Would Gemma Morrow Ride a Pink Motorcycle?
January 15, 2010
By Guest Blogger, Mary Schmidt, Marketing Troubleshooter, LLC
I'm addicted to Sons of Anarchy. As Stephen King noted, think "Sopranos on Motorcycles." The matriarch of the rough, tough SOA motorcycle club is Gemma Teller Morrow. Of course, it's fictional, and I've yet to see her ride...and somehow if she did, I don't think it'd be on pink girlie cycle.
Headline: Harley unveils ‘Pink Label’ line of merchandise
Harley Davidson Inc. today unveiled its new Pink Label Collection of merchandise to raise funds to help women who have been affected by breast cancer..."We were inspired to create the Pink Label Collection by the countless women riders and passengers that we've encountered on the open road and at events who've been impacted by breast cancer," said Kathy Whalen, category manager of general merchandise for Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson. "We wanted to create something that honored their personal journey, as well as let them know that they never have to ride alone."
Well, good for Harley - if they really are in tune with their customer base. But, I've got to wonder...how much pink can the brand stand before it loses its cult appeal?
As noted in an 2007 article,
A pink motorcycle is among the stars on parade this weekend at the Westcoast Custom Motorcycle Show at Abbotsford's Tradex Centre.
That's appropriate because big bikes are becoming increasingly popular with women, as well as older men who dominate the market.
Older men??? They like pink? Even if they do, I can't see them buying a pink Harley. And, not all women like pink. Me? I hate the color, but I also don't own a Harley (I do, however, have a fantasy of someday having a hog and hitting the road. Vrroommmm!)
Of course, Harley has done a slam-bang job thus far of maintaining their brand, with fiercely loyal customers. So, what do you think? Is there a limit when it comes to "marketing to women?"
I think Harley dropped the ball on this one. I agree with @Yvonne, that "pink does not always cut it." I understand the breast cancer tie, but why can't they just make a generous donation from all of their other sales to Susan G Komen for the cure? I will laugh when I see one of those on the streets.
Thanks for the post
Posted by: Promotional Products | January 18, 2010 at 02:29 PM
Pink smink! What's up with that? I told people in Dickless Marketing that pink doesn't always cut it! Sure, lots of people like pink, and it works for some things (strawberry ice cream is PINK not red) but... women are diverse, we like a lot of different colors - and brands would do well to either ASK first, or at least twitter us an option.
Pink motorcycles seem ketchy. Who needs that?
Posted by: Yvonne DiVita | January 16, 2010 at 03:38 PM
Miranda,
Plain ol' pink guns aren't quite as bad as pink "hello kitty" machine guns but still...
My pet peeve is that lazy marketers somehow think that making something pink means it's automatically going to appeal to women. Ditto the breast cancer marketing connection. (and I always have to wonder just how much money really makes to that worthy cause after all the expenses...or is the pink connection largely window dressing?)
Not.
Posted by: Mary Schmidt | January 15, 2010 at 05:40 PM
Gemma would NEVER ride a pink bike. And I love that show too. I'm all for pink merchandise in support of breast cancer, but when I see pink motorcycles, and worse - pink guns, I have to think: have these companies completely lost touch with their customers?
Posted by: Miranda | January 15, 2010 at 04:55 PM