strongly connected to a particular brand, their very physicality is affected. In this blog, I will cover the basics of one major component: how to create, nurture and foster passionate, brand-building customers. So, keep reading for a taste of the marketing magic behind the Harley-Davidson lifestyle.

Word of Mouth

Passionate fans drive earned media, or the word of mouth that occurs online. Essentially, fans work for brands that they love by promoting them every day — for free. That means, wearing the gear, telling friends, and even defending the brand in the event of shortcomings. So, when your customers are talking about you online, you’ll want to encourage their presence. Show your appreciation for their loyalty. Repost their testimonies to continue to build up the fanbase your customers are already propagating. Use your platform to create content that is worth your followers sharing, too.

Remember, They Know You

Passionate customers know you, they know your products, and they know your brand. Deeply so. They have the ability to use their love to create informative and effective advertisements through the way they dress, carry themselves, move through the world, and talk in person and online. So don’t be smarter than them. They know what they want best. Let them tell you and everyone else! Encourage your loyal customers to shout from the rooftops how much they appreciate your brand. If necessary, provide incentives through social media campaigns. Utilize micro-influencer marketing and interact with the followers that are interacting with your content regularly. 

Let the Customer Be Your Guide

To harness the placebo effect of brands, or as I coined it, BRANDcebo, you need to support your customers and encourage their commitment to your brand. That means reaching out to them and including them as a vital facet of future movements in your company. Acknowledge feedback publicly. Let your audience take your brand in new and exciting directions. See how they respond to your content and the ways that they share your brand and run with it. Create campaigns that are based on reacting to your customers. How are they wearing, using, or talking about your brand? Listen and emulate it!

Pay It Back

As you increase customer loyalty, your brand will become an integral part of their lives and even their personalities — this is called brand dependability. Your customers will stick with your brand through thick and thin. They resist competition more readily and are more forgiving if something goes wrong. They help keep customers around and bring new ones in, effectively cutting down on marketing costs. They are willing to invest a sizable proportion of their income towards supporting your brand in good times and bad. So, don’t hesitate to provide incentives like clubs or loyalty programs for the users that stick with you through it all.

Build a Community

To truly see the magic of Harley Davidson happen for your brand. You need to find a community and build it. Just like a country, you can turn your brand into a fluid body of “citizens” with a collective love for your brand. Forge a common identity among your customers by bringing your most loyal followers together, uniting them with shared interests. Promote a common story that instills pride and even allegiance to the brand. Retain the exclusivity of a feeling of membership within that community and promote it with continuous messages surrounding the brand and the collective you have built around it. 

Create a Lifestyle

Over the past several decades, Harley-Davidson has become a lifestyle. Through owners’ clubs, sponsored events, and tie-in merchandising, Harley has created a practically unprecedented level of commitment amongst their loyal customers. Their rides are like family to them and the brand is a commitment that reaches to the bottom of their hearts, at one with their existence. This is the quintessential intersection of customer and brand. These events and the domino-effect of customer’s passion, have rippled through the motorcycle community and ultimately the world. 

With the right tactics, this startling marketing engine can be possible for your brand, too. But the brand-building power of passionate customers is just one source that fuels BRANDcebo. Buy the book here to kick your brand into high gear.