H-D has a new boss

"He served as the Chairman and CEO of PUMA, the global Sporting Goods company for 18 years. He also served as Board Member of Kering"
 
"I will then oversee the implementation of these changes and reignite Harley-Davidson as one of the most revered and iconic brands in the world.”

As usual, EVERYTHING about brand and nothing about product.

I'm sure he understands the importance and value of a brand, but I sometimes wonder if these guys who move from board job to board job also understand the relationship of a product to it's brand.

With sportswear the brand/label pretty much IS the product. A shirt is a shirt and athletic shoes, depending on the purpose and fit comes down to appearance/brand.

Apple isn't successful because of it's brand; it's brand is recognizable BECAUSE of the (perceived or real) quality and performance of the product.

You're not going to "reignite" HD as a brand unless you re-invent it as a motorcycle or collection of motorcycles to appeal to a broader/younger market.

Sorry, I just find these corporate-speak things foolish. "Hey everybody, we've found a new savior, and he's gonna fix everything!"
 
xrljoel said:
You're not going to "reignite" HD as a brand unless you re-invent it as a motorcycle or collection of motorcycles to appeal to a broader/younger market.
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He might. By axing the drain on resources that is r&d, he can maximize short-term profits. When the regulations change, they withdraw from the bike market and be what norton was for a while. T-shirts and a story. You can run it with a handful of people and keep similar revenue with much higher margins. Sure, this doesnt last forever, but who cares, the bonus/options only care about the next few years.
 
GreyGhost said:
He might. By axing the drain on resources that is r&d, he can maximize short-term profits. When the regulations change, they withdraw from the bike market and be what norton was for a while. T-shirts and a story. You can run it with a handful of people and keep similar revenue with much higher margins. Sure, this doesnt last forever, but who cares, the bonus/options only care about the next few years.
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Holy crap that was depressing.

I get what you mean though. it's all about the stock options and bonus.
 
Count me in the camp that thinks this is a good move. He's been on the Board of Directors at Harley Davidson since 2007 - he clearly knows what is currently happening with the brand's misdirection. Their current product lineup is not reflective of the brand; they need to get back to their roots.
 
Dresden said:
Count me in the camp that thinks this is a good move. He's been on the Board of Directors at Harley Davidson since 2007 - he clearly knows what is currently happening with the brand's misdirection. Their current product lineup is not reflective of the brand; they need to get back to their roots.
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Huh? He has been the chairman for a long time during which they have deviated far from the course you think they should take and therefore he is the correct person to get them back on course?
 
GreyGhost said:
Huh? He has been the chairman for a long time during which they have deviated far from the course you think they should take and therefore he is the correct person to get them back on course?
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Ah, I misread that part - thought that related only to PUMA. Looks like more of the same at Harley Davidson.

Its too bad; as I get older the idea of a Harley Davidson becomes more appealing. Then I glance at their new bikes and see 20 year old technology and wonder how they move these turds.
 
Can't wait to see the new Euro styled beer mugs. Maybe they'll get Porsche Design to do them.
 
Its ok to forget Buell, he was a rediculously talented guy that just couldn;'t figure it out on his own. But he was no Britten.

The new CEO will be just fine. Its a brand, a lifestyle, and a heritage product all in one. He'll be no worse than the last guy.
 
FullMotoJacket said:
It was definitely faster than the US ones.



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It was a good bike, but not a good match for the HD brand. That is the interesting thing about HD. They did great by tying their brand to an image and monetizing it but they seem to be unable to change the inertia on that ship and have a lot of trouble selling bikes that appeal to buyers outside of their historical demographic. They are a brand well before they are a bike manufacturer at this point.
 
Its interesting that some companies can do both, have a cool historical brand and also create excellent motorcycles with wide ranging appeal (ducati, triumph) while others cannot(HD)
 
Maybe he can get the Government to bail them out of debt again even after Covid19.

But honestly, this news has me caring, zero.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Curios what "roots" you are suggesting they should get back to?
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Yeah, very good question. Maybe they should go all the way back to open pushrod external oiling engines.

Or motorized bicycle.

 
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Well the jury will be out on this guy for awhile. I don't think Harley Davidson should be pretending to be something they're not. Forget about the youth market, they don't have the money to buy premium motorcycles. Harley bikes have to be aimed at the 45+ crowd who have the money to spend and the time to enjoy the machine.
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