But now the tables have turned and Hondas marketing concept has a lot to do with their success and win of the market. What happened in the David VS Goliath clash? And what marketing strategies caused the all time favourite Harley Davidson sink so quickly? Harley-Davidson is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American manufacturers to survive the Great Depression.
Central to their strategy was promoting the brand name and they did so well. Harley invested heavily in its image and to increase their involvement in its customers it formed the Harley Owner’s group (HOG) in 1983 which, was to sustain the image of the Harley as well as to create a special community of Harley’s customers. Customer loyalty was reflected in their repurchase and upgrading of Harley products. More than 50% of all customers were those who have already purchased Harley’s products before, while 20% were first-timers. This strategy worked well to stabilize the market shares since early 90s to 2003.
Full members in the owners group can take advantage of the company’s online travel service to schedule a Fly & Ride vacation to any of 41 different locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, or Australia, picking up a bike from a local Harley- Davidson dealership on arrival to tour in style or simply renting a bike at selected dealerships. 4. Would you say that Harley- Davidson adopts a consumer orientation in its marketing efforts? Explain your answer. Yes they do adopt a consumer orientation & I say this because of the length of time they’ve been in business as well as the number of repeat customers that they have.
The environmental factors that affect global and domestic marketing decisions for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles XXXXXX MKT/421 February 6, 2012 Gabriel Renero The environmental factors that affect global and domestic marketing decisions for Harley Davidson Motorcycles Harley Davidson Motorcycles has been building, selling, promoting, and marketing their motorcycles since William S. Harley completed a blueprint drawing of an engine designed to fit into a bicycle in 1901. In 1903 William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson make available to the public the first production Harley Davidson Motorcycle. One year later, the first Harley Davidson dealer opens for business (History of Harley Davidson, 2012). Harley Davidson is the world’s most recognized motorcycle and brand name for motorcycles, synonymous with words like; freedom, America, biker, 1%er, HOG, and more. It was 111years ago since that first blueprint drawing by William S. Harley, and Harley Davidson as of present time has five basic models (over 75 sub-models).
This allowed for Ford to sell over 15 million vehicles and make them a major part of the automobile market share. The introduction of the Model T began a new age in North America and transportation. This spurred the growth of roads, and jobs, and changed the way Americans traveled. Ford’s success can be credited to the implementation of the assembly line; this is what differentiated his company from any other automobile makers in America at the time, this had a great impact on the American culture. Mass production along with advancements in technology proved to be greatly Ford’s advantage; this strategy gave Ford the ability to make automobiles in large quantities and make them affordable to many.
HARLEY DAVIDSON: Preparing for the Next Century 1. Historically, how did Harley-Davidson mange to dominate the U.S. motorcycle market? How did it do so and what were its sources of competitive advantage? a. First move- early 1900’s b.
The target customers of the company are middle-aged people who are now ageing and the youth is more attracted towards technologically advanced sports bike. Moreover, the strategy with which Harley Davidson got so much popularity in US is not paying off in international market, as it can be seen by their market share which is 55.7%, 13.7%, 21% and 7% in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America respectively in the year 2011 for heavyweight motorcycle segment. Even low production volume in comparison to its competitors has imposed significant cost disadvantages to Harley Davidson. Analysis From 1984 to 2008, Harley Davidson enjoyed dominance in US market and a continuous growth rate in its output and revenue. It can be attributed to its 3M strategy, i.e., Management, Marketing and Manufacturing.
The Mesopotamians were the first to use chariots in war, in 2400 BC. The chariot diffused fast to other human societies all over the world, mainly because it had become an efficient military weapon (Publins, 2013). The Hittites, for instance, relied on it to establish their first Kingdom in 1700 BC. By 1300 BC, the chariot had already penetrated into China from the Northwest. Since the kingdoms and societies using this vehicle in war were found to be superior based on the size of their chariots, it became a master weapon and spread all over the world within a short time.
Check-in service times were exceeding the company standard of three minutes or less, so a team was assembled to determine the best solution. Again, the Six Sigma DMAIC model was employed. Top-Down Commitment: The Six Sigma initiative is supported from the top of the organization down. Implementation of such a program is not inexpensive, with well-paid managers deployed throughout all regions of North America, and internal training programs to grow “Green Belts” (departmental managers seeking to build their own skill sets) into Black Belts. There also is a commitment throughout all brands (Sheraton, Westin, W, Four Points, etc.
Most riders will stick to the market segment that they enjoy, but some riders may transition their market segment as well as their riding style as they age. (A lot of Harley riders will tell you there first motorcycle back in the day was an old Honda.) * An automobile can be considered a substitute product, however more than likely a consumer is looking to purchase a motorcycle because they want a motorcycle, not necessarily because they strictly need transportation and they are looking at all transportation industries. * Competing sellers * The largest force that the sport bike world faces is competition from competing sellers. The appeal of sport bikes and the brands themselves (including Ducati) all came from roots of competitive motorcycle racing.