Harley-Davidson announces prized internships

Eight millennials from around the world have been awarded prized Harley-Davidson summer paid internships which include learning marketing skills and how to ride, plus they get to keep their motorcycle at the end!

More than 7500 people applied for the #FindYourFreedom internships from more than 30 countries including Australia, South Africa, Russia, China, Argentina, France and Egypt.

Internships

The lucky internships winners are: former police officer Alejandro Garrido from Miami; travel blogger Cassandra “Charlie” Grimbly of Cape Town, South Africa; college student Brock St. Clair of Mississippi;  communications graduate Emma Ogiemwanye of California; TV news reporter Meghan Glova of North Carolina;  Anthony Peries of London; Tessa Otto of  Wisconsin; and Weidong Han from China who immigrated  to the USA when he was 19 years old.

Weidong is the most experienced rider having ridden more than 110,00km across 49 of 50 states.

New Harley-Davidson Australia marketing director Keith Waddell describes the US promotion as a “fantastic initiative” that they will monitor.

Harley channel marketing director Heidi Skinner says they will send the interns on assignments around the world such as bike nights, flat-track races and Harley’s 115th-anniversary parties in the Czech Republic and Milwaukee.

“We are going to get them immersed into the high-profile events, for sure, but also into more underground, counter-culture events. We are looking for it all,” she says.

The traditional American icon will train the interns in marketing techniques at their Milwaukee headquarters and, of course, teach them how to ride.

Harleys and millennials

It’s a great marketing exercise that thinks outside the box and addresses the big issue that has been haunting Harley – how to sell to millennials.

Rather than preaching to millennials, it will be millennials reacting out to other millennials.

And it uses the platform that millennials use – social media.

The social media word-of-mouth promotion echoes the sentiments of the American Give a Shift group of motorcycle industry luminaries who say riders need to be ambassadors for their hobby/sport.

Harley also offers internships in other areas such as engineering and human resources.