Thorr Motorcycles 1 Thorr Motorcycles: Perceptual Map Marketing Gary Phillips Un

iversity of Phoenix
Thorr Motorcycles 2 Thorr Motorcycles: Perceptual Map Marketing Molded and marke
ted as Thorr Motorcycles, attributes were modeled after the Norse God
of Thunder, Thor—strong, honest, and simply reliable product design, and loyal cus
tomers lived
a lifestyle of freedom, mobility, and masculinity. Successful marketing, which p
romoted high-
end motorcycles as an integral component of one’s lifestyle had served the purpose
s for
sustaining Thorr with a 40% market share—iconic brand devotion (Apollo Group Inc.,
2008).
Over the past months, sales have been waning largely because of changing market
demographics
—aging customer base, younger generations influx, and competition.
The high-end lifestyle image and pricing was not appealing to the younger set; t
he time
was ripe for seizing the opportunity for repositioning Thorr’s image in an expandi
ng market.
Assessing how consumers perceive brands, what factors are most important, and co
mparing
attribute preferences by mapping the various aspects or dimensions is a process
for creating
perceptual maps—a statistical process, which is just one aspect of marketing resea
rch.
Determining the most appropriate attributes to include in constructing the mappi
ng model begins
with Phase I, Phase II developing a marketing plan after assessing the feasibili
ty for
repositioning the existing Thorr machine, or introducing a new brand for sparkin
g interest,
desirability, and Phase III controls for gauging the effectiveness of the market
ing plan and
constant monitoring for a readied stance for making seamless, cost effective adj
ustments.
Phase I Discovering market position begins with an assessment of consumer percep
tion for Thorr
Motorcycles, in relation to competitors by choosing pertinent parameters, which
clarifies
strengths and weaknesses. Information gleaned from Phase I will provide the fram
ework from
Thorr Motorcycles 3 which positioning strategies, new product development option
s, and marketing plans can be launched within budget for ensuring success—increase
d sales, revenues, market share, and enhanced corporate value. Quality engineeri
ng, price, lifestyle image, and cool were choices that approximated
scenario optimal selections. Brand Thorr is synonymous with quality engineering
a core value
that must not be abandoned. Maintaining quality engineering sustains customer pe
rceptions of
excellent quality products, which is an important aspect of corporate credibilit
y. Occupying the
mind space of target markets with a notion of credibility is one-step in assurin
g that Thorr will be
a company that individuals look forward to doing business.
Pricing is important to most consumers, especially during contracting economies.
Cruiser
Thorr pricing schedule was negatively viewed by respondents, and an insight was
gleaned that
pricing strategies would have to reflect these facts. It became apparent that yo
unger customers
had less disposable cash, thus part of the solution was revealed that offering m
ore affordable
products, which still retained a standard of high quality, seemed to be attribut
es for developing a
new marketing plan and possibly a new product line.
Creating a lifestyle within product design will create a situation when customer
s will
primarily make a purchase based on acquiring a lifestyle, an image, fulfilling a
psychological
need for acceptance—belong to a group. Choosing cool, is an attribute that compris
es lifestyle;
therefore, opting for services would have provided an additional unique dimensio
n for deciding
to reposition Cruiser Thorr. Added dimensions of functionality, which cover four
appropriate
mapping attributes will provide more solid footing for making a decision to targ
et a new market
segment—the younger generation—with an exciting, hip, affordable machine, which
Thorr Motorcycles 4 reinvented a lifestyle, continued dedication to quality, fea
tured expanded services, including
finance options, maintenance training, and club ride rallies, that would serve t
o establish loyalty
with customers, dealers, and distributors (Apollo Group, Inc. 2008).
Phase II Analyzing the information provided by perceptual mapping and other mark
eting research
information must be considered carefully, constructively, and fairly by applying
critical thinking
skills. How will marketing strategies placed into action effect other aspects of
the corporate
environment—internally and externally in the marketplace of many eyes and ears tun
ed in on
marketing strategy position and consumer perceptions influenced by segmentation
into changing
demographics offering new products aimed at younger customers. Will a less expen
sive new
model with enhanced financing opportunities and expanded services erode customer
perceptions
of Thorr Motorcycles losing touch with a commitment to excellence in quality?
The evidence revealed that a different segment— younger individuals influenced by
price
more so than the aging customer base that has buoyed Thorr’s success over the year
s is fueling
the growing motorcycle market. The younger generation could not care less about
the brand
image of Cruiser Thorr, let alone purchasing one, which is way out of the prefer
red price range.
For these reasons and the fact that Cruiser Thorr is in stage four of its produc
t life cycle—
declining sales—the marketing plan should launch a brand new product, one that sus
tains the
corporate core value of commitment to quality excellence and offers the new mark
et niche
affordability, financing options, and enhanced services. This will require a dif
ferentiation in the
marketing mix.
According to Perreault and McCarthy, Jr., 2004, “Bydiff erent iating the marketing
mix