Abstract

The only major American player in the global motorcycle market, Harley- Davidson, had developed a distinct brand image and dominated the US motorcycle industry for many decades. In the early 1980s, Japanese manufacturers flooded the market with high quality and low priced bikes and nearly destroyed Harley-Davidson. Under the leadership of Richard Teerlink, the company went through a major restructuring exercise. Harley-Davidson also adopted a new marketing philosophy centred around selling community and lifestyle positioning. This case covers important issues related to brand management, brand licensing and lifestyle segmentation. This case can be used to facilitate classroom discussion on marketing driven corporate turnaround.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

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Keywords

Harley-Davidson, Marketing strategy, Restructuring, Brand management, Brand leveraging, Motorcycle industry, Heavyweight motorcycle, Community building, Harley Owner''s Group, Buell motorcycle, Buell Riders Adventure Group, Brand licensing, Brand association, Brand loyalty, Richard Teerlink