Higher Ground IMC Plan

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 2

SWOT Analysis 3

Target Market 7

Promotional Program Situational Analysis 9

Positioning and Campaign Theme 10

Creative Recommendations 11Creative Production

Television Story Board 12Radio Commercial 15Magazine Advertisement 16Direct Mail Postcard 17Website Homepage 18

Advertising Media Recommendations 19Television 19Radio 22Magazine 24Promotional Event 26Direct Mail 28Website 30

Budget Summary 32

ReferencesCitations 33PRIZM Descriptions 34Television Schedule 40Census Breakdown 41

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Executive Summary

Higher Ground has developed an Integrated Media Campaign for Harley Davidson that will increase awareness and sales of their motorcycles among women in Central New York. After in depth analysis, we decided that the most likely females in the Central New York area to actually purchase a Harley Davidson motorcycle would be between the ages of 35-55. Furthermore, Harleys are a luxury item, we narrowed this group down even more by making sure their annual household income was at least $50,000.

In order to properly address and attract this audience we decided on the campaign theme of “Escape to Freedom.” The underlying message behind the theme is for women to forget about all their responsibilities and obligations. This element of escape can be accomplished by purchasing a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

To communicate the theme, Higher Ground has decided to advertise on television, on the radio and in several magazines. Through the advertisements, women will form an image in her mind that will allow her to see the product and its benefits. She will also feel an emotional connection to the motorcycle because she can see how it will satisfy her needs.

While the target audience may see how they could benefit from owning a Harley it doesn’t necessarily mean that she will actually take the steps to do so. The advertisements use an emotional approach, but because a motorcycle is a high involvement product, the proper amount of information must be provided. Therefore, in order to get the ball rolling Higher Ground has also decided to make women in Central New York aware of the changes that Harley Davidson is going through to better cater to their informational needs. To deliver the information to the intended audience Higher Ground created a promotional event. This promotional event is for those all women who may be interested in purchasing a Harley. To get women to attend the event, as push them to attend classes and visit the website a postcard will be sent out to potential buyers. Lastly a website was created to provide the target audience with a plethora of information as well as a way to communicate with other females and the dealership’s sales teams.

Our media mix consists of six separate outlets through which we will advertise. With six media options we can communicate a sufficient amount of information as well as draw in a large percentage of our intended target market. This mix will increase not only interest but also increase the number of bikes sold to females at the Harley Davidson dealerships in Central New York.

In conclusion, we used a combination of six execution formats to make up the Integrated Media Campaign and we were still able to stay within the one million dollar budget. We have fostered influential ideas to create an affective promotional plan to target women in Central New York, while remaining within the campaign budget.

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SWOT

Brand Strengths

The Harley Davidson Motor Company has a multitude of brand strengths. First off,

the brand is a strength within itself. The Harley Davidson brand is extremely recognizable

and has a loyal following. Harley Davidson has a long history and rich tradition in bike

building and their bikes designs are unique to the brand.

Due to its licensing expansion, Harley Davidson has been able to further penetrate

the market and gain capital off of its name. Harley Davidson products now include clothing,

shoes, accessories and even home décor. This expansion has increased Harley’s image,

market reach and familiarity.

The number of dealerships that sell Harley Davidson Motorcycles and products

featuring the Harley symbol have also increased in recent years. Harley has decided to

franchise itself by allowing individuals with the wanted skills to open and run a certified

Harley Davidson dealership or sell out of an existing dealership. Expansion has led to an

overall increase in riders because the motorcycles are more available. By expanding into

more locations the relationship between the consumer and company has strengthened. On

Sundays it isn’t uncommon for Harley owners to meet up at their local dealership and then

head out for an afternoon ride.

One of the main reasons that people buy a bike from Harley Davidson is to feel a

part of that “Harley” culture. Harley Davidson, to many, represents a mix of freedom,

strength, rebellious attitudes, the occasional bad boy tendencies and pride in being an

American. In many ways Harley has become an icon of the American culture. Harley

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motorcycles have a unique sound to them. For those even vaguely familiar with the sound,

will recognize a Harley bike even before seeing it.

Brand Weaknesses

Traditionally, Harley Davidson’s are seen as a “man’s” bike. One

stereotypical image of a Harley rider is a middle aged man wearing a pair

of jeans, a black t-shirt and a bandanna on his head, riding a top a big,

loud HOG. In the past Harley has catered more toward males. They have

done so because they know that majority of Harley’s current riders are

male and that the most likely purchaser of a bike will be male. Eighty-eight

percent (88 %) of Harley owners are males, and the average age of a bike owner is between

the ages of 35-47 (“Demographic Profile”). Therefore a brand weakness includes its

minimal market penetration and market reach.

The main reason as to why Harley has appealed mainly to men is

because Harley’s bikes are quite large in comparison to other bikes on

the market. Because of their size they can be tough to handle.

Harley Davidson’s bikes are higher end bikes that come with large

price tag. Customization as the type of model contributes to the overall

price. Therefore a brand weakness of Harley is that many individuals

view owning a Harley as being financially unlikely. In fact, according to Harley

Davidson’s website, the average income for a Harley bike owner is around $80,000

(“Demographic Profile”).

