Identity crisis has all but killed the brand

t is crucial that this paper follows APA 7 for in text citation and for the separate reference section. Also if business language can be use that’ll be excellent (no such think as “I think, or we…” Also, important to note the more you can cite every sentence the better Also, 5 citations included (No Wikipedia) I’m going to include a focal article which should be cited in the essay and the remaining 4 are going to have to be searched up.

Harley-Davidson identity crisis has all but killed the
brand

The Harley-Davidson brand has long been a cornerstone of American values and capitalism.
However, since the financial crisis of 2008, it has been in a phase of decline and has been
papering over the cracks whilst trying to keep the business alive.
Drops in revenues, income and market share led the company to oust its former CEO in 2020 and
once again rethink its strategy for the future. The company has been hampered by political
tensions and tariff wars throughout its history, but in a world where the Motorcycle industry is
more competitive than ever before, the Harley-Davidson brand needs to retain its position as a
market innovator and leader, otherwise, it faces being thrown to the curb.
Harley-Davidson identity crisis a long-standing issue
The biggest problem that Harley-Davidson has faced is that it has tried to sell to everybody and
could not clearly identify its target audience. Since the 2009 restructure, one of the key strategies
was to appeal to a younger and more diverse audience after the brand had long been associated
with .
Marketing campaigns since the companys inception in 1903 identify that clearly, and HarleyDavidsons identity following the Second World War in which thousands of its motorcycles
were used to help fight overseas. This only strengthened its stereotype and proved pivotal in
creating the of biker-gangs and counterculture that the company is
synonymous with.
Previous management hasnt successfully targeted the problems
Poor brand management has meant the production of its motorcycles even today still has to
feature old technology in order to appeal to its ageing but loyal audience, otherwise it faces
losing that consumer confidence and brand loyalty.
However, the average age of a Harley-Davidson owner is said to be just below 50 years old, a
figure that has continued to grow over time as the company has had its market share eaten away
at by its closest competitors in KTM, Honda and BMW. The competition has successfully
diversified their product portfolios over time and consumers have embraced the changes with the
likes of adventure and off-road bikes.
The issue with Harley-Davidson seems deep-rooted, with its fanbase and any deviations away
from the norm being its potential downfall. The company needs to work to market itself
differently over time in order to take away this stigma.
New chief electric vehicle officer position designed to support five-year
strategy
In March 2021, the company opened up the new position of chief electric vehicle officer and
appointed Ryan Morrissey into the post, who began in April. As well as this, Harley-Davidson
also hired former Ford CEO Jim Farley to the board, an executive with experience in pushing for
the switch over to electric vehicles after Ford announced plans to spend $22bn investing in the
electrification of its product portfolio by 2025.
Both in the right direction and support The Hardwire
strategy for the companys future. However, it still faces an uphill battle with questions still
being asked about the long term reliability and range of batteries for expensive premium
vehicles.