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the subject is Marketing. 2nd Canadian edition

Lamb Chapter 8 Web Exercise

Competitive Intelligence

Vignette: Building brand loyalty is the chief concern of Harley-Davidson.

Featured URL: www.harley-davidson.com

Gaining the Competitive Advantage
One way to become the leading motorcycle company is to research customers and then feed their needs. Promising customers a quality product is only part of the story. Building a community of customers is key to continued success. How do you describe a motorcycle customer? The stereotype of the gang-style biker gives a misleading impression-in fact, people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests make up the client base for this thriving market.

At the grand opening of the Harley-Davidson Café in Las Vegas on September 23, 1997, more than 1,500 guests attended. They included Burt Reynolds, Carrot Top, Stephanie Powers, Downtown Julie Brown, Donna D'Erico, Pamela Anderson, and Jon Voigt.

Celebrities sometimes show support for a favoured product or service. In this case, these stars came out to enjoy an evening in one of North America's two Harley-Davidson cafés (the other is in New York City). Jay Leno collects motorcycles-are they solely Harley-Davidson bikes? What does Tom Cruise ride? Brad Pitt? Are there other famous people you can think of who might be open to acting as a spokespeople for a brand of motorcycles?

In this activity, we ask you to match up celebrities with cars and motorcycles. Decide which music, sports, TV, or movie star would make the best spokesperson for the the models listed below. Give an example of a movie or concert or other entertainment event that you think could be identified with this celebrity's promotion of the vehicle.

In the Resources section you will find links to sites for cars, motorcycles, and celebrities. Note: Don't use the same celebrity twice. The top two rows are cars, the other two rows are bikes.

Porsche - 911 Carrera

Cadillac Eldorado

Mercedes Benz SL

Dodge Viper

Jaguar XJ8

BMW Z8

Lexus RX 300

Jeep Wrangler

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R

Ducati Monster S4

Indian 2001 Chief

Harley FLSTF Fatboy

Honda Gold Wing

Yamaha YZF-R1

BMW< K1200 RS

Triumph Thunderbird

Resources

Cars

Celebrities

Celebrity Spokespersons

Motorcycles

Motorcycle e-Zines


Extend the Activity

These Web Exercises provide an additional opportunity for exploration of Chapter 8.

1. Checking Out the Competition

Using as inspiration the information found in the Resources section about celebrity spokespeople, create an invitation to a celebrity with an interest in motorcycles, inviting him or her to take part in a marketing plan for one of the motorcycle companies listed above. Using the site itself, point out to your chosen celebrity the advantages of promoting the products involved. What can you offer the celebrity that will entice him or her to take part? Money to their favourite charity? What would your competition do to entice this person? How can you win over the celebrity you have in mind? Illustrate your strategy with the letter of invitation you might write.

2. Becoming an Expert

Which of the non-computer-based external sources of CI for motorcycles could you use to write a report comparing two of the motorcycle companies listed in the Resources section? As shown in Exhibit 9-2 in your textbook, the external sources are as follows:

Experts Newspapers; Other Publications CI Consultants
Yellow Pages Government Agencies Trade Shows
UCC Filings Speeches by Competitors Suppliers
Neighbours of Competitors Photographs Advisory Boards

3. Hold the Presses

Which sources of data at the above motorcycle sites can be helpful in developing CI? Look for articles and press releases on the motorcycle Websites that provide CI information. Give a brief annotation for any article or press release you find, telling what information it gives.


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Activity Resources Extend the Activity