Lovemark

I can see that my Lovemark is the Polaris brand. We have owned their snow mobiles, quads and the new RZR-4. I can see where some of the other companies have their own versions of the atv, utv and snow machine and they are pretty close in comparison so I would say at this point the playing ground is level with them all. Then you have all of us out racing each other, some of whom have Kawasaki Teryxs, Arctic Cat Wildcats or Can-Am Commanders and at that point it becomes a competition. The competition leads to some smack talking and you had better be able to stand behind your brand of machine and you definitely better have that machine able to back you up on the trail. It becomes an emotional challenge at this point.

Does Polaris play on these emotional ties and mental attachments?  Oh yes they do! If you watch the following links you can see how they are “The world’s most powerful ATV”, “It has the best power steering”, “The highest horsepower and the smoothest ride.” How could you possibly choose any other manufacturer over them? Even their ending caption of "Winning Performance" eludes to the fact that if you don't buy their brand then you will not be a winner; hence a loser. Nobody wants to be a loser and the latter portion of the caption, performance, means that you are getting a quality product, a smarter choice and   more capable machine. Hard to say no to all that. Even on the first video it challenges the two other leading competitors' side by sides and they can only fit two riders, while the RZR 4 can fit four riders. The RZR 4 screams that it is for a family and that there is no other chioce if you have a wife/husband and kids....or a really cool dog. This is the main video that I played for my wife to convince her that the RZR 4 was the toy for our family.

http://youtu.be/U4kr9YEaSwc

http://youtu.be/4DqBsNG5VtQ

http://youtu.be/Lk37M2_IqXw

              

        We have owned the Polaris brand in our family for as long as I can remember. My dad, uncles and brother still own them and the Polaris name has bred a familiarity within our scope of family and friends.  My father has used a quad or Rhino for his work for a long time, so there is an association that the Polaris brand is part of our livelihoods. Sounds a bit cliché, but it has helped to put food on the table and clothes on our backs.

                Do I have an emotional bond with the Polaris name? I would undoubtedly have to say yes to that! It is hard not to have some sort of ties with the machine that you spend your weekends, family vacations and trail runs with. The RZR-4 and our quads have taken us to places that would have never been seen or experienced by us without them. After you have ridden into the middle of the desert to Antelope Falls and then swam in the pond, it is hard not to be bonded to that machine.  Currently my 4 year old has a Polaris 50 quad that he is learning to ride. This is my greatest moment or joy, as a father, to be able to teach him how it all works. Showing him how to put it all together with the throttle, brakes, leaning in turns and so forth is my paternal apex. How could I not have an emotional tie to something after that? Hard not to, I know.

                Then once you have owned a quad or RZR, you eventually journey to Glamis or Moab or some other off road park near you and you meet all the other owners of the same brand. Having the same brand or machine enables you to fit in, start a conversation and make friends. We make the trek to Glamis about 5 times a year during the winter months and we almost always stick with our same group of people, and yes we all own RZR’s. Owning the same machines makes repairs and upgrades so much easier as everyone is so willing to jump in and help you fix it or adjust clutch or throw on a new exhaust.

        I see riding this machine as expressing myself as a father to my boys as with a four-seater, they go everywhere with me. I explain to my older kids while we are out riding that if you want to have the toys and fun like we are having; then you need to be educated and work hard. Sounds strange, but this one of the ways that I show them some motivation to better themselves through higher learning.

                It would be hard for me to imagine not having an ATV or UTV to spend quality time with my family and friends. Yes, I could walk around the block with them and take them to the local park, but getting away from the city and being on our own is what fun and family is for us. Wouldn’t trade it for the world, but a little more speed wouldn’t hurt.