Harley Davidson Target Market Free Essay Example, 3000 words

In marketing, positioning has come to mean the process by which an attempt is made to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its brand and range of products, or the organization itself. The aim is to develop a perception in the mind of the target market about the brand and image. It has been stated by Hamel and Prahalad (1996) that companies that desist from competing for future market opportunities are doomed and forgo corporate value creation that they had achieved in the past. Growth is dependant on momentum and it is an integral part of business strategy. Growth is also a very difficult decision as it involves investments, and investment may become wasteful or a burden if there is no adequate return in a reasonable period of time. Corporate strategies have been divided into Five Ps by Mintzberg (1992) and they are Plan, Ploy, Position, Pattern, and Perspective. While each is a separate type of strategy with its attendant qualifications, yet they are usually present in all strategies to some degree. We will write a custom essay sample on Harley Davidson Target Market or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The real difference lies in the fact that one of them will be dominant and others will play a supportive role. Among the strategies, Positioning is a long term objective of corporate operations and requires more attention to detail and a firm commitment to accept the consequences and to overcome roadblocks. It is an assertive policy that will require substantial investments and total cooperation of all stakeholders otherwise it might fail. The stakes are huge and the results are very rewarding. The one big risk is that in case the objective is changed due to the influence of external factors, the whole strategy will have to be abandoned at great cost. Therefore it has to be planned and well thought out over a period of time. It is preferable to first test this strategy for a short period on a smaller scale to confirm its feasibility and acceptance before making a full-fledged commitment. When a company embarks on a positioning strategy, it is beset with several roadblocks en-route. It is able to surmount them but within these attempts, it sometimes prolongs the effort and at times is able to quickly realize its goals.