Of Harleys and Lomos

What do Harley-Davidson and lomography have in common? They both have a strong brand community. The Harley Owners Group was established in 1983 by Harley-Davidson and is supposed to satisfy the owners' needs for organized activities with other Harley-Davidson enthusiasts. The Harley Owners Group organizes for example the Posse Ride which is a touring rally. The Lomo community is all about analog photography. By joining the community, you can upload photos and videos on their website for free and also read the online magazine.

Brand communities make customers think more about the brand and get more involved. By giving customers the opportunity to share their photos with other people, they might get reinforced by other customers' feedback to take even more pictures. Moreover the photos of other customers may inspire people to buy a new gadget like a fisheye lens for their camera. Likewise in the Harley Owners Group the members can share their experiences with their Harleys with other members. They can meet people with the same hobby and become even more passionate about it.

What makes the Posse Ride so appealing to Harley owners is that they can meet other owners and share their Harley stories. It creates a feeling of belonging and is ultimately projected onto the brand itself. The most prominent thing that every participant in the Posse Ride has in common is that they own a Harley. Some participants may make new friends and therefore are thankful for the opportunity Harley-Davidson has given to them.
The Lomo community exists only online so I would say that the feeling of belonging is weaker. Nevertheless it reflects a certain way of living because analog photography is not a mainstream product. Nowadays people usually use digital photography or maybe apps for their smartphones that create a similar effect as an analog camera does. But the real analog photography is something special and valuable to the users.

The Lomo community has its roots on the lomography website. That means the brand has total control about everything they want to present to their customers. Harley-Davidson is different. The Posse Ride is for example hosted by Harley-Davidson dealers, not the company itself. That makes it less controllable and therefore more dangerous for the company if something goes wrong. I would suggest that Harley-Davidson should get more involved with the Posse Ride. It is a great opportunity to find out about customers' needs and the connection between the ride and the brand becomes even stronger.
Apart from the Posse Ride Harley-Davidson could also include an official forum on their website, just like Royal Enfield did. Like this the members would feel even more like a community where everyone helps each other. Another possibility is to hold events where non-owners can try a Harley-Davidson, following the example of Jeep.