Harley Davidson Marketing Strategy Essay

Steve Craig, in his article Men’s Men and Women’s Women especially define how different sexes in advertisement can influence a particular audience towards a product; one stereotypical method he describes is “Men’s Women” (Craig).One such ad using sex appeal, and a basic structure of “Men’s Women” to bring in customer was made by BMW in 2008 to sell their used cars. BMW, which is a world-renowned company known for its performance heavy automobiles, targets a male audience by comparing a gorgeous woman to their cars.This ad by BMW, who no doubt make amazing cars, degrade women through its message, and it enforces Steve Craig’s “Men’s women” tactic, but this ad also goes a step further and displays the ever-present patriarchy in advertisement overtly.

The motorcycle industry is growing annually and sales on CruiseThorr at Thorr Motorcycles are decreasing. This is largely due to its target customers, 35 to 50 yrs old, growing older and no longer being interested in the lifestyle that CruiserThorr symbolizes. Other factors include younger customers, in the age group of 21 to 35 yrs old, preferring low-cost motorcycles as they do not have large disposable incomes. Younger customers do not identify with CruiserThorr's lifestyle image and competitors are eating into CruiserThorr's market share. In order to reduce this trend, the following marketing

Harley-Davidson has 30 plus motorcycle models ranging from smaller introductory motorcycles for the beginner up to high end touring motorcycles, and three wheeled motorcycles. Harley-Davidson has become one of the most well-known companies in the United States. They have opened the market from the typical biker to the doctor or lawyer with their continuous developments and variation in marketing and management. Due to demand for the American made motorcycle, the worldwide motorcycle market offers Harley-Davidson with many opportunities to sell their merchandise. Harley-Davidson has extended the choices of motorcycles through modernization and expanding choice in current marketplaces to include ecologically friendly products by producing an electric motorcycle.

Harley-Davidson (Harley) was founded in 1903 as a small business and became the largest motorcycle company in the world after 15 years of operations. Moreover, by 1950, Harley-Davidson was the leader in the U.S. Market with over 60% market share. Historically, the key success factor in Harley-Davidson combined two important ingredients: several competitive advantages and favorable conditions in the motorcycle industry since the industry was almost new and the barriers to enter or the forces affecting it were weak (see appendix 5.1). After the victory of Walter Davidson riding a Harley-Davidson in a race and the development of unique innovations such as the V-twin engine, Harley obtained

Based on the MKTG, Third Canadian Edition by Nelson Education, even though retail motorcycle sales in Canada grew between 2005 and 2008 the sales declined significantly since 2012 because motorcycle sales tend to be seasonal due to given the climate in Canada. According to this estimate for 2012, the recent trends in motorcycle sales point to an uncertain future for the motorcycle industry. (LAMB, 2016, p. 199). Besides of this motorcycle industry trends in Canada, Harley Davidson Canada is issued for effectively being in Canada for 100 years.

Question #2 In America and Japan, Harley has shifted the positioning of its products away from simple motorcycles and more toward being status symbols of a particular way of life. Can this positioning succeed in Asia, Africa, and South America? Why or why not?

More Female Riders - Motorcycle manufacturers are targeting female riders. Female ownership is growing faster than male ownership. Manufacturers are building units with lower seats, lighter weight, and lower tension clutches to attract female riders. More than 10 percent of US motorcyclists are women. Additional revenues are generated from accessories, clothing, and riding gear.

Motorcycles have been marketed as the masculine, mobility and freedom machine since the early 1900s. Crusier Thorr is no different. It is a high-powered, efficient motorcycle modeled after the God of Thunder himself. Cruiser Thorr is prized for it strong, honest and dependable product design; however, with the changing demographics of its target market, the company has hired a new Marketing Manager to re-market the high-end bike to a younger market. This paper will describe the decisions made by the new marketing manager and the company’s attempt to re-invent their marketing strategies to push this bike into a demographically

Historically, Harley-Davidson has managed to dominate the U.S. market by becoming a staple of American culture. Specifically, the Harley-Davidson motorcycle is considered “a part of American iconography” and is typically associated with well-known American symbols, including both the U.S. flag and the bald eagle. As a direct result of this association, the company has achieved strong and long-lasting brand loyalty among U.S. customers, which has undoubtedly contributed to its great success in the U.S. market.

Historically Harley-Davidson to be a Niche Marketer, which is they had focused in on one particular aspect of the market. Kotler and Keller identified the following characteristics of niche marketing; customers have a distinct set of needs, they are willing to pay more to the firm that best suits their needs, it is not likely to attract competitors, gains economies through specialized products and it has a size, profit and to grow. Almost all of these hold true for the “heavyweight” segment of motor cycles that Harley-Davidson produced.

Since Harley Davison Motor Company started in 1903, they have been successfully “taking the work out of bicycling” better than any other motorcycle manufacturing company. They have experienced great success recently with growing numbers in their percentage of motorcycles shipped, up 14 percent from 1997, and their target market size, up 13.8 percent from 1997. Their brand has also grown so strong over the years that customers are willing to wait up to two years for a motorcycle. The problems that Harley Davison is faced with are how to improve their existing purchasing process, how to integrate their existing procurement methods together, and how to develop longer term

Although it is not expected that women be marketed to in the exact fashion that men are, it is understandable that a woman would like to be treated as more of an equal. When asked about her opinion on marketing to different genders, Shelley Rider stated, “although a talented professional should be capable of successfully marketing to both sexes, it is vital to a company that both sexes are represented in a board room where decisions are made. From my experience in marketing athletic apparel for Champion, I have found that the most successful and effective marketing strategies come from groups with both men and women present.”

Gender : affects the designs for both male and female customers (e.g. apparel for women)

Harley-Davidson's mission statement is to "fulfill dreams through the experience of motorcycling, by providing to motorcyclists and to the general public an expanding line of motorcycles and branded products and services in selected market segments." (Harley Davidson, 1999). The company's main objective for the entire organization s is to have happy and satisfied stakeholder; this includes their customers, employees, suppliers, investors, and the entire society in general. Harley-Davidson makes the customer's experience with their products the core of their business and every effort is made to make this experience as enjoyable as possible. It is this strategy that has helped Harley Davidson meet its current level of success.

Currently H-D is the leading seller of heavy weight motorcycles across the entire world. Because they are at the pinnacle they are the target for the competition. Some of Harley Davidson 's advantages are name recognition, brand loyalty, brand quality and customer loyalty (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson, 2013, p. 81). The company benefits by having “the made in America” image attached to its products. The image of a Harley rider and owner is one of a tough, independent, free spirit, ready and willing to take on the world type of man. The sound of a H-D motorcycle in idle or being ridden is unique and very identifiable.