HARLEY-DAVIDSON
Nobody buys a Harley-Davidson because they need a way to get to work.
On paper, a Harley-Davidson is a motorcycle. It has wheels, an engine, handlebars. It can get you from Point A to Point B. But that’s not why people buy one.
Nobody buys a Harley because they need a way to get to work. They buy it because of what it means—to them, and to the world around them. They’re buying freedom. Rebellion. A lifestyle. They’re buying a louder, grittier version of themselves. They’re buying a story they want to live inside of.
When you lead with features, you sell a commodity.
Features might tell you a Harley has a 114-cubic-inch Milwaukee-Eight engine. Benefits might tell you it delivers more torque for better acceleration. Meaning says: "This machine makes you feel alive."
And when you think about it, that's the real product. Not the engine. Not the speed. Not even the bike. The feeling.
When You Lead with Meaning, You Build a Movement. If Harley had tried to compete purely on specs, they would’ve been eaten alive by faster, cheaper, more practical motorcycles. But they didn’t. They built a brand around an emotional identity. They created a tribe for people who didn’t want to fit into a suit, clock into an office, or follow the rules.
Owning a Harley wasn’t about owning a vehicle. It was about making a statement: "I live my life my way." And that’s why, for decades, people tattooed the Harley logo onto their bodies. You don’t get people to tattoo your logo because you make a better product. You get them to do it because you represent something they believe in.
Most brands today are still fighting feature battles in a meaning war. Harley-Davidson understood that decades ago.
WHAT’S
WORTH NOTING
Key takeaways for any brand.
Your product’s functionality matters—but it’s not the emotional reason people choose you. Meaning creates loyalty. Specs don’t. The deeper the identity link, the stronger the brand. If you only sell what you make, you're replaceable. If you sell what your customer becomes, you're indispensable.