It isn’t uncommon for Harley riders to be stereotyped. The Harley Davidson brand is

associated with a rough crowd and motorcycle gangs. While this appeals to some people, it

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also deters potential consumers because they don’t want to be seen in that light. It must be

noted that there are two branches of motorcycle clubs. The first is the “99 per centers.”

These clubs make up 99% of the motorcycle riding population and many are members of the

American Motorcycle Association. The other type of Motorcycle Club is the “one per

centers” or Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (“Motorcycle club”). Due to popular culture, the

Harley Davidson brand has a long-standing association with the concept of a outlaw

motorcycle gang. Gangs like Hell’s Angels, the Outlaws, Pagans and Banditos are

international gangs, whose members can be found riding on top of a Harley Davidson.

Because of their association with the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs and societies continuing

belief that Harley Davidson’s attract individuals with criminal dispositions, the brand itself

has been tainted.

Brand Opportunities

“Women represent an economic powerhouse, making over 85% of the consumer

purchases (in the United States) and influencing over 95% of total goods and services.

Women also purchase 50% or better in traditional male categories like automobiles,

consumers electronics, and PCs” (Learned). The previous statistic demonstrates why women

are becoming an important group for marketers to focus on. The ability to for women to

climb the corporate ladder is no longer an issue. Many women are holding important

positions in companies and therefore have a greater disposable income. Harley Davidson has

not tapped into this market. While the number of female riders has slightly increased in past

years, there is still a lot of room for expansion. The Harley Davidson brand can take

advantage of this opportunity and increase their number of female riders.

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Everyone in the United States knows and is experiencing the effects of the

increasing price of gasoline. A motorcycle is a more economically savvy approach to getting

around. You can ride just as far on a motorcycle and not have to spend as much on gas.

More people may be willing to invest in a motorcycle or switch over to a motorcycle to

decrease their gasoline consumption.

Brand Threats

With the increasing importation of foreign motorcycles to the American market,

more people, especially women have been driven to these brands. Foreign motorcycles

companies offer smaller bikes. Also, foreign companies offer their bikes at lower prices than

Harley Davidson.

Depending on ones economic situation, people, especially those in Central New

York might not be willing to spend as much money on luxury goods or have the financial

means to do so. This would have implications for the dealerships in Central New York

because the campaign would be compromised.

The weather is very unpredictable in Central New York. It can go from being a

beautiful sunny day then a snowstorm will blow through. The winters can be especially

harsh and driving a motorcycle in winter could be dangerous. The roads could be plowed or

they could be covered in snow. A potential buyer might wonder if it is worth buying a

Harley motorcycle if they can only drive it for a limited time throughout the year.

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Target Market

Using the PRIZM market segmentation tool we were able to break up the social

groups found within Central New York. We looked up the groups in cities like Skaneateles,

DeWitt, Cicero and Baldwinsville. These cities are home to such groups as the Upper Crust,

Big Fish, Small Pond, God’s Country, Greenbelt Sports, American Dreams and Mayberry-

ville (“My Best Segments”). [Definitions of these segments can be found in the references

section] Each of these groups backed up our beliefs on whom we thought the best target

market for our campaign and their availability in Central New York.

Our primary target market is a woman between the ages of 35-55, and who live in

the Central New York area. The Central New York area includes Cayuga, Madison, Oneida,

Onondaga and Oswego counties. Their annual household income is $50,000 and above.

These women can be workingwomen or stay at home moms and they can be single or

married. Based on our research of census data we narrowed this specific group down to

20,678 women. [For the complete breakdown of the census information please turn to the

references section]

Their psychographic and behavioral traits are that they enjoy the outdoors and like

excitement in their lives. While they love spending time with their families and friends, they

also enjoy their alone time. While society does have an effect on what they do, they also

pride themselves in their personal independence. They have tomboyish tendencies and are

active. They are adventure seekers in the fact that they like to have fun and try new things.

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For our women ages 35-55, the people that will influence their purchase decision the

most are their significant other, family and friends. Significant others will be the main

source of influence because they are both contributing to the household income. A large

purchase it is going to have an effect on the other individual. Family and friends are also

another influence because they shape who an individual is. Family and friends will most

likely be concerned with the safety of their friend more than anything. Women also tend to

be more self-conscious and concerned with what others think of them. However, our goal is

to make a Harley so emotionally appealing to the female audience that they don’t care what

others think.

Out target market will be more likely to buy a motorcycle if they are provided the

proper amount of information to make an informed decision (Learned). Other decision

criteria includes if the motorcycle is within their financial budget. Is the dealership making

an effort to get to know them and address their needs and concerns? Will they be able to

handle the bike and ride it comfortable without fear? What type of features and warranties

are available to them if they do purchase a bike? The quality and safety of the bike is of

great concern to females. Does owning a motorcycle address their emotional expectations?

Do they feel free while riding, does it allow them explore Central New York and while

riding are they able to get away from stress and just focus on themselves?

