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Triumph Motorcycles - Modern Classics

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BACKGROUND: 

For this project my Advanced Account Planning class at The University of Texas at Austin was paired with the Portfolio 3 class in the creative sequence. From there the Portfolio 3 class was divided into pairs of art directors and copywriters and they picked a brand that they wanted to add to their portfolio. The account planning class was also divided into pairs of two. 

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Our task in pairs from the Advanced Account Planning class was to conduct research, gain insights and then give our creative team a creative brief they can use to create an ad. 

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PROBLEM:

Triumph Motorcycles, a British Motorcycle brand, has not sufficiently established themselves in the U.S. While Triumph is highly recognized and admired in Europe, this has not translated over the pond and thus is not a typical brand that Americans consider when looking to purchase a motorcycle. Some Americans have never heard of the brand at all. While unfortunate, this is a major opportunity for Triumph to establish themselves as a competitor in U.S. markets. However, thus far they have not found the appropriate white space they can occupy within the market.  

 

RESEARCH: 

  • Secondary Research:

    • Initial Findings:

      • There has been an increase in female ridership over the past 10 years

      • There are not many (if any) advertisements directed towards women

    • Additional Research Topics: 

      • What distinguishes Triumph motorcycles from other brands

      • Motorcycle demographics in the United States

      • Females attitudes and views towards motorcycles

      • Female riders and the Triumph Bonneville

      • The British Twins

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  • Primary Research: 

    • We reached out to female motorcycle riders who engaged with Triumph Motorcycles, Triumph Riders North America, Babes Ride Out, BMW Motorrad USA, and Harley Davidson on Facebook.

      • Our goal was to interview:

      • Women who are not motorcycle riders 

      • Women who ride a motorcycle of a competitor

      • Women who ride Triumph Motorcycles

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INSIGHTS:

  • There has been an increase in female ridership and that in order for the motorcycle industry to continue to grow they must gain the interest of these new consumers.

  • Many women do not identify with the stereotypes that are associated with riders in general and female riders specifically. These stereotypes often make people feel as though they would not fit into the motorcycle community or that they are not they type of person who should ride a motorcycle - thus leading women to distance themselves from the idea of learning to ride and making a purchase.

  • Women are more concerned with safety than men. Women on average take more safety classes, but they do not worry about riding as much if they do not have the added responsibility of parenthood.

  • No two female motorcyclists are the same. This insight was key moving forward because each woman is unique and they are not required to fit the stereotype. 

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COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

To increase brand awareness and familiarity in the United States, Triumph Motorcycles should target women 25-34 who currently do not own a motorcycle but are interested in becoming a rider. We believe that in doing this, they will be able to reach the largest growing market in the industry and be able to gain new riders to purchase a Triumph. We plan on doing this through print and digital advertisements that follow brand and creative guidelines. This communication strategy will convince potential riders that motorcycles are not gender specific, that Triumph riders do not fit the stereotypical female rider stereotype, and that Triumph Motorcycles are timeless, classic and iconic. Additionally, it is crucial for them to believe that riding a Triumph means branching out from the mainstream US brands and that with a Triumph they can find freedom on the open road. 

The Story of our Creative Brief 

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Brief 1: After we conducted our research and identified our insights, we drafted the first brief, sent it to our creative team and showed it to our professor for their initial feedback. 

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Brief 2: Both our professor and the creative team liked the first draft, so we made a few edits and then presented this to our professor again. He gave us the feedback that it seems like we had two briefs in one. So then we separated them and fleshed them out to create drafts three and four.

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Brief 3: This brief version was targeted towards a female non-rider and getting them to want a Triumph motorcycle.

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Brief 4: This brief version was targeted towards current female motorcycle riders and getting them to change motorcycle brands. 

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At this point we contacted our creative team to see which version of ads they would like to produce and they decided they wanted to produce ads targeted at a non-rider. 

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Brief 5: With the decision to focus on non-rider, we took that brief version and polished it to come up with our final brief.

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Final Creative Brief 

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What are we advertising?

Triumph Motorcycles - Modern Classic

 

Why are we advertising?

The motorcycle category is seeing an increased interest from females. While triumph is a well-known, established brand among those in the motorcycle world, new riders are not familiar with the brand and thus look elsewhere when buying their first motorcycle. We are advertising to increase brand awareness and familiarity.

 

Who are we talking to?

Women ages 25-34 who currently do not own a motorcycle but are interested in becoming a rider. She is independent, yet yearns for more freedom and adventure in her life.

 

Kelly - She is 30 years old, has a bachelor’s degree from a state university and works as a sales manager. She shops at Target, Banana Republic, Marshalls and Academy. She is married but postponing having children because she enjoys the freedom she and her husband have without the responsibility of a child. Kelly wants to live life to the fullest by not only having a great career, but balancing that with a fun and adventurous personal life. While she has tried different activities to fill her need for adventure, she has yet to find “her thing”; something that she can adopt into her life and become a part of who she is. She has considered motorcycle riding in the past, but the stereotypes associated with riders have deterred her - she is not sure that she is “that girl”.

 

What do they currently think?

  • Motorcycles are for old, white men going through a midlife crisis

  • I already have a mode of transportation

  • Motorcycles seem impractical and uncomfortable - where do you put all your stuff?

  • Motorcycles are only for tough, masculine, badass women

  • There are safer ways to find adventure than riding a motorcycle

  • I don’t feel like I fit the mold of a typical motorcycle rider

 

What do we want them to think?

  • Motorcycles are not gender specific

  • The Modern Classics are anything but mainstream; they are timeless, iconic and have a vintage-classic look

  • A Triumph Modern Classic Motorcycle is an investment

  • Triumph isn’t your typical American motorcycle

  • Triumph motorcycles riders don’t fit the typical female rider stereotype - Triumph riders come in all shapes, sizes, personalities and backgrounds

  • “They have a very vintage look, which I'm in love with and that sort of makes them stand alone in the industry.” - Carolyn, 40 years old

  • “When you see a triumph, you know it's a triumph. Their tanks are very unique.”  - Carolyn, 40 years old

 

What is the Single Most Important Thing?

Broaden your Horizons  

 

Why should they believe it?

Riding a Triumph means branching out from mainstream brands in the US and finding adventure in the freedom of the open road -  just outside your doorstep.

 

What is the tone of the ad?

Adventurous, independent, free, classic 

My Key Contributions: 

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  • Conducted all of the secondary research for this project.

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  • Formulated the initial insights from our secondary research, that lead to our final direction.

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  • Coordinated the flow of information between group members to make sure we met deadlines. 

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  • Shared the responsibility of writing and editing the required paper and the creative brief. 

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