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HARLEY-DAVIDSON The decisions for marketing stra

The decisions for marketing strategy recommended for Harley combine new communications techniques, reanalysis of customer needs and wants and more concrete goal setting.

Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company was established in 1903 by William Harley, Walter, William, and Arthur Davidson, who built their first three motorcycles in a shed in Milwaukee. The trademark Harley hog with a 2-cylinder, v-twin engine was introduced to the American market in 1909, and although some 100 other companies entered the market, Harley outlasted them all. During World War I, European riders wanted Harleys and the sales grew geometrically.

Harley-Davidson still owned the market in the 1920's when they added front brakes and newly designed gas tanks. The sales spurt of the 1920s was dampened by the Depression of the 1930s and Harley survived by exporting to Europe and Asia and doing bulk contact sales to the police and military, which bought more than 90,000 units for World War II use.

After the war, Harley turned once again to the consumer market and introduced the K-model in 1952, the Sportster "Superbike" in 1957, and the Duo-Glide in 1958. By 1953, Harley-Davidson was the only major motorcycle manufacturer in the US. Harley-Davidson was taken over by the American Machine and Foundry (AMF) in 1969. AMF put the company up for sale in the late 1970's due to a gross reduction in sales. The reduction in sales was representative of a poor level of quality in the Harley bike compared to their Japanese counterpart.

Although Harley was the best known motorcycle and had a strong brand name and was profitable during World War I and World War II, this status quickly changed during the 1970's. When the Japanese beefed up its attack on the American motorcycle industry with its smaller, more stylish 750 cc road machines that appealed to the Yuppie market.

These bikes came on the market with complete designer color lines, factory service, and p...

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HARLEY-DAVIDSON The decisions for marketing stra. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 08:42, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1707644.html