Indian Motorcycle says its anti-DEI marketing isn't political, but some of its own riders reject the campaign

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

A Struggling Motorcycle Brand Wants to Start a Culture War With Harley-Davidson
Indian Motorcycle says its anti-DEI marketing isn’t political, but some of its own riders reject the campaign


Indian Motorcycle is trying an incendiary new script: It is attempting to drag Harley-Davidson
into the culture wars.

In a recent social-media video, Minnesota-based Indian criticized its larger and more prosperous competitor Harley for making electric motorcycles, moving some production to Thailand and embracing diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

------

“I don’t like that they’re getting involved in politics,” said Dave Friedl, a Florida resident who owns an Indian Scout. “I don’t want a ‘red brand’ and a ‘blue brand’ in motorcycles. There’s too much of that already.”

An Indian spokesman said the marketing wasn’t political.
“We are not afraid to say we believe Indian builds the better motorcycle, and we are not afraid to say Indian is closer to the riders and values that built American motorcycling,” he said.

Neeru Paharia, a marketing professor at Arizona State University, said Indian’s approach comes with risks. Direct attacks on a competitor are rare in advertising, she said, as are politically tinged messages.



https://www.wsj.com/business/a-struggling-motorcycle-brand-wants-to-start-a-culture-war-with-harley-davidson-83f2c8cd