Do some brands thrive on negative perceptions?

While the commentator didn't actually mention Harley Davidson owners as being those people not willing to accept a black president, the pictures told a thousand words and left viewers with the very clear perception that bikers, particularly Harley Davidson owners in America, were nothing short of racist.

Brand loyalty

Now, normally, that kind of publicity would be extremely damaging to a brand but what makes this situation quite interesting is that it probably won't hurt the Harley brand one bit and, in fact, might well increase brand loyalty. Even among owners and prospective owners who are not conservative, not racist and who don't wear ponytails, sport tattoos, dress up in short-sleeved leather vests or wear horns on their crash helmets.

The Harley Davidson brand is quite unique in its inherent ability to automatically leverage negative perceptions. Years ago when biker gangs on Harleys went on the rampage in America, the company thought its brand would suffer but somehow it not only survived the negativity but actually prospered.

So much so, that today, the Harley Davidson advertising blurb actually claims the brand can take a boring, grey, accountant and give him the power to ride through small towns and villages on a Sunday and make the “local population fear him.”

Tattoos

Something else that makes the Harley brand unique is that 18% of all Harley Davidson owners have the company logo tattooed on their skin. There is no other brand anywhere in the world that can claim that kind of devout loyalty.

It is this inherent brand strength that moves some brands from “great” to “iconic”.

Another iconic brand is Land Rover. Having been through the pain of being shunted from one owner to the next in the past two decades, the brand has suffered from quality and service perceptions. Admittedly, in recent years these quality and service problems have disappeared and the brand now features high up on the JD Power quality and service ratings.

Unique

But, in spite of these physical improvements, the sheer power of the brand certainly helped put it right back on the top of the heap again. And like Harley Davidson, it also has some very unique attributes. Such as three Royal Warrants - being by appointment to Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip and Prince Charles.

And this gives it the potential to get media coverage that no other brand could ever wish for.

The all-time classic example of this popped up on the TV screens just after the funeral of the Princess of Wales when the Queen and Prince Philip landed at Aberdeen airport on their way back to Balmoral.

When the super-luxury royal limo drew up next to the aircraft, the Queen and her husband ignored it and walked to a Land Rover Discovery parked nearby.

Prince Philip's body language was obvious. "I'm driving," he clearly told the startled fellow behind the wheel. The Queen in the meantime had gone round to the passenger side and, after telling the bodyguard to get in the back, she joined Philip in the front.

Off they went, with the TV cameras showing Philip at the wheel, waving to passers by.

Now that's what one might call the ultimate endorsement - a little scene watched by a billion or so TV viewers worldwide. Unique. Head and shoulders above the clutter.