Do you know what the “fan phenomenon” is? In this case study of the well-known Harley Davidson motorcycle brand, we will explain how to build customer loyalty and turn them into fans. Harley Davidson is one of the brands that has been able to turn its customers into fans. Among other records, Harley Davidson has managed to become the most tattooed brand in the world.
Undoubtedly, a customer who is able to get a tattoo of our brand is a real fan.
Harley Davidson is not the only brand that has managed to have fans. Apple, Walt Disney, IKEA or Starbucks have managed to turn the relationship with their customers into a true fan phenomenon. The question we ask ourselves is : What makes a customer become a fan?
Building customer loyalty and converting them into fans: 3 key elements
The first element that we find in all the brands that manage to fanaticize their customers is the IDENTITY.
For the customer – fan the brand is an important part of his personality and is a way to build his personal values.
As its former president in the 1980s, Richard F. Teelink, said, “We don’t sell motorcycles. We sell the possibility of a 43-year-old accountant dressed in black leather, riding around small towns on his Harley and scaring people.
Another example of how a brand can help build the personal identity of its customers can be found at Apple and its famous Think Different ad aimed at “the crazies. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The ones who go against the grain. To those who see things differently.”
The second element that we find in all the brands that manage to generate fans is the COMMUNITY.
Continuing with the Harley Davidson example, having a Harley allows that 43-year-old accountant to have beers with other tough, badass buddies like him, all dressed in black leather “chupas,” jeans and cowboy boots, riding slowly through towns, being scary and making a lot of noise.” The third element that makes a customer become a fan is the CO-CREATION. The fan is not a passive consumer of the brand, but contributes to its development and is an active part of the creation of the product itself.
No two Harleys are the same, each owner builds his own bike, investing in all kinds of parts and accessories.
Another curious example of Co Creation is IKEA Hackers, a community of IKEA fans who have developed alternative applications for the Swedish company’s furniture.
Undoubtedly, having fans instead of customers is a great strength for any brand . But be careful, because having fans also implies important responsibilities.
Somehow, when your customers become fans, your brand ceases to be completely theirs and you have to be willing to share ownership with your fans. And a snubbed fan can be much more problematic than a dissatisfied customer.
IDENTITY, COMMUNITY and CREATION are the three pillars on which a brand is built to fanaticize its customers.
The question I ask you is: What are you doing in your company to convert your customers into fans? Do you know how to build customer loyalty?