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Past Promotional Events for Central New York dealerships

Harley Davidson has hosted and sponsored many events in previous years. They

have recently made an effort to get more women involved by showing support through

promotional events. At these events, dealerships across the country present consumers and

non-consumers with knowledge and support. A few events include: Women’s Garage Party,

“Rides of March”, Open House Party for New Service, Demo Day, Ride for a Cure and a

Winterization seminar. Each event addresses different aspects of being a Harley rider. At the

Women’s Garage Party, interested females are introduced to current riders in their area. A

garage party is a social gathering at a dealership for potential female riders. At the

dealership, these women are exposed to the Harley motorcycling experience and are able to

socialize with women who share their same passion. A Demo Day is a hands-on experience

for women and men where they are educated on the proper ways to ride, sit and even pick

up a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Ride for a Cure was an open house event where the

proceeds were donated to Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer research fund. Women who get

involved such in events such as these seem to have adventurous and courageous attitudes

and are less concerned about getting their hands dirty for a change. While these events were

helpful in drawing some attention, we believe that they were not affective as they could

have been. This is due to the fact that they didn’t cater specifically to women. Such events

weren’t widely advertised and those who might have been interested in attending were not

aware of the events.

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Positioning and Campaign Theme

In terms of our positioning strategy we will position ourselves away from the

competitors. We will accomplish this by showing our primary target market how they can

benefit by owning a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Harley Davidson offers a benefit that no

one else can match and we can cater our product to the wants and needs of the female

consumer. Higher Ground will use brand superiority as well as the idea of “Freedom” to

position ourselves to the consumer.

Our Positioning statement for this campaign for Harley Davidson is to increase

awareness of Harley Davidson among female clientele ages 35-55 in Central New York. We

chose this age range because we believe the established workingwoman has the financial

means to buy a luxury vehicle such as a Harley. Our campaign is directed to more of a

pastime rather then a vehicle of transport so the middle to upper class is the main part of our

target audience. The awareness of Harley Davidson is common amongst most of America,

but many women just don’t associate themselves with riding a Harley Davidson. Our goal at

Higher Ground is to place Harley Davidson in a light that shows women how and why they

will benefit from owning a Harley.

The theme for our campaign to drive women to buy a motorcycle and become part of

the Harley family is “ Escape to Freedom.” These workingwomen have busy lifestyles.

They have two jobs. They have to fulfill the needs required by their occupation and in many

cases, raise a family. We at Higher Ground feel the best way to grab a hold of our target

market is to make them aware of their daily stresses and hardships and then show them how

they can get away from it all. A Harley is the best way for workingwomen to focus on their

personal happiness.

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Creative Recommendations

To help Harley disseminate their message to the target audience, an effective

approach must be used to pique interest in the brand itself. To help facilitate this process,

Harley Davidson must attract the 35-55 year old female population in the Central New York

area. This can be achieved through several different types of marketing executions.

The advertising objectives of Higher Ground’s IMC plan are to increase awareness

about the changes Harley Davidson has made in designing their bikes to be more female

friendly. Another objective of our advertisements is to increase female attendance at Harley

Davidson classes at Performance Harley Davidson and Harley Davidson/Buell of Utica.

Lastly, our advertisements will cause the target audience to realize that a Harley Davidson

motorcycle is the best way to escape from their daily responsibilities and just focus on their

selves for once.

Once again the campaign is designed to connect with the modern workingwoman

who has a busy lifestyle and wants an outlet to escape from her hectic schedule. The goal is

to strike an emotional chord by showing a female who is able to balance her busy lifestyle

and take time for her by riding her own Harley Davidson motorcycle. The campaign uses

affective (feeler) strategy because the motorcycle is a high involvement product that

produces a psychological response. The campaign will elicit emotional responses by

highlighting the benefit of owning a Harley motorcycle, which is self-satisfying and a

needed release from responsibilities. The advertisements will stimulate interest by using the

emotional appeals of excitement, self-realization, pleasure and freedom. Then to make the

women actually buy the motorcycle we will provide them with the information and steps

necessary.

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Promo Radio Script

Sound: Door opening

Sound: Heels clicking

Sound: Harley engine sound

Play song (Life is a Highway) from 59 second mark for around 6 seconds then fade during dialogue

Dialogue: “Ladies, do you want to escape to freedom?”

Action: Pause

Dialogue: “You can with a Harley Davidson. Just come down to Wegmans off Thompson Road on April 26-27th from 11 to 3 for the How To On Being Female Biker. For more information visit your local Harley Dealer or check out www.womenridersCNY.com.”

Bring song (Life is a Highway) back to full strength after dialogue

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Direct Mail

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QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

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Advertising Media Recommendations

Higher Ground has come up with a comprehensive media mix list. Our media mix

will consist of television, radio, magazine, a promotional event, direct marketing and a

website.

Television commercials will play during programs that a majority of the target

market watches. Commercials will also be placed on radio stations where the majority of

viewers are women and at times when the target audience viewing is the highest. To cater to

this particular segment we will place our advertisements in several magazines that have very

high percentages of women readers who fall into our target market. Hosting an event,

where potential female bikers and current bikers gather and discuss their experiences, will

create strong bonds between existing and future owners. Our brand loyalty will be even

stronger after this occurs. It will create excitement and interest by showing how committed

the brand is to its female riders.

