Harley new CEO

Well, as with most high level business decisions I read about. I'm confused and intrigued by the thought process (or lack of) that lead to this decision 🤔
 
Jampy00 said:
Well, as with most high level business decisions I read about. I'm confused and intrigued by the thought process (or lack of) that lead to this decision 🤔
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There`s some good reading over on www.advrider.com It`s certainly an interesting process, who knows if pizza/golf guy can do better. H-D soon has a new 6 grand Sprint model coming, will it improve things or will it remain nailed to the sales floor like the Street series did? Or the Pan-Am adv bikes, lotsa` `24 Harleys in general still available.
 
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I think the legacy positions of the board are the real issue from a business strategy stand point. CEOs still answer to another master and that is why one position being filled won’t make a difference.

You look at successful brands in motor sports and they have diversity in their product line. Triumph has it covered. To a lessor extent Indian is ok. Still a bit limited and pricy but, they leverage their product line well.
 
So they're going from a guy with experience selling marketing running shoes to one with experience marketing golf stuff?? Are they really doubling down on the notion that their customers are all just about dead, hence a guy from another senior-focused activity? Was the senior executive in charge of Depends not interested in the job?

Apparently his wealth of experience came from his time at Yum! Brands as CEO of Pizza hut, and one of his 2 children is named after him, though according to his Topgolf bio he goes by "Artie".

Here's a crazy idea; WHY NOT TRY TO POACH SOMEBODY FROM A MOTORCYCLE COMPANY? Maybe some senior VP of marketing or design (right, sorry HD is terrified of change), or somebody with at least automotive experience?

Idiots.

I realize that Reuters is essentially news in point form but their description of HD's decline is not just lazy but wrong.

"Harley has also struggled to win over younger riders, who prefer more fuel-efficient models with modern safety aids."
 
xrljoel said:
So they're going from a guy with experience selling marketing running shoes to one with experience marketing golf stuff?? Are they really doubling down on the notion that their customers are all just about dead, hence a guy from another senior-focused activity? Was the senior executive in charge of Depends not interested in the job?

Apparently his wealth of experience came from his time at Yum! Brands as CEO of Pizza hut, and one of his 2 children is named after him, though according to his Topgolf bio he goes by "Artie".

Here's a crazy idea; WHY NOT TRY TO POACH SOMEBODY FROM A MOTORCYCLE COMPANY? Maybe some senior VP of marketing or design (right, sorry HD is terrified of change), or somebody with at least automotive experience?

Idiots.

I realize that Reuters is essentially news in point form but their description of HD's decline is not just lazy but wrong.

"Harley has also struggled to win over younger riders, who prefer more fuel-efficient models with modern safety aids."
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Agree with most. But at the CEO level it's more about big business than the products.
There should be significant staff that is knowledgeable and can provide sound advice.
But I do think they need someone in a more comparable market segment.
I'd be happy with his paycheck 😜
 
Jampy00 said:
Agree with most. But at the CEO level it's more about big business than the products.
There should be significant staff that is knowledgeable and can provide sound advice.
But I do think they need someone in a more comparable market segment.
I'd be happy with his paycheck 😜
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Too often large companies talk about, and hire leadership focusing on the "brand", and when a company like HD in their situation market-wise starts talking about brand it changes the conversation, and these legacy executives on the board lose the plot. Their focus should be on product and let the brand evolve from there.

The HD brand doesn't REMOTELY serve the same function as sporting goods or chain restaurants. That's why I think their hiring targets completely miss the mark.

Ignoring personal in-store factors, a consumer will search out/buy a pair of running shoes based on brand familiarity or what an influencer (of whatever type) said about the shoes. A chain restaurant consumer is shopping for continuity and familiarity. The same menu, with the same ingredients, in the same proportion, in the same recipe's, in the same environment at the same price. In both cases the brand is associated with or projects these things that influence the purchase decision.

For stuff like motorcycles the brand is based on performance of the item within the parameters that the brand projects. Essentially, will the object DO what they tell me it does. That's part of KTM's trouble, it can't be "ready to race" if the customer is concerned the top end is going to explode.

HD under the former guy decided to crank up the price and shoot for exclusivity, only to find that the market was too small, and too exclusive. Their marketing language about community, legacy, history, blah, blah, blah doesn't match the product, the dealerships, the price or the people who ride them.
 
xrljoel said:
So they're going from a guy with experience selling marketing running shoes to one with experience marketing golf stuff?? Are they really doubling down on the notion that their customers are all just about dead, hence a guy from another senior-focused activity? Was the senior executive in charge of Depends not interested in the job?

Apparently his wealth of experience came from his time at Yum! Brands as CEO of Pizza hut, and one of his 2 children is named after him, though according to his Topgolf bio he goes by "Artie".

Here's a crazy idea; WHY NOT TRY TO POACH SOMEBODY FROM A MOTORCYCLE COMPANY? Maybe some senior VP of marketing or design (right, sorry HD is terrified of change), or somebody with at least automotive experience?

Idiots.

I realize that Reuters is essentially news in point form but their description of HD's decline is not just lazy but wrong.

"Harley has also struggled to win over younger riders, who prefer more fuel-efficient models with modern safety aids."
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It’s a hot new trend in the USA, using golf enthusiasts for Presidents.
 
Triumph does entry machines, adv, cruiser, street etc. They keep a relatively happy dealership network and they drop models that don’t sell and introduce new ones. You can still get a Bonnie and tee-shirt to retro image yourself or get modern leathers and ride a street triple. They have retro style but, modern design that looks good, decent quality and performs within its intended role.

Are they the best at everything? Nope! But, they are consistently good.


Triumph raised from ashes of all the Brit brands and leads the way better than most.

You can still be nostalgic and modern and have cool stuff across the board. HD entry machines are a joke and they have way too many cruisers with special paint, black out, chrome out, multi stage upgrades that only orthodontist can afford. Even then , Indian has a few choices that appeal to that market segment.
 
nakkers said:
Triumph does entry machines, adv, cruiser, street etc. They keep a relatively happy dealership network and they drop models that don’t sell and introduce new ones. You can still get a Bonnie and tee-shirt to retro image yourself or get modern leathers and ride a street triple. They have retro style but, modern design that looks good, decent quality and performs within its intended role.

Are they the best at everything? Nope! But, they are consistently good.


Triumph raised from ashes of all the Brit brands and leads the way better than most.

You can still be nostalgic and modern and have cool stuff across the board. HD entry machines are a joke and they have way too many cruisers with special paint, black out, chrome out, multi stage upgrades that only orthodontist can afford. Even then , Indian has a few choices that appeal to that market segment.
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Exactly!!

IF you want to be a motorcycle manufacturing company, why wouldn't you try to poach somebody from the executive suite of a successful motorcycle company?
 
Maybe HD sells more branding merchandise then motorcycles. I mean they slap that logo on everything, more so then Spaceballs the movie.
 
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