Harley management recognized that
the brand had developed as a community based
phenomenon. The "brotherhood"
of riders, united by a shared ethos, offered
Harley the basis for a strategic
repositioning as the one motorcycle
manufacturer that understood bikers
on their own terms. To reinforce this
community-centric positioning and solidify
the connection between the company
and its customers, Harfey staffed
all community-outreach events with
employees rather than hired hands. For
employees, this regular, close contact
with the people they served added such
meaning to their work that the weekend
outreach assignments routinely
attracted more volunteers than were
needed. Many employees became riders,
and many riders joined the company. Executives
were required to spend time in
the field with customers and bring their insights back to the firm. This close tothe customer
strategy was codified in
Harley-Davidson's operating philosophy
and reinforced during new-employee
orientations. Decisions at all levels were
grounded in the community perspective,
and the company acknowledged
the community as the rightful owner of
the brand.