PCA Magazine Fall 2019

PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2019 | PCA The Magazine 35 “At the end of the day, it’s been a great process because somany people are passionate about this and so it’s a goodway for us to start empowering a lot more of ourmembership to be involved in the process and truly understandwhat’s involved in the process,” said Pearce. “Getting all those perspectives andmaking sure that this is something that is not only right and good, but has a benefit to everybody.” The convention and trade showwas at the Sands Expo Center after two years in the Las Vegas ConventionCenter, and kicked offwith a charismatic keynote address by Ken Schmidt, the former director of communications for Harley-DavidsonMotorcycles. “Listen and listen good. You are going to hear things you never heard before and stuff that will immediately improve your competiveness,” he said in his opening remarks. “Most folks don’t make competing to be a dominant priority of their business. When people you count on tomake your living are advocating for you and talking you up, you are competing to be dominant. Harley-Davidson built themost dominant brands in the world on advocacy.” Schmidt said you need to focus onwhat makes people tick, what behaviors you can identify that will make your businessmore attractive to people—thus making themmore loyal and an advocate for your brand. “When you are not in control of your narrative and people are speaking ill about you or talking the way you don’t want to be talked about, that’s why having people speaking on your behalf is so important,” he said. For example, he said nobody buys aHarley as it was originally built. They become part of the creative process. He said, “Harley owners want their bikes loud, so the first thing they do is swap out the exhaust systems. When they rev their engines they are doing so to receive one of humans’ basic needs, to be noticed. This year’s seminars focused on defining your brand, hiring the right people and social media marketing.