| Author | Message | ||
     Ebrfan |
Everyone here wants the EBR brand to survive, as do I. And because we all know the brand best, how we came to be educated on Erik Buell's bikes' designs, characteristics, and virtues, we should all share our ideas on how best to market this brand to the general public; as without a general public knowing this brand and buying it then the brand does not survive. EBR is a new force to be reckoned with at the track and on the street, but word of mouth only gets around so much. We all know word of mouth is good for a good brand and that word around the paddock (winning races) will not sell enough motorcycles at the end of the day to turn a profit without a good marketing and advertising program geared towards the general public (in our buying demographic). How would you guys suggest the EBR brand become just as recognized worldwide, just as the foreign brands are? Bruce and his team need hear your marketing and advertising suggestions on how to make this brand survive, so post up... | ||
| Oddball |
Same answer i posted over on ebrforum. Maybe a new version of a 20 year old ad you can find on youtube, "Just ride the motorcycle". Instead of a racing budget, the results of which did not help sales one bit, maybe promoting the brand and track day junky-ism by holding test rides at tracks. Then someone can freely get a feel for the bikes without stoplights or traffic. Ride a brisk, but safe fun speed for a few continuous laps. | ||
| Professorbarnhouse |
I think some smaller displacement bikes would go a long way toward luring in new riders, that and a whole lot of advertising. | ||
| Ace117 |
Good idea on the market and advertising strategies Ebrfan, I hope some of the stuff that gets put out there hits right at home. Well here goes my 2 cents. I think it would be a good idea to promote the brand via military sales, what better place to promote than one filled with patriotic individuals that are all for made in USA products. I purchased my first bike ever which was also my first Buell on my first deployment. I left for deployment May of 2008, I was also saving money to buy and R1 that deployment. About 2 months into deployment while walking down the ships mess decks I came across a Navy Autosource sales person. I stopped to see what they had to offer and found out they sold Ford,Chrysler,Harley and BUELL!!!!!!! I was so excited!!!! I originally tried buying an 1125R but for some reason the auto source could not get one for me  so I bought an Arctic white 2009 XB12R instead! I placed my order and put my deposit down on the spot!. I picked up my new bike after returning from deployment in Nov of 2008, it had 5 miles on it from the test ride after delivery thing, it was brand spanking new!!!. I for one can say that motorcycle ownership is big with military members, all of my buddies on active duty bought motorcycles after deployment. A good porting of my buddies bought sport bikes but the majority bought Harley's. I asked them why and they all told me it was because they were American and because they supported the troops by selling through the Autosource. I know for a fact that if EBR were part of the Autosource lineup the majority of Soldiers,Sailors,Airmen, and Marines would go the EBR route for entry level/sport bikes rather than going with an overseas manufacturer. Most of