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Essay Instructions: MGT499
Module 4 Case Assignment

In Module 4 Case Assignment, we will be looking inside of Harley Davidson in order to identify its strengths and weaknesses. It is important to consider how these factors will either help the company overcome the threats (or make it more vulnerable), or put it in a position where it can take advantage of opportunities (or will have to let them pass by because they do not have the internal resources to act).
To complete Module 4 Case Assignment, please read the information in the background material, look for more information (from previous modules and library resources), and then write a 4 to 5 pages report answering the following questions:

i) What are HD?s top two or three strengths for moving forward in the competitive motorcycle manufacturing and sales environment?

ii) Describe what you consider to be two or three of the weaknesses that are likely to have the greatest impact, and what HD is doing (or should be doing) to overcome these weaknesses?

iii) Wrap up by overviewing the more salient points of your entire SWOT analysis (from your Mod 3 and 4 case assignment) and give your impressions in relation to whether you think the corporation will continue to be competitive and be able to continue to meet its mission.

NOTE: Please note that your report/assignment will not be accepted without proper citations and references. You must use the sources from the background material together with the sources you find your own.

Essay Instructions: Read these articles:

Hagerty, James R. (2011). Harley, WIth Macho Intact, Tries To Court More Women. Wall Street Journal (October 31). Available 5/5/12 through EBSCO database.

Johnson, Robert (2011). Next: Planning & Living the New Retirement (A Special Report): The Good Life --- When Heaven Is a Harley: The 50-plus crowd is having a belated romance with motorcycles Wall Street Journal (December 19).
Available 5/5/12 through ProQuest database.

Check out the Harley Davidson website for information about its various models and the information it provides about them.
Harley Davidson. Accessed 5/5/12 at http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/home.html

Review this article on brand personality:

Fournier, S. (1998). Consumers and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research. 24:4(March):343-72.
Available 5/5/12 through ProQuest database.


How do consumers relate to this brand?
Do they feel loyal?
What emotions are involved?
Assume that you are the newly hired product manager for Harley's Sportster line. The VP of Marketing wants a report regarding how this product or service has been branded.

Assignment: Develop a report with a brief introduction, using the items below as subheadings, closing with a brief concluding comment. Rather than write an essay, write a memo (750 - 1500 words) to the VP of Marketing that answers the following questions.

(1) Briefly describe Harley Davidson's traditional targeting and positioning strategy.

(2) How would you describe Harley Davidson's brand personality. (For example, what animal would you identify with a Harley? Is it the bully down the block, your best friend, or your younger sister?) Explain why you believe this personality represents the brand.

(3) How might Harley have to change its product management and branding strategies to reach women or older folks? Give some examples.

(4) If Harley aggressively targets women, should the company experience a backlash from ?males? and from its current buyers?

(5) Based on the assigned articles, does it make sense for this company to use celebrities to brand the company or for a particular product? What ONE celebrity might this company use and why? Based on the ?Teakettle? article, what are the pros and cons of using celebrities to brand a company/product?

Essay Instructions: ***REQUEST WRITER/USERNAME: bolavens

Unless otherwise specified with a link to the website (URL specified) or link to the file, the instructions on how to locate the articles in the designated databases were available on 2011 December 5 at
http://sites.google.com/site/zaydeealan0/tui-unviersity/elibrary-instructions

For assistance, go to http://support.tuiu.edu

If the link to the file does not work, please notify your instructor, then try the appropriate browser specific procedure outlined on 2011 December 5 at
https://sites.google.com/site/zaydeealan0/0-HowToViewAndDownloadFiles-20110206.pdf
For assistance, go to http://support.tuiu.edu

Read these articles:

Hagerty, James R. (2011 October 31). Harley, WIth Macho Intact, Tries To Court More Women. Wall Street Journal.
Available on 2011 December 22 in ProQuest via the Touro College eLibrary.

Johnson, Robert (2011 December 19). The Good Life: When Heaven Is a Harley: The 50-plus crowd is having a belated romance with motorcycles. Wall Street Journal.
Available on 2011 December 22 in ProQuest via the Touro College eLibrary.

Respond to each of the following directives and/or questions:

(1) Briefly describe Harley Davidson's traditional targeting and positioning strategy. Do NOT include definitions of target market, positioning or segmentation. Do NOT quote or paraphrase from the Harley Davidson website. H-D's history, founding date and mission are not relevant: just answer the questions here.

(2) How does Harley have to change its targeting and positioning strategies to reach women? Give some examples from the article and make at least 2 suggestions of your own. For instance, what TV shows and magazines might Harley choose for advertising? Why? What ?women's? magazines might be appropriate?

(3) If Harley aggressively targets women, should the company experience a backlash from ?males? and from its current buyers?

(4) A ballet company once teamed up with Harley for a promotion. Harley was a sponsor because the company found that demographics (and some psychographics) for Harley buyers were actually quite similar to those of ballet patrons. Are you be surprised? Why or why not?

