The theories that
seem to apply to Harley Davidson Motorcycle are myths and icons.
Harley Davidson
cultivates the idea of rebellion. This myth has generated a great American
success story, with the company, more than 100 years old, producing over about
290.000 motorcycles in a year. A company that old has a lot of tradition, which
also contributes to mythic qualities. The motorcycle has a “unique, rumbling,
throaty roar” and a “sleek, road-warrior look”. It definitely evokes and anti-establishment feel, a
wild “bad-boy persona”. The
following quote from a Harley Davidson brochure shows how the Harley myth is
sustained: “The road has always been the place to find the answers. Or ignore
the questions. Miles pass. Civilization fades. Living begins.”
Harley Davidson’s
iconic brand signifies subculture of society. When a person thinks of a
motorcycle he or she thinks “Harley.” As an icon the Harley “fills a void in
consumers’ lives” and signifies an emotional investment. Harley’s iconic brand
can adapt over time to increase consumers’ emotional involvement and therefore
loyalty.
It would seem that a
myth can develop over time and through tradition with in that time period. A
myth also seems to a transcendent quality. An icon seems to require a high
degree emotional investment and tends to be identified with a sub-group of
society. An icon tends to fill a void in peoples’ lives.
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