Harley Davidson

I believe that the idea of brands having a personality is little more than hyperbolic anthropomorphism. Personality by definition implies personhood, something an abstract concept like a brand cannot have. Rather than a brand having human traits, as the concept is often understood (Investopedia, 2012). A brand personality is more accurately described as a reflection of traits that the consumer either shares or aspires to. The brand "personality" by this understanding is not necessarily the same thing as the personality of the target audience, however. Harley Davidson is a good example of this -- most of the brand's core target market consists of successful, middle-aged men, a market that in reality embodies little of what it hopes the brand reflects back on them. Harley stands for something that they would like to be, or have been, rather than something that they are.

In the case of Harley-Davidson, a...
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