Through direct mail and a website we will be able to inform the target audience

about the instructional clinics each dealership holds for females interested in motorcycles.

Television

When trying to reach our target market, we believe that television is a profound way

to advertise Harley Davidson to women in the Central New York area. Television has taken

over as one of the most popular media outlets in the past few decades. This is because

television allows viewers the chance to experience new and creative ideas that are difficult

to fully understand without the use of images, pictures or sound. The popularity of television

has drastically increased, especially now that there is cable television. Television has

become a huge part of peoples everyday lives, tuning into popular television shows may

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help increase the outlook on Harley Davidson, especially those geared toward women.

Daytime television, early fringe and prime time television are our main focal points and we

are hoping to influence women to learn more about the Harley products and services. We

are also willing to run advertisements during morning television shows that most women are

likely to watch. Television is the ideal advertising medium and with this said, we are hoping

that it develops into a very interesting and ingenious appeal for women in the Central New

York area.

Advertising our commercials during different time segments is essential when

deciding to raise awareness in women aged 35-55 in the Central New York area. Many

woman have demanding lives and we came up with six television shows that our

commercials would show during, either because of the show’s popularity or because we felt

that woman would have a more effective response during these times.

Time Segments

Television Shows Months

Daytime Television

The ViewMarch thru JulyMonday-Friday 11a-

12pEarly Fringe

Oprah February thru JulyMonday-Friday 4p-5pNewschannel 9@ 5p

March thru JulyMonday-Friday 5p-5:30p

Primetime Television

Desperate House Wives September-November and January-MaySunday 9p-10p

Grey’s Anatomy September-November and January-MayThursday 9p-10p

Newschannel 9 @ 11p

March thru JulyMonday-Friday 11p-11:35p

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In selecting these time segments wisely, the showings of the advertising

commercials will be shown either once or twice every time the show airs. For The View

Oprah and the News the commercial will run twice. For the series Desperate Housewives

and Grey’s Anatomy the commercial will show only once but will run for the entire season.

There may be a high variation in the type of television shows that women watch, so

we have decided that it was wise to have a variety of television shows that market to the

individual characteristics of the distinct Harley woman. The View would target those

women who are home in the mornings and have time in the day to lounge. It is possible that

the women who watch this talk show are open to new ideas and may consider unusual

ventures. The View has a diverse group of women who have dissimilar opinions, but are

likely to influence others.

Oprah has a considerable effect on women and running our commercials during this

show and time will have a drastic response, especial for those women who are dedicated

viewers and look up to the messages that she sends across. These women tend to look for

exploration and want to get away from the everyday hassles of life, which are sometimes

depicted in the talk show.

We believe that two separate news times are necessary if a workingwoman returns

home late in the evenings; she will be given the opportunity to see our commercials again if

she decides to watch the primetime news at 11pm, or for the first time if she wasn’t home at

5pm.

As for Desperate House Wives and Grey’s Anatomy, which only run once a week

for both shows, most women stay glued to their television sets. Although these television

shows are showed on one network, ABC, the overall reach to our target market will develop

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knowledge of Harley for women on a consistent scale and encourage women to “Escape to

Freedom”. It is important for women to be interested in Harley products and our theme, but

the main goal is to increase awareness, create a product need and encourage women to

purchase a Harley Davidson motorcycle as soon as possible.

Radio

In terms of using the radio for our activation plan, we feel that the radio can be a

strong outlet to reach out to women and expose Harley Davidson. The radio is an

inexpensive way to get a message across to listeners at one time. We plan on using radio

stations such as classic and light rock stations in order to capture our target market. By using

the radio as a media outlet we can be both selective and flexible with our actual ad. Based

on our target market of women ages of 35-55, we were able to selectively choose which

radio stations to use in order to get full market reach.

According to an article published by Arbitron Inc. and Joint Communications about

female radio listeners, “There are nine factor groups driving tune-in. Each of

these nine groups is looking for music when they first turn on the radio,

yet each of them is attracted to a specific aspect of radio programming.”

Our primary target market, females is categorized into the “Mood

Seeker”, “Infoholics” and “Just Music Fans.” For all three groups their top

formats include Adult Contemporary and Contemporary Hit Radio.

The stations we will use are Lite Rock FM 105.9 and 96.9 Classic Rock. Both stations

have a similar genre of classical or contemporary rock. Our main reasoning for this is that

we believe that these stations will fit our age range of women best (“Character Clusters”).

Lite Rock FM 105.9 96.9 Classic Rock

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7-9am 2X’s 7-9am 2X’s3-6pm 2X’s 3-6pm 2X’s

In terms of actual rates for these radio stations, a typical radio spot during the day

cost from about $100-$250 for a 30 second to 1 minute spot (Baldini). We will be able to

direct our radio spots during times that we feel are adequate in reaching the target audience.

We will be running two radio spots throughout the spring and summer months, each

30 seconds in length. The first one is directed toward our promotional event at Wegmans in

late April. This radio spot will be a great way to gain recognition for this event to ensure

that people are aware of it.

