What is Niche Marketing

Niche marketing is a targeted marketing plan that focuses on one particular section of the
market that has high potential to connect with a product or service. Instead of casting a wide
net in mass-media and large-event marketing, niche marketing zeroes in on strategically
selected venues and media platforms that have high concentrations of these targeted
consumers.
Strategies of Niche Marketing

 Word-of-Mouth Campaigns: These campaigns rely more on conversations among

consumers than advertising or marketing materials touting the product or service.
Brand exposure is low key and subtle, such as sponsorship or giveaways at events or
establishments frequented by the niche market. As a result, these campaigns take
longer to develop and yield results, but the returns can be extremely high, given that
word-of-mouth recommendations generally carry a lot of weight with consumers.
 Trusted-Messenger/Endorsement Campaigns: This strategy hinges on finding a few
key influencers in the niche market and enlisting them as spokespersons on behalf of a
product or service. An example of this strategy would to hire Wilford Brimley (a
longtime actor who is known and loved by many senior citizens) as spokesperson for
medical products used frequently by the elderly. The success of these campaigns is
highly contingent on the credibility of the spokesperson and the sincerity with which
the endorsement is delivered.
 Targeted Collateral Campaigns: This strategy relies on consistent brand exposure to
the targeted Niche Market. Just about any radio station that plays a niche type of music
(alternative, country & western, or classical, for example) that appeals to a certain
audience will employ targeted collateral campaigns. They might distribute collateral
and attend concerts by artists played frequently on their station, or advertise in local
music/entertainment publications

What type of customers are Marketed through Niche Marketing

Niche Marketing is especially effective for reaching consumers who can be targeted
based on certain characteristics, such as demographic, hobby, occupation, or
commitment to social or political causes. Some examples of customers who could be
the focus of Niche Marketing include:
 Couples planning for a wedding
 Young professionals
 Pet lovers
 Environmentalists
 New homeowners
Ideal Niche Marketing
This Venn diagram shows the ideal combination for targeting a Niche Market: heavy
demand for a product or service, high income potential, and light competition. There is
high-return potential for Niche Marketers who can research a particular market and find
a segment that has two or all three of these characteristics

Harley Davidson
Importance of marketing strategy
various offerings and plans to enter the electric motorcycle segment. I have also looked at
the company’s recent financial figures. It’s also important for investors to take a look at an
automaker’s marketing strategy to understand how the company differentiates its strategy
to market its offerings.

Harley-Davidson’s marketing strategy

Harley-Davidson is the pioneer in motorcycle manufacturing. As noted earlier, the company
offers a wide variety of motorcycles ranging from lightweight street motorcycles to
heavyweight touring motorcycles.
Harley-Davidson’s marketing strategies are primarily focused on providing a personalized
experience to its customers to allow them to connect with the brand.

Customization
Allowing Harley customers to modify or customize their motorcycle is one of the rare
features that the company offers. Only a few major automakers allow customization of
vehicles to this extent, be it four wheelers or two wheelers. Such customization from Harley-
Davidson includes a choice of colors, wheels, seats, racks and backrests, windshields,
exhausts, and intakes.

Large dealership network

Currently, Harley-Davidson has nearly 1,435 dealerships globally. The majority of these
dealerships are located in the US, Europe, and Canada. Lately, the company has been
focusing on expanding its dealerships in the Asia-Pacific market as well.

“Learn to Ride” program

Harley-Davidson runs a “Learn to Ride” program with the help of Harley-Davidson Riding
Academy. Under this program, various courses are offered to new Harley riders. These
courses provide new riders with expert guidance from Harley-Davidson certified coaches at
select Harley-Davidson dealers.

Customers can also choose to enroll in the Harley-Davidson Jumpstart program, where they
can experience riding a real Harley-Davidson motorcycle at a specially designed, stationary
support stand.
Targeting a variety of customers
According to the company, its core customers are defined as men over the age of 35. To
enhance the experience of riding a Harley motorcycle, the company offers a variety of gears
and apparel to its customers. In addition, the company is also making efforts to connect
with outreach customers including young adults and women. For this reason, the company
also markets Harley-Davidson branded gear and apparel specifically designed for women
through its website.

Events for Harley owners

As discussed earlier in the series, Harley-Davidson has an organized group for Harley
motorbike enthusiasts called Harley Owners Group (VCR). To keep the spirit alive for Harley
riders, the company organizes various events for HOG members.
In the auto industry, companies put a great deal of effort into their marketing strategy.
However, the marketing strategies of auto giants (GM) such as General Motors (F), Ford
(FCAU), and Fiat Chrysler remain quite similar.