If you’ve never been atop a motorcycle, particularly a Buell racing bike by Harley-Davidson, you might not know what you’re missing. In order to get motorcycle enthusiasts to experience the bike themselves, Concord, Ont.-based Deeley Harley Davidson Canada, the Canadian distributor of Harley Davidson and Buell motorcycles, enlisted Toronto-based promotions agency Square Peg and its online partner Winnipeg-based IC Group to create an online and in-store sweepstakes campaign called ‘Nothing Beats a Buell.’ The direct mail, print and online promotion ran from April to September 2003.
The goal
The overall goal was to increase retail traffic and demo rides, and in turn, sales of Buell bikes. As well, the contest sought to capture information so Harley could communicate with potential customers on an ongoing basis. An additional goal was to target experienced riders, new riders and women, since previous research conducted by Buell showed that the bikes had an appeal to the fairer sex.
The strategy
In order to drive customers to the Web site and to stores, a two-pronged sweepstakes promotion was created. Customers who registered at buell.ca had the chance to win a cash prize and/or Buell leather jackets, and could also refer friends, while those who visited a retailer to test drive a bike were entered into a grand prize draw to win a Buell bike.
The execution
With the aid of lists from extreme sports and motorcycle magazines, 60,000 direct mail pieces encouraging recipients to log on to buell.ca were sent out nationally to potentials in the desired target groups.
As well, online banner ads on the Canadian Motorcycle Guide site, print advertising in industry publications and in-store P-O-P promoted the Buell sweepstakes. A consistent creative tone put the emphasis on the Buell bike: A pair of denim-clad legs was juxtaposed over a Buell, with the tagline: ‘Nothing Beats a Buell Between Your Legs.’
The results
The sweepstakes garnered an impressive 26,000 entries, with 7,000 of those registered via buell.ca. As well, the Web site enjoyed a jump in overall traffic: There was a 14% increase in Web hits and an 18% increase in Web visitors over the promotion period versus the same time last year. Most importantly, 1,200 visitors requested a demo ride and Buell experienced an increase in market share from 1.3% of the sports bike category in August 2002, to 2.9% in August 2003.
‘Ultimately, we wanted to sell Buell,’ says Marilyn Barefoot, president of Square Peg. ‘In the meantime, we needed to achieve top-of-mind awareness amongst these target audiences so it could then be translated into sales.’