The times for these radio spots will air 4 times a day on each station we use. The

distribution of the 4 times will consist of twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon.

The morning time spot will be from 7am-9am. We chose this times section because many

women within our target market will be driving to work at this point in the morning and/or

driving there kids to school. Our second time slot is from 3pm-6pm. Starting at 3pm

schools get out so many moms will be picking up their kids or starting their commute home

from work.

The clip begins with the sound of a door opening, which a representative of a woman

opening a door into the world of Harley Davidson. Since our campaign theme is escaping to

freedom this is a good opening for our commercial. Then the sound of heels clicking is

played in the radio spot. Since our target market is woman this represents the typical

business woman/mother, this tells the listener that a woman is involved in this commercial

before they even here any dialogue. Following the heels, the classic Harley Davidson engine

sounds is played. Instead of veering away from the classic Harley style, in our activation

plan we feel that keeping classic Harley sound is important. So the loud sound of an engine

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revving really gives a classic feel to our radio commercial. After the engine sound the first

dialogue is spoken “Ladies do you want to escape to freedom.” This ensures the listener

knows that this commercial is directed towards women as well as introducing our campaign

theme “Escape to Freedom.” We decided to use the song “Life is a Highway” because it

serves as a song of empowerment as well as a very catchy song for the listener. We felt it

was important to use a song that would remain in the mind of the consumer after hearing it.

Also, since we are playing this spot on classic and lite rock stations it is a song that fits that

genre of music. The final dialogue consists of information about our promotional event and

also tells listeners to visit our website, www.womenridersCNY.com.

For our second radio spot the same basic components will be involved. The only

difference is there will not be any information about our promotional even because it would

have already happened. Instead there will be more information about the website, classes.

This radio spot will be aired in the summer months (May-August).

Magazine

Choosing to advertise through magazines came about through our research into the

various media outlets. By employing magazines, we would be able to target our specific

demographics without heavily overlapping into other target segments. Women use

magazines as a way to supplement their daily lives and connect with other women.

Magazines are also recycled as they are passed down from friend to friend. Magazines target

very specific audiences and can be expected to influence more viewers opinions. Lastly, the

quality of the print will reflect positively on Harley Davidson and we can provide a copy

with information.

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The magazines that we decided would fit best into our marketing plan are, Cooking

Light, Martha Stewart Living, and Good Housekeeping. We chose these magazines due to

the present demographics represented by the subscription numbers we found in the media

kits. Based on the amount of women in our target market that read these magazines, we

have determined that it would be most beneficial to advertise in these magazines.

Martha Stewart Living in the Northeast/Mid Atlantic region has 390,000 issues in

circulation. It is a huge benefit to be able to advertise in a particular region of the country,

especially since we are only targeting women in the Central New York region. Better

Homes and Gardens creates an even bigger opportunity in being able to reach our target

market with 400,000 subscriptions in the Northeast region. We decided to advertise in

Cooking Light based off of the demographic profiles given to us in their media kit. The

profile of their affluent readers suggests around 2.7 million women read this magazine. The

median age of the readers is 49 years of age thus Cooking Light fits perfectly into our target

market. Besides affluent readers, women make up 84% of the total readers of this magazine

and the median household income per reader is $66,000.

The magazine print advertisement will be a one page, full color ad that will be

placed prominent place within each magazine. The advertisement will appear once in one of

the monthly magazines. The advertisements will appear during the following months.

Month MagazineJanuary February March Good HousekeepingApril Cooking LightMay Martha StuartJune Good HousekeepingJuly Cooking LightAugust Martha Stuart

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September October November Martha StuartDecember Cooking Light

As we are reaching our target market through several reputable magazines, we

will be concentrating on our main campaign theme of “Escape to Freedom”. This is the

underlining message we are sending to all the women who view our advertisement. The

way this will help get women to notice our brand, and therefore purchase a Harley, is

through emotional appeals. Appeals that our advertisement evokes will be pleasure,

excitement, self-realization and freedom. All this will be portrayed through our beautiful

imagery of the woman driving her bike out of the city into the bright clear countryside and

free road.

As a Harley Davidson motorcycle is a luxury item, and is a high involvement

purchase for any demographic, it is necessary to include a copy at the bottom of the page, as

a lot of information will be necessary before arriving at the conclusion that you should

invest.

Promotional Event

As part of our IMC campaign Higher Ground will be hosting a Promotional and

Informational event, “The how to…on being a female rider.” The purpose of this event is to

create a visible event for Harley Davidson centered on women. This event will not only

serve as a promotion but an informational session in which Harley personnel will have a

chance to explain to women why a Harley bike is right for them.

