Arizona Marketing

For years the heavyweight motorcycle market grew at double-digit rates, thanks to low interest rates, a solid economy, a rising stock market, rising home values and baby boomer enthusiasm.
With the exception of interest rates all other factors have changed and not for the positive. It was reported in JSOnline that Robert W. Baird & Company, [...]

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Forget The Finances: Focus On The Road

For the folks who live in Oregon it seems like 3 seasons of: almost winter, winter, still winter as we wait on the final and 4th season – road construction! 
Now that ‘road construction’ is upon us and warmer weather is getting repeatable it’s time for the Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally.  It all happens June 12-15 [...]

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Remember The Fallen

Whether just back from a combat zone or have been home for 60 years, Memorial Day is a day for remembrance of those who have died in service to the United States. 
It happens on Monday, May 25th and is a U.S. federal holiday that was formerly known as Decoration Day. Enacted to honor Union soldiers [...]

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When The Mighty Fall

Baby boomers and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.  The combination of these two delivered a plethora of profits.
I was upgrading my Mac OS and while I waited, I read magazines.  First it was “Baggers” then “BusinessWeek.”
Skimming the BW magazine I notice an article about business book guru Jim Collins.  He wrote “Good To Great.”  Collins was brought to [...]

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Harley-Davidson Legitimizes Brawling

I was channel surfing the other night and stopped on an advertisement for “UFC 2009 Undisputed.”  It’s a new video game by THQ set to release May 19th and based on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).  It features mixed martial-arts fighters in the world and the TV ad was an effective stop-action mix of real [...]

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The Milwaukee Marvel

In today’s school environment where you’ll find a swim coach who sees children as “eye candy”… accused then acquitted of committing sexual abuse (.pdf) there comes along the real deal Jean Davidson. 
She is the granddaughter of Walter Davidson, one of the four founders and the first president of Harley-Davidson.  Her father, Gordon Davidson, was Vice President [...]

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Veteran Stimulus Money

Stimulus watching as a lifestyle is boring.  I’d rather be motorcycle riding, but none-the-less how our tax $$ get spent has reached the Northwest Harley Blog.
The blog theme isn’t changing.  There are lots of sources for stimulus-related blogging that serious government-watchers can find. However, coffee drinking colleagues down at ‘bucks’ started tracking stimulus as part of their [...]

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Motorcycle Style And Fashion

Maybe you gained a few pounds drinking beer and waiting to take the bike out of winters deep freeze. 
So what do you do when that $32 Harley-Davidson t-shirt doesn’t fit and it no longer provides that ‘dirt bag’ duds menacing look? 
You obtain your Innercity Raiders [I.C.R.] and Deth Killers fashion statement which is a cross [...]

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Harley-Davidson Lip Service

Now more than ever, Harley executives say that customer experience is critical to how motorcycle firms compete.
They’re right: research indicates a high correlation between good customer experience and increased customer loyalty.
Unfortunately not all dealers get high marks from their customers. And that translates into lower sales, higher churn, and lost business that goes to competitors.  [...]

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Harley Looks To Space

Today I found myself staring off into space as I watched the morning launch of the Hubble repair payload (STS-125).  It made me think….  Harley-Davidson – never known for a delicate marketing touch – should look to NASA and launch the mother of all campaigns, an everywhere you look, invade your dreams advertising campaign in [...]

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