The three pillars for creating more civil brands are [1] Inclusivity: ideas that bring us together as a society [2] Importance: ideas that everyone agrees are worth discussing and [3] Influence: ideas that have the power to create debate.

So, one could suppose that rebellious brands like Harley and Virgin would score low in Civil Branding’s research since they are, by definition, not going to be perceived as inclusive. Harley Davidson does score low in our research, but Virgin achieves a Civil Branding ‘Advocate’ status (scoring near the top percentage of Civil Brands).

Harley: Working that Hell’s Angels look

Harley: Fiercely loyal

Both brands snub ‘the powers that be’ openly, both brands are icons for their rebel status and both are seen as adventurous, irreverent and libertarian.  While Harley owners buy their bikes expressly for non Civil Branding qualities, Virgin enjoys mass market appeal but is able to maintain a rebellious image whilst promoting messages that are seen as positive for society.

So how does Virgin do it? Richard Branson often makes the point that Virgin will not enter into an industry unless they can turn it on its head. This ambition is about doing business in a radically different way than the incumbent and then ‘rubbing their competitor’s noses in it’ through its marketing promotions. So, Virgin ends up creating a ‘people’s hero’ narrative in the pursuit of industry change.

Virgin also employs a lot of humour in its brand, laughing at itself and others on a regular basis. Tongue in cheek humour seems to be the brand’s favourite tool as demonstrated by this indulgent and hilarious  flashback from 1984.

Harley Davidson, by contrast, offers a perspective on life that is highly individualistic, focused on freedom for the individual. From our research, people feel that Harley’s communications encourage its followers to reject wider society because of its efforts to control the individual and block important liberties.

Brands like Harley Davidson demonstrate that not all brands need to be Civil Branding heroes to be successful. Harley’s market share for big bikes is 50% in the US and about a third in the rest of the world. However,  in psychological territory, there are far more civil positions to take up than uncivil ones (probably the topic for another post). Lastly, Virgin clearly demonstrates how to build a rebel position and at the same time be seen as a positive force for change in society, creating a more complex and meaningful brand into the bargain.

Virgin: Che Branson as promoted by FT

Virgin: 25 Years and still Red Hot