Harley Davidson Essay

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In the case Harley Davidson: Chasing a New Generation of Customer 's” Mark-Hans Richer was just entering the Harley Davidson organization to help the company gain “a new generation of riders and a more diverse customer base, all without losing current customers” (Roese, Kompella 1). The company needed to attract a younger generation, because their core customers, the Baby Boomers were aging. Soon these individuals would no longer be able to ride, which means Harley Davidson could come to a close. Hence, Harley Davidson hired a Chief Marketing Officer for the first time ever in order to gain new clientele and help carry Harley Davidson into the future. However, Richer needed to act fast for two reasons: the Baby Boomer was not getting any younger, and Richer had about five years of work to do and only about 27 months to do it (Roese, Kompella 1).
Analysis:
Harley Davidson has arrived at this problem for a few reasons. The first is because they have failed to adapt and innovate. The company has offered only two models of bikes since their existence and has not focused much attention towards the Buell bikes. The lack of variety contributes to their restricted consumer base. Another reason is because of external threats. The greatest one being that competitors are offering products that are fast, visually appealing and cheaper, all of which appeals to the younger generation. Furthermore, the company has experienced growing pains because there are many entry barriers or

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