The event will be hosted in Wegmans’ parking lot of Thompson Road. Wegmans is

an ideal location to host the event. It is a high trafficked area by those in our target market. It

can be a convenient stop for those who want to plan it with a trip to the grocery store. Also,

since there will be a high volume of our target market at Wegmans on the weekend there is a

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high possibility of attracting the attention of those just there to shop. Being in Wegmans’

parking lot provides easy access to catering from Wegmans. Wegmans provides a good

variety of catering options. The increased traffic at Wegmans that the event will create will

forge good relations with Wegmans and possibly allow for more of a partnership in future

events. We will be offering a 10-dollar gift card to Wegmans for every woman who test-

drives a bike. We chose to host the event from April 26th and 27th. We felt that springtime in

Central New York would be the best buying time and therefore the best time to host this

event. The event will be hosted from 11am to 4pm giving a five hour block for people to

come each day.

The event will be centered on the attending women test-driving a Harley. Current

female riders and sales personnel will be on location. The riders will be there to offer a

seminar type experience. The riders will outline tips and points that make it easy for women

to envision them being able to handle a Harley Davidson and why a Harley is necessary in

their life. The goal of this promotion is to give women who are interested in purchasing a

Harley Davidson a chance to ease some of their doubts and also gain visibility and interest

from a larger portion of the target market. The sales people will be on hand to discuss

purchase points and begin a sales conversation. In a high involvement purchase it is

important to establish a relationship with the customer. Having sales people on hand,

especially female sales personnel will begin the process of developing this relationship. The

female personnel will connect better emotionally. Having the chance to establish a good

rapport with the customer before they begin the purchase process will put them at ease.

There will also be multiple stations set up with information on customization, specifications,

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and testimonials. We hope to get around 500 women to walk through and experience, and

300 test-drives.

We have allocated seven thousand dollars to this event. Renting the parking lot will

cost approximately 500 dollars for the two days. The catering will cost around 2,000 dollars.

We will allocate 3,000 dollars for the Wegmans gift card, and another 1,500 dollars for

equipment.

Direct Mail

Through the use of direct mail, the Harley Davidson dealerships of Central New

York will be able to instantly direct their efforts to their intended target market. As

mentioned before the target market consists of 20,676 women.

Higher Ground chose to use direct mail as part of our campaign because women the

most likely member of a family to sort through the mail. While direct mail has a high rate of

disposability, we will combat this issue by using high quality materials and an eye-catching

image on our postcard. If her husband or boyfriend currently owns a Harley motorcycle then

she is even less likely to dispose of the postcard cause she instantly has a direct connection

with the brand.

The postcards have a coupon for riding classes on the back. The classes will be

taught by females and will introduce our target market to the bikes and facilitate Harley

Davidson into their evoked set of brands. At these clinics, we will show women how to

mount the bike, straddle the seat correctly, and not fall off. In addition to this, we will let

the bike tip over and demonstrate the appropriate means of lifting it back up. The clinics

will allow females to bond with others in their class and ask any questions they may have.

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The 4 x 6 postcard will be in full color, front and back. The postcard will consist of a

bold picture of a Harley in purple set against a fading black backdrop with the “It’s Your

Time to Ride to Freedom” in purple across the top of the postcard. The overall postcard will

have a glossy look to it.

We will acquire some addresses for our target market through direct marketing

services and the US Postal Service. However, we have figured out a more strategic approach

to compiling the mailing list. We will use the current database that the two dealerships have

in addition to the corporate Harley Davidson’s database. Using the dealerships database will

we take the male riders in Central New York who have a spouse or girlfriend in addition to

the females that have submitted their information to the dealers’ database. That list plus a

list of females in Central New York who have created an account on the corporate website

will make up our beginning mailing list. Before each batch of direct mail is sent out the list

will be updated to include new information gathered from the promotional event and any

new subscribers

While reading through a variety of articles, it became apparent that many current

female riders purchased their bike because their husbands or boyfriends had one. Patty

Stahlgren explains here reasoning for buying her Harley Dyna Glide, “It took me six months

on the back of my husbands bike before I wanted my own…It’s so free-spirited and it’s a

good stress release” (Hundley). “A lot of women have ridden on the back of motorcycles

and they’ve gotten tired of it, because you can’t see anything or do anything back there,”

said Jamie Rosenkrans, the current owner of Jim’s Harley Davidson in St. Petersburg,

Florida, “Plus, we women have broken the glass ceiling a tad and we’re able to afford these

things” (Hundley).

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We will send out the post cards during 3 separate times during the year. One in

November, right before the holiday season starts to get women thinking about what they

might want as a gift. A postcard will also be sent out in March, the month before our

promotional event an again in June. June is right in the middle of Central New York’s peak

riding season.

Using www.directmail.com a batch of 25,000 postcards can be created for a printing

price of $1,000 and $6,139 for shipping. In total the price for direct mail will be $7,139.00.

Website

Higher Ground will launch a website specifically designed for the women of Central

New York. Within the website there will be multiple pages to address the concerns and

needs that may come about during the process of purchasing a Harley motorcycle and even

after they have their own bike. The website will enable Harley Davidson to reach a large

portion of the target market.

The features of the website include a Events page which lists the different events the

dealerships and Harley Davidson Corporate will be hosting. Next there is a page, which

contains a calendar of the classes that are being held at Performance Harley Davidson and

Harley Davidson/Buell of Utica. Within the Classes page, visitors can sign up for classes

online and pay for them with a credit card via Paypal. The Bikes page will feature

information on the bikes available at the dealerships. Many people in general are uneducated

about motorcycles and what certain specs of a bike mean. To assist them in their journey to

becoming an educated Harley rider we will provide definitions for certain specs. Such an

effort is also available on the corporate Harley Davidson website.

