By Jim Lyons, Photizo Group
Orlando – To say that Photizo Group’s Transform 2012 by started with a defiant “roar” might be a little less hyperbole than normal, if one conjures up the image (and sound) of a powerful Harley Davidson motorcycle roaring down the open road.. The morning’s opening, and one joint session for all, opened the conference yesterday, and following brief welcomes from Photizo executives, offered an inspiring and insightful presentation on marketing and differentiation from Harley-Davidson’s former director of communications Ken Schmidt.
Acknowledging first that motorcycles and managed print services might not seem to have all that much in common, Schmidt went on to argue that point, by offering comparisons and the importance of differentiation is example of a top-of-the-line Harley outselling the one-third-the-price, and feature-wise equivalent Honda offering made his point, helped make his point on differentiation. Going back to his and Harley’s dark days, with bankruptcy looming during the 1980s, he described how the company broke the industry rules by offering “test drives”, a no-brainer in the car channel but until then, unheard of in the motorcycle business. He also tracked the company’s success in building a following, more of “disciples”, meaning those who will pass along their stories, filled with delight with Harley Davidson, to others. Seeking to have merely customers in the basic sense is not enough, and he warned against boring them with specs, facts, and figures. Making his points again and again, with various Harley-oriented tales, he “roared” to the Transform 2012 that differentiation is not only desirable, but that it’s very possible as well, with the right vision and commitment.
Following the Schmidt/Harley session, the conference went on it to its 3-to-5 separate, topic-oriented tracks throughout the day, featuring industry pundits and luminaries, executives, and practitioners. This multitude of stimulating sessions is also accompanied by the conference’s bustling exhibition area.
As business wound down at the Hilton Bonnet Creek concluded Thursday by about 6pm, an evening networking event was next on the agenda, at none other than a Harley-Davidson dealership/showcase in the Orlando area.
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