Youth Movement......when will Milwaukee get it right?

Admittedly this is not an issue that's going to rally the great unwashed to take up pitchforks and torches, but it really gnaws at the intestines all the same. Seems I can't go a week without reading some Wall Street twerp spouting off about how Harley Davidson needs to capture a greater portion of the "18 to 35" segment of potential and current riders. Youth or death.

 OK, makes sense, the Motor Company needs some fresh meat to replace those of us that are calcifying as we speak. Seems strangely enough like common sense. You might even ask yourself, well why aren't those young whippersnappers loitering at the local HD shop o' goodies eyeing the shiny stuff with lust in their hearts?? And this is where it gets good..........Milwaukee, in lockstep with their masters in Manhattan, dutifully set out to woo said youngsters; who by the way, are apparently the only group of people on the planet blissfully unaware of Harley's existence.

All manner of strategies are employed, UFC sponsorships, supermodel spokespersons (whatever that is), product placement on hip TV shows, blah, blah, blah........insert cliche laden advertising gimmick here. All of which sadly miss the point, as is so often the case with "analysts" analysis....did any of these "best and the brightest" think to ask these wayward youth the root cause of their gross lack of interest? Judging by HD's strategy, I'm thinking no........

It would have taken just a couple afternoons at a rally, or a local dealership, any local dealership for that matter to determine that HD's "youth problem" was a product/price issue, not a lack of awareness of the brand, or a lack of desire for the brand. Younger folks simply can't afford the models they want. Boring I know, but facts is facts.

Milwaukee doesn't need to spend millions to spoon feed Gen X that Harley's are cool. News flash, they get it, they already know. What they don't get is why the only model in their affordability window is a puney 883 Sportster, you know, Harley's "girls bike". Yeah, nothing gets a testosterone fueled twenty-something stoked about your product like having his buddies refer to it as his sisters ride......a winner every time.

What the Motor Company needs to do is offer more "real rider" models at prices the segment they're drooling  over can actual afford to buy. Hey, how about a $9,500 Dyna for starters? Think I'm nuts on this.........try asking actual HD dealers what they think, after all they're the ones that have to turn these young bucks away. And trust me, when it's your meal ticket, that hurts.

So there it is, the analyst are screaming that Harley is becoming an irrelevant brand unless saved by a huge influx of youth, the Motor Company takes up the challenge, pours tons of dough into reaching out to the young buggers........yet no one thought to develop product these rebels without an AARP card would actually want to buy! All HD's managed to do is make even more people aware of the fact that they don't have the product they want..........better to have spent it on the old codgers that still have a couple of nickles.

Look, it's a given that any company needs to develop new (in this case younger) customers if they are to survive, but they need to look holistically at the issue, and not fall into the trap of serving the analysis rather than the individuals that make up the analyzed. Are you listening Milwaukee????