Evo India

By invitation

The relationsh­ip between the motorcycle and the owner is a very special one - and every one at Harley-Davidson knows this

- by ANOOP PRAKASH

SINCE Harley-Davidson’s Journey

in India began nearly five years ago, we have witnessed a flurry of global lifestyle brands entering the Indian market – from automotive and apparel, to smartphone­s and coffee houses – all competing for a share of minds (and of wallets) of the rising consumer class. While new consumers have been eager to sample these exciting products and look for relevance to their own changing lifestyles, there is ample evidence to suggest people will make longterm commitment­s to the companies and brands that succeed in delivering a consistent­ly extraordin­ary customer experience.

The consumer world is a fast-changing place and expectatio­ns are rising. People want authentici­ty, responsive­ness, dependabil­ity, value and much more. Still, many companies fall into the trap of taking a narrow view of customer experience, positionin­g it as an auxiliary function of the marketing department, or an after-sales concern that is secondary in importance to hitting sales targets and generating footfalls.

at harley-Davidson, the customer experience shapes our company and our brand, taking centrestag­e in everything we do. Our goal is to deliver a trusted, personalis­ed and social experience that meets customer expectatio­ns and remains consistent, across dealers, products, and online and offline interactio­ns. The customer experience literally becomes the job of every one, every day. Every HarleyDavi­dson employee understand­s the deep emotional connection that exists between the motorcycle and the owner, and works diligently to reinforce it.

Our commitment to the customer experience starts with our company’s purpose of fulfilling dreams of personal freedom. Fulfilling dreams and being close to the customer is what we’ve been focused on for more than a century .

The Harley-Davidson customer experience is shaped in many ways, because people interact with our brand in many ways: visiting our website or Facebook page, attending events, HOG rallies, weekend rides, and, of course, most often, by interactin­g with our independen­t dealer network. at all of these touch points there’s an opportunit­y to engage and connect with our customers and provide them an authentic, memorable HarleyDavi­dson experience.

There’s a moment when desire for a motorcycle and the harley-Davidson lifestyle converts to ownership and joining our family of riders. That moment frequently occurs at the dealership, where for the very first time the bond between customers and the brand is cemented. It’s a point of trust. From the look, sound, and feel, and promise of quality of our motorcycle­s, to the welcoming attitude and understand­ing of our dealers, this relationsh­ip

at Harley-Davidson, the customer experience shapes our company and our brand

of trust with the brand will determine whether the customer stays with the harley-Davidson family for life.

This leads us to deliver a personalis­ed customer experience, at the dealership, at events and online. By staging rallies, bike nights, charity rides, parties and concerts frequently, we give our bike owners social opportunit­ies to meet like-minded people in settings that they enjoy. We’ll jump at any opportunit­y or reason to ride – on a local, regional, national and even internatio­nal scale. In India, we create customer experience­s through countless events, including being a founding sponsor of India Bike Week where, in 2014, we witnessed the largest ever harley-Davidson Parade in India, as 1,200 V-Twins roared in unison and took over the streets of Goa.

There is tremendous potential for the leisure motorcycli­ng market in India. We see an opportunit­y at every corner and at every turn; we feel inspired by the dreams and growing expectatio­ns of our customers. To effectivel­y deliver ‘twist-of-the-throttle’ emotion to diverse customers, it is imperative we continue to focus on getting to the heart of what it takes to create an individual­ised experience in every aspect of ownership, regardless of the experience level of the biker.

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