Submit your 750-1000 word CASE1 to Coursenet.

Expectations with regard to your References and Defense of Your Positions

To make it easier for you instructor to grade your paper, it is expected that you will use the above directives and/or questions as titles placing your responses to those directives and/or questions below each.

It is expected that you will back up your positions or opinions with references to the required readings found in Background1 and Ongoing Useful Resources. In using those references, it is expected that you will demonstrate your understanding of the concepts presented. Therefore, rather than grade on how much information you find about the product that is the subject of CASE1; the emphasis in grading your paper will be on your defense of the positions you take with regard to the issues in the above directives and questions. In effect, you are expected to write clearly, simply and logically. And, in terms of that logic, remember that:
(1) the "why" is more important than the "what," and
(2) the defense of your positions on the issues is more important than the positions you take..

It is expected that you will NOT repeat or quote definitions. Your use of the required readings to support your opinions (that is, contentions or positions) should demonstrate that you understand the concepts presented in those required readings.

It is expected that you will paraphrase the facts you find into your own words and ideas. In other words, use quotes sparingly. And, as a rule of thumb, quotes, if absolutely necessary, should be not much longer than 5 words.

It is expected that when you write an academically-oriented paper of this type, much of the information you uncover will be facts about the product. Even if you paraphrase those facts, you should cite in your text the source for those facts and link those citations to references at the end of your paper.

Essay Instructions: REQUEST USERNAME/WRITER: bolavens

BRANDED PRODUCT: HARLEY DAVIDSON

Read these articles (these are the same articles you analyzed for CASE1):

Hagerty, James R. (2011 October 31). Harley, WIth Macho Intact, Tries To Court More Women. Wall Street Journal.
Available on 2011 December 22 in ProQuest via the Touro College eLibrary.

Johnson, Robert (2011 December 19). The Good Life: When Heaven Is a Harley: The 50-plus crowd is having a belated romance with motorcycles. Wall Street Journal.
Available on 2011 December 22 in ProQuest via the Touro College eLibrary.

Respond to each of the following directives and/or questions:

Assume that you are the newly hired product manager for the brand/product/good described in the articles. The VP of Marketing wants a report regarding how this product or service has been branded.

Rather than write an essay, write a memo to the VP of Marketing that answers the following questions. Do not include extraneous information (such as day the company was founded). The VP is busy! S/he wants a memo that's easy to read and logical.

(1) Our background readings for module 2 discuss brand and brand personality. Based on those readings:

What is the personality of the branded product? One way to answer this question is to ask, "If this brand were a person what would it look like? Would it be a tall man in a conservative suit and tie? A young girl in a suggestive outfit? What music relates to your brand?
Remember that the brand personality is not the same as the target market's personality. If you're not clear, review the readings.
Would the brand be...
i. ...singing and/or dancing?"
ii. ...walking?
iii. ...sitting?
Explain why you believe this personality represents the brand.


(2) How do you characterize the brand and why? (Refer to the Fournier article.)

Is the brand like an old friend?
A demanding boss?
A friend you've outgrown?
A funny younger sister?

Or ...


(3) Review the Fournier article.

How do consumers relate to the brand?
Do they feel loyal?
What emotions are involved?


(4) Is there a good fit between the brand personality and the target personality you discussed in Module 1? Why or why not?



(5) Based on the assigned articles, does it make sense for this company to use celebrities to brand the company or for a particular product? What ONE celebrity might this company use and why? Based on the ?Teakettle? article, what are the pros and cons of using celebrities to brand a company/product?



Expectations with regard to your References and Defense of Your Positions:

To make it easier for you instructor to grade your paper, it is expected that you will use the above directives and/or questions as titles placing your responses to those directives and/or questions below each.

It is expected that you will back up your positions or opinions with references to the required readings found in Background1-2 and Ongoing Useful Resources. In using those references, it is expected that you demonstrate your understanding of the concepts presented. Therefore, rather than grade on how much information you find about the product that is the subject of CASE2; the emphasis in grading your paper will be on your defense of the positions you take with regard to the issues in the above directives and questions. In effect, you are expected to write clearly, simply and logically. And, in terms of that logic, remember that:

(1) the "why" is more important than the "what," and
(2) the defense of your positions on the issues is more important than the positions you take.

It is expected that you will NOT repeat or quote definitions. Your use of the required readings to support your opinions (that is, contentions or positions) should demonstrate that you understand the concepts presented in those required readings.

It is expected that you will paraphrase the facts you find into your own words and ideas. In other words, use quotes sparingly. And, as a rule of thumb, quotes, if absolutely necessary, should be not much longer than 5 words.

It is expected that when you write an academically-oriented paper of this type, much of the information you uncover will be facts about the product. Even if you paraphrase those facts, you should cite in your text the source for those facts and link those citations to references at the end of your paper.