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http://www.directmail.com/

A very important feature of this website will be the link to the Escape to Freedom

blog which is for the women of Central New York. Here potential women riders and current

riders can exchange information on their favorite bikes, riding routes and whatever else they

wish to discuss. The Contact page will allow potential buyers to contact members of the

sales team with questions and concerns. The Links button provides links to clothing outlets

that specialize in motorcycle clothing, customization garages in the Central New York area

and other websites that might be helpful.

The reason why Higher Ground decided to create a website as part of the Marketing

Mix is because we found articles that said that females are the majority of online users.

Andrea Learned, in her article The Six Costliest Mistakes You Can Make in Marketing To

Women writes, “Women have become the majority of Web users and do the most on-line

shopping in the US.” She continues

“If you truly understood the role of women want your brand to play in their life, all

your efforts would focus on informing them as consumers. This includes any e-mail

correspondence, site navigation, archives and customer service. Seventy-eight

percent of women in the US use the Internet for product information before making a

purchase and 33% research products ad services on-line before buying offline”

With this website we will provide the information needed to make an informed purchase

decisions while also allowing them the to meet other women and form relationships. The

ability to form relationships through, talk to real people and overall serve them better will

not only reflect positively on Harley Davidson dealerships but also create a continuous

emotional attachment to the brand itself. The website itself will cost $4,000 to design and

31

launch and $50 a month to maintain (Jacob). The total cost for the website for a year will

come out to be $4,600.

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Budget

Higher Ground ended up not using the full million dollars we were provided. We

chose to reserve around $19,000.00 for anything that could come up in the future. The

money could be used to throw another promotional event, to feature more radio spots or

send out more direct mail. The final budget has been broken down as follows:

Media Mix

Starting Amount $1,000,000

Percentage of Budget

Television (March thru July) $275,440 27.54%The View $20,000 2.00%News Channel 9 @ 5pm $56,000 5.60%Desperate Housewives $13,440 1.34%Oprah $48,000 4.80%News Channel 9@ 11 pm $60,000 6.00%Grey's Anatomy $78,000 7.80%Direct Mail $7,139 0.71%Printing $1,000 0.10%Shipping $6,139 0.61%Website $4,600 0.46%Design and Hosting $4,000 0.40%Maintenance(per year) $600 0.06%Radio $200,125 20.01%Magazine (March thru July) $486,598 48.66%Cooking Light, 2 Months $206,000 20.60%Martha Stuart, 3 Months $135,468 13.55%Good Housekeeping, 2 Months $145,130 14.51%Promo Event (April) $7,000 0.70%

TOTAL $980,902 98.09%

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Citations

“Advertise with Us.” Cooking Light Magazine Online. 3 Nov 2007

<http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/perks/advertise/index.html>.

“Advertise with Us.” MarthaStewart.com. 3 Nov 2007

<http://www.marthastewart.com/advertise?rsc=footer>.

Baldini, Joe. Personal Interview. 12 November 2007.

“Character Clusters: Soccer Mom Block.” Mediaspan Network. 23 Nov 2007

<http://mediaspannetwork.com/Article.asp?id=330495>.

“Contacts”. Better Homes and Gardens. Meredith Corporation. 3 Nov 2007

<http://www.meredith.com/mediakit/bhg/print/contact.html>.

“Demographic Profile (2002-2006).” Harley Davidson USA Online. 28 Sept 2007

<http://investor.harley-davidson.com/demographics.cfm?bmLocale=en_US>.

Hundley, Kris. Stereotypes left in their dust. 7 Nov 2004. St. Petersburg Times Online. 28

Sept 2007

< http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/07/Business/Stereotypes_left_in_t.shtml>.

Learned, Andrea. The Six Costliest Mistakes You Can Make in Marketing to Women. 2003.

Inc.com. 28 Sept 2007 < http://www.inc.com/articles/2003/01/25019.html>.

Jacob, Gerald P. Personal Interview. 30 Nov. 2007

“Motorcycle club.” 7 Dec 2007. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 18 Oct 2007

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_club>.

“My Best Segments.” Claritis Inc. 23 November 2007

< http://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegments/Default.jsp>.

“What Women Want: Factors Driving Tune-In and Tune-Out.” April 2002. Arbitron Inc.

and Joint Communicatons. 29 November 2007

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http://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegments/Default.jsp

http://mediaspannetwork.com/Article.asp?id=330495

PRIZM NE Segmentation System

01 Upper CrustThe nation's most exclusive address, Upper Crust is the wealthiest lifestyle in America--a haven for empty-nesting couples over 55 years old. No segment has a higher concentration of residents earning over $200,000 a year or possessing a postgraduate degree. And none has a more opulent standard of living.

