Welcome to 2019. The year of the pig. Will the good fortune of the pig impact Harley Davidson. With the plague of declining motorcycle sales and a loss of interest in the old , big , and pricey bikes, HD will need these 3 things to turn positive this year and the years to come.
The 3 I’s
- Innovation. The times they are a changing. Other posts have talked about the need to move away from the big baggers that were the staple over the last decade. Simply marketing different , smaller bikes will not be enough. Harley Davidson must create new technology and new motorcycle concepts. Harley is doing just that. With the planned release of LiveWire and other bikes like the Pan America and Streetfighter will move the Harley Davidson focus group away from the traditional/classic style. (NOT that there is anything wrong with a polished up Street Glide ). Recent patent designs further cement their focus on development and future.
- Interest. The effort over the last year on marketing across the country from Harley Davidson , if you were to ask someone that was on the outside of motolife looking in, would include a focus group of 40-50 year old males with lots of money to toss around. That has not done much to attract newer, younger, and more adventurous riders. Therefore, motorcycle sales has declined. With the commitment to new models and new technology, Harley will have to initiate an entirely new marketing campaign.
- India. Population. People. Potential. Global markets have never been more important for manufacturers. That includes Harley Davidson. In many of their reports last year, they spoke of this . The need to further expand markets across the globe and improve motorcycle sales is clear. To reach more people, adding options for the more than 1 billion people that live there, will be crucial.
Here’s to the year of the PIG and the future of Harley.
Keep riding.