Note: A representative from Messh reached out to provide clarification. The following article has been adjusted for accuracy.
Searching Hard for That New Customer Base
Harley-Davidson and OA Experiential will work together to collect data on attendees at various events, Harley displays, and other venues to try to better understand the folks at those events and hopefully market more effectively to them. This is a smart move by the company—one that could pay off in the long run.
The better Harley understands the people’s interest in their motorcycles, the easier it will be for the company to sell to them and build bikes they actually want to ride. Instead of Harley building bikes that it thinks people want or just following conventions, it will have better data to use to make informed decisions. Just another way the company is modifying and building itself into a company ready for the modern world.
The Role That Meshh Plays
According to RideApart, a company called Meshh is connected with OA Experiential and will be the ones actually collecting the data. The data collection happens when a person visits an event, like say the X-Games. Meshh sets up sensors at events that will detect your phone and assign a unique identifier to it. That identifier address is used to determine things such as the following: engagement, total reach, dwell time, and frequency of visits.
RideApart reported that the company can tell what kind of phone you have and what carrier you use. Through your carrier, they can tell things like age and income. Meshh cross-references all data with other data bought from other companies.
However, a representative from Meshh reached out to us and said that reporting is not accurate. It is illegal to cross-reference that kind of data in most countries. Our contact at Meshh said they do not do that, “We deliberately don’t align data sets.” The data is anonymous and not invasive or personal. Harley isn’t after your personal info, just your habits around its events and displays.