DIVERSITY

By Alisa Clickenger

CARRYING A TORCH

A Decade Of Exploring Boundaries With Women’s Motorcycle Tours

Anniversaries are Important. Whether we are marking years, decades, or centennials, these ticks of time remind us of significant events, bringing to mind something that otherwise might pass unnoticed. Anniversaries put a mark on the calendar to not only make us stop and remember, but also to pause and reflect on a particular event that has shaped us. Maybe even serve as a concept that should be revived? For a business, anniversaries are a good business strategy. Anniversaries are something everyone can relate to, and they have the ability to cut through the noise and carve a sharp focus for us to get our message across.

This year is my 10th Anniversary of starting Women’s Motorcycle Tours. I have been empowering women and building confidence for women through motorcycling since 2011, when I led my first motorcycle tour under my own banner, the Women’s Empowerment Motorcycle Tour. It was a brand new concept for touring at the time: teaching women to tour on motorcycles… while touring. We offered pre-tour coaching and instruction, on-tour demonstrations every day and post-tour inspiration to keep riding.

The name might feel a bit dated now, but whatever I chose to call it back then, every time I see my 10th Anniversary logo it gives me a little tickle. It skips over the ten years of toil and brings me back to the very reasons I set out to start exploring boundaries… and pushing past them! The goal of inspiring more women to ride while empowering and encouraging them to ride more. I started Women’s Motorcycle Tours with that one tour ten years ago when there weren’t nearly as many female riders as there are now. In fact, we were somewhat of an anomaly. I wanted to reinvent the way women motorcycle riders came together and give a voice to all women riders on all brands of bikes and from all disciplines of riding. Novel concept!

As far as I know, Women’s Motorcycle Tours was the first motorcycle tour and event company that focused exclusively on women motorcycle riders. From our modest beginnings, Women’s Motorcycle Tours has evolved into a motorcycle experience company offering life-changing motorcycle experiences, moto-mindset coaching and bespoke motorcycle tours around the world. We’ve added epic events like the 2021 Suffragists Centennial Motorcycle Ride (July 31 - August 22 of this year), Women’s Motorcycle Festivals & Conferences — both virtual and in-person — and we’ve survived a year of nobody attending in-person events.

Can you see how easy that was? That 10th Anniversary gives me a new narrative in my marketing. Anniversaries stand for something strong and powerful, and signal to our previous customers that they were part of something great. The 10th Anniversary also adds credibility for our future customers, so they know that they are part of something enduring and strong.

You’re not limited to just your brand anniversary in your marketing. In fact, you’re probably already been using them a bit in your Memorial Day marketing and in your Labor Day marketing. Reach into the archives of your community and commemorate the positive things that stand out. Get creative with your research and spice up your marketing.

Bottom line: Create a new narrative that helps you leverage public sentiment, capitalize on emotions, and helps you draw customers in. Anniversaries can be a really powerful tool in your marketing toolbox when you leverage them correctly.

If still you don’t think anniversaries are important, just ask your partner or spouse. No doubt they’ll confirm my point.

Alisa is a two-wheeled world traveler, author, tour operator, and event producer. She has been featured in a variety of media outlets as a woman pursuing a life of adventure and helping others to access their inner wisdom and be free to lead lives they are passionate about. Her book Boost Your

Confidence Through Motorcycling: A Woman’s Guide to Being Your Best Self On and Off the Bike

became an Amazon.com #1 Bestseller. In 2019 Alisa was also named to Dealernews TOP 100 People in Powersports. Her personal mission is to empower women through motorcycling and adventure while being a strong advocate for the powersports industry at large. Alisa’s motorcycle touring company is www.WomensMotorcycleTours.com.