Over A Century of Harley Davidson Dominance
Posted by George Ross on September 15, 2009
It has been a century since William Harley and Andrew Davidson first collaborated to reinvent the motorcycle in Milwaukee, USA. The collaboration has revolutionized the world of motorcycle and changed the bike market from selling a mere vehicle to selling a lifestyle.
By creating a biker image, the Harley Davidson made its competitors who were just selling mere vehicles eat dust. Harley ranks among the top growth stock since its 1986 IPO in America. It posts an annual earnings growth of 37% despite some setbacks.
It isn’t hard to understand why the company enjoys the biggest share in the motorcycle market. Owning a Harley is like getting into a brotherhood. Buying a Harley gets you into the Harley Owners Group or HOG as they are fondly called. The Harley legacy still thrives in the fraternity of HOG members.
The robust earnings posted by the company still does not erase some concerns as to how the Harley is going to fare in the next 100 years. The baby boomers who are taking advantage of their earnings and accomplishments in the 90s are the company’s main customer base and are now getting older. What used to be a niche for young professionals is changing as the boomers are getting older. Harley needs to reach deeper to younger demographics if they intend to stay on for the next century.
Today’s generation clearly favors the sleek sporty designs as opposed to the chunky and brassy design Harley Davidson is known for. We have to give credit to the company who refuses to buckle down as opposed to its past competitors. After suffering 15 long years of sales decline, it has rallied and has now been enjoying 11 years of ascent in sales.
The company strongly relies on image rather than performance when it comes to marketing strategies. Like other institutions that rely on such, it is greatly affected by changing style and taste. Since it cannot replace the aging boomers, it is detrimental for them to reach deeper to appeal to the younger generations. Making changes could be tricky for a company like the Harley who has a cult following. It could alienate their customer base. More recent popular models sports a water cooled engines as opposed to the Harley’s air cooled ones. If they do away with the roaring sound they could loose their fan base.
Dealers of Harley Davidsons believe though that the company will find a way to locate a balance. They have done away with problems in the past and the dealers are confident that the company will device a plan to reach out to the younger generation while being faithful to their old fanatical customers.
As the next 100 years is well on its way, we can expect the company to be able to bridge the gap. The Harley Davidson has been a biking legacy over the past century and it looks like it will remain to dominate the market for the next generations.
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