2006 Statistics:US Households: 1,699,636 (1.51%) Median HH Income: $110,142

Lifestyle Traits Spend $3,000+ foreign travel Shop at Bloomingdale's Atlantic Monthly magazine Golf Channel Jaguar XK

Demographics Traits:

Ethnic Diversity: White, Asian, Mix

Presence of Kids: HH w/o Kids

Age Ranges: Age 45-64

Education Levels: Graduate Plus

Employment Levels: Professional

Homeownership: Mostly Owners

Urbanicity: Suburban

Income: Wealthy

Income Producing Assets: Elite

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09 Big Fish, Small PondOlder, upper-class, college-educated professionals, the members of Big Fish, Small Pond are often among the leading citizens of their small-town communities. These upscale, empty-nesting couples enjoy the trappings of success, belonging to country clubs, maintaining large investment portfolios and spending freely on computer technology. 2006 Statistics:US Households: 2,539,806 (2.26%) Median HH Income: $82,416 Lifestyle Traits: Belong to a country club Own a motor home Atlantic Monthly magazine 1960s nostalgia music Lexus LS430 Demographics Traits:

Ethnic Diversity: Mostly White



Education Levels: Graduate Plus

Employment Levels: Management


Urbanicity: Town/Rural

Income: Upscale

Income Producing Assets: Elite

11 God's CountryWhen city dwellers and suburbanites began moving to the country in the 1970s, God's Country emerged as the most affluent of the nation's exurban lifestyles. Today, wealthier communities exist in the hinterlands, but God's Country remains a haven for upper-income couples in spacious homes. Typically college-educated Baby Boomers, these Americans try to maintain a balanced lifestyle between high-power jobs and laid-back leisure.

2006 Statistics:US Households: 1,735,899 (1.55%)

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Median HH Income: $83,827

Lifestyle Traits Travel for business Take a golf vacation Skiing magazine Outdoor Life Network Toyota Land Cruiser SUV





Education Levels: College Grad

Employment Levels: Management



Income: Upscale

Income Producing Assets: High

23 Greenbelt SportsA segment of upscale exurban couples, Greenbelt Sports is known for its active lifestyle. Most of these middle-aged residents are married, college-educated and own new homes; about a third have children. And few segments have higher rates for pursuing outdoor activities such as skiing, canoeing, backpacking, boating and mountain biking.


Lifestyle Traits Go snowboarding Go horseback riding North American Hunter magazine American Experience TV Subaru Impreza

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Education Levels: College Grad

Employment Levels: White Collar, Mix



Income: Upper-Mid

Income Producing Assets: Above Avg.

29 American DreamsAmerican Dreams is a living example of how ethnically diverse the nation has become: more than half the residents are Hispanic, Asian or African-American. In these multilingual neighborhoods--one in ten speaks a language other than English--middle-aged immigrants and their children live in middle-class comfort.


Lifestyle Traits Go ice skating Go sailing Read Sunday newspaper Ebony magazine Lexus IS300


Ethnic Diversity: White, Black, Asian, Hispanic

Presence of Kids: Mostly w/Kids


Education Levels: Some College

Employment Levels: WC, Service, Mix

Homeownership: Homeowners

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Urbanicity: Urban

Income: Midscale


37 Mayberry-ville

US Households: 2,794,581 (2.49%)

Like the old Andy Griffith Show set in a quaint picturesque berg, Mayberry-ville harks back to an old-fashioned way of life. In these small towns, middle-class couples and families like to fish and hunt during the day, and stay home and watch TV at night. With lucrative blue-collar jobs and moderately priced housing, residents use their discretionary cash to purchase boats, campers, motorcycles and pickup trucks2006 Statistics:Median HH Income: $53,563

Lifestyle Traits Eat at Lone Star Steakhouse Go hunting with a gun Bassmaster magazine Country Music TV Chevy Silverado Demographics Traits:




Education Levels: High School Grad

Employment Levels: BC, Service, Mix

Homeownership:Mostly Owners


Income: Upper-Mid


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Television Schedule

January-May 11a-12p 4p-5p 5p-5:30p 9p-10p 9p-10p 11p-11:35

Week 1The View (M-F)

Oprah (M-F)

Newschannel 9 (M-F)

Desperate House Wives (Sun)

Grey's Anatomy (Th)

Newschannel 9 (M-F)


Oprah (M-F)

Newschannel 9 (M-F)


Grey's Anatomy (Th)

Newschannel 9 (M-F)


Oprah (M-F)

Newschannel 9 (M-F)


Grey's Anatomy (Th)

Newschannel 9 (M-F)


Oprah (M-F)

Newschannel 9 (M-F)


Grey's Anatomy (Th)

Newschannel 9 (M-F)

September - November 11a-12p 4p-5p 5p-5:30p 9p-10p 9p-10p 11p-11:35

Week 1


Grey's Anatomy (Th)

Week 2


Grey's Anatomy (Th)

Week 3


Grey's Anatomy (Th)

Week 4


Grey's Anatomy (Th)

* (M-F) = Shows run Monday through Friday* (Sun) = Shows run only on Sundays

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Higher Ground IMC Plan

Business

desperate

womens garage

income producing

median hh

annual household

performance

martha stewart

atlantic monthly