Like many boomers, the image of Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper cruising on the open road (Easy Rider) is indelibly stamped on my subconscious. Of course I secretly yearn for the freedom that motorcycles represent BUT for any number of practical reasons (“over my dead body”) I’ve suppressed that dream. I’ve already written about Harley Davidson’s dead on (livingbyit.com) effort to fan the flames of that dream so it shouldn’t be a surprise when I note another marketer’s effort to draw me into the fold.

Insurance is one of those things that could put the brakes on considering a motorcycle. First of all, it immediately associates the act of riding a bike with the possibility of an accident, a really painful and possibly lethal accident. Nonetheless, if you are an insurance company who offers motorcycle coverage, then you would want to support the dream of owning the perfect bike. Remarkably, few insurance companies have adopted such an approach. So thus, I offer up the Allstate Garage as a stimulating example of Marketing as Service. Here’s what MediaPost wrote about it:

Allstate launched a website targeting motorcycle owners, allowing them to get a quote and build a customized bike in 12 steps. This in-depth site also features scenic routes that can be viewed and mapped out for riding, courtesy of Google maps, safety tips, a forum to share riding experiences and a calendar page of local and national events. Each customized bike can be viewed in a showroom and downloaded as desktop wallpaper.

It didn’t take me very long to patch together my dream bike, and I had fun. While I was putting it together, Allstate offered up a few tips on getting the right kind of insurance, but since I was enjoying customizing my dream bike, I didn’t find their “helpful hints” annoying in the least. Here’s what the first bike I created looked like:

Also FYI, it turns out that the Allstate Garage program is bigger and smarter than just this website. A couple of years ago, Allstate figured out that no other insurer was covering customized bikes SO they developed a policy directly aimed at that unmet need. And to build credibility among the target, they went on the road as per Promo Magazine:

The tour hits six motorcycle rallies over three months. It spun off a “Biker Agents” ad campaign showcasing the 600 Allstate agents who are motorcycling enthusiasts. The virtual garage was designed as an interactive classroom pushing cycle design and safety, and the features of Allstate’s motorcycle coverage.

Allstate is running the tour in partnership with Chopper College, a Chicago-based training school that combines course work with hands-on cycle customizing techniques. Allstate agent Dean Akey, who founded a team of cyclist emergency responders dubbed Rescue Riders, attended three rallies to reinforce the identity of Allstate agents as bikers.

As far as I’m concerned, this program hits on all cylinders.

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