LAB-184-Is Harley-Davidson Failing to Connect to its Core Customers? Marketing Mayhem?

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09/14/18 • 105 min

Law Abiding Biker | Street Biker Motorcycle Podcast

Official website: https://www.lawabidingbiker.com

Over the past several years the Harley Marketing Team seems to have taken the wrong path & made some poor decisions. It's understandable to most riders that Harley-Davidson as a company needs to stay legitimate & boost sales in an ever-changing market. However, many of Harley's most hardcore and brand loyal customers feel the Motor Company is losing touch with them.

Based on Harley's cheaper priced, smaller & lighter motorcycle line-up of Street and Sportster series, it's clear they're trying to draw new younger riders. This makes sense as their core customer base is now middle age or older. In their quest for new younger riders, Harley seems to be forgetting who is still feeding them and they're not paying attention to their core customer base. If Harley ignores and loses their core customers they will be in big trouble.

Harley has a YouTube channel, but it just doesn't connect with riders. Their videos are overproduced and lack any real useful information. It is typical for large companies like Harley to fail on YouTube. They just haven't learned their way around YouTube yet and what viewers actually want.

The Harley Marketing Team needs to take a step back and see the big picture. Last year in some sort of unorganized unveil they gave brand new Harley's to ungrateful Hollywood personalities who clearly did not care at all about the bikes. This sort of marketing is so behind the times and they must realize that core Harley riders don't care at all about Hollywood personalities. It actually upset the majority of Harley riders when they saw the unveil. This sort of outdated marketing doesn't connect with true Harley riders & was a complete waste of time and money for the Harley Marketing Team.

Instead of chasing after Hollywood, old outdated print magazines, and dying radio, they need to do what many large companies have figured out years ago & are currently doing. Companies like Apple, DJI, and Samsung, just to name a few, have realized that working with YouTube creators and influencers is way more powerful than the old ways of doing business. This is how you truly connect with your customers these days.

Today, customers want a more real world review from a YouTube creator they know, like, and trust, rather than some Hollywood star or personality they could care less about. They want an unbiased review from a creator that actually uses and tests the products they care about. An unbiased review holds way more weight than Harley or any big company trying to tell an audience how great their product is.

These progressive companies as mentioned above give select YouTube creators & podcasters early access to information and products as to cause excitement with the audience and their customers. They then make sure these creators have access and are the first to review new products when there is an unveiling.

This is nothing new and is very powerful, yet Harley has clearly not figured this out. Open your eyes, Harley. The Harley Marketing Team is failing to see the very large communities of core customers right on YouTube. All they'd have to do is read some of the comments on the videos on the Law Abiding Biker YouTube Channel to get a real feel of what their core customers like and don't like.

The Harley Marketing Team should go after independent YouTube and podcast creators rather than persons with a YouTube channel that work for dealerships. Content and reviews just can't be completely unbiased if someone works for a dealership and Harley riders know this.

That's just one suggestion of many that the Harley Marketing Team could work on. You'll have to listen in to this podcast episode to hear our passionate opinions into what we believe Harley is currently doing right and what they are doing wrong.

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New 2019 Harley-Davidson Models-First Look-Serious Failure? Boom Box GTS? FXDR 114?

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Official website: https://www.lawabidingbiker.com

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New 2019 Harley-Davidson Models-First Look-Serious Failure? Boom Box GTS? FXDR 114?

Sponsor-Ciro 3D

CLICK HERE!
Innovative products for Harley-Davidson
Affordable chrome, lighting, and comfort products
Ciro 3D has a passion for design and innovation

Sponsor-RickRak

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The Ultimate Motorcycle Luggage Rack Solution
Forget those messy straps and bungee cords
Go strapless with a RickRak quick attach luggage system & quality bag

New Patrons:

Michael White of Rowville, Australi...

Previous Episode

LAB-183-Police Motorcycle Escort School | North American Motor Officer Association | Recent Events

Official Website: https://www.lawabidingbiker.com

We discuss the recent Police Motorcycle Escort School Oscar and I recently attended in Spokane, Wa. We try and go to this school each year to stay up to date with practices and procedures. One of the most dangerous things that Police Motor Officers do are escorts. By training often we can minimize the risks associated.

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Many Police Motor Agencies in Washington State train together and use the same specific hand signals, practices, and protocols. This is important as many times local agencies will call outside agencies to help with larger scale escorts, like a dignitary escort as an example. It's very important that agencies follow the same rules and practices or risks go way up.

It's a good idea for Police Motor Officers to train in an unfamiliar area because it is likely they will be called to do an escort in a city that is not familiar. Pre-rides and safety briefs are done prior to an escort, but unfamiliar roads make it a bit more dangerous.

Oscar attended the North American Motor Officer Association training in and competition recently in Hillsboro, Oregon. This event is awesome and lasts about 3 days. Officers throughout North America get together and train hard together for several days before competing. I went last year and really enjoyed it. I was not able to attend this year as I was recently at Police Motor Instructor School in Spokane, Wa for about 2 1/2 weeks. Then I was off to Police Motor Escort School, so it was too much to pack in.

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Oscar, Michael, and I discuss these events and schools and give you an inside look. Oscar discusses his brand new 2018 BMW Police R1200RT and I discuss my brand new 2018 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide with Milwaukee-Eight motor. We'll give you our opinions of course and tell you whether the upgrade to a Harley Milwaukee-Eight motor is worth it or not.

Remember that no matter what your current motorcycle riding abilities are, always train and push yourself to the next level. Being a good rider and prepared can save your life.

Check out a 4 part video series I did about Police Motorcycle Instructor School.

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Go strapless with a RickRak quick attach luggage system & quality bag

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Next Episode

LAB-185-2019 Harley-Davidson Model Line-Up Overview! The FXDR 114-Good or Bad?

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In this episode, Oscar & I are reviewing the new 2019 Harley-Davidson models. Harley-Davidson released its new 2019 line-up of motorcycles on August 21, 2018, in San Diego, CA. We give you insight and our opinions on these new 2019 Harley's. We give you some must know tips and things you should consider if you're in the market for one of these new Harley's.

There are many things to consider and we compare several models for you, such as the Harley Street Glide vs. Street Glide Special. There really weren't any exciting changes with the 2019 Street Glide and Road Glide except for the new Harley Boom Box GTS Infotainment System.

Of course, we talk in depth about the brand new innovative performance bike by Harley called the FXDR 114", so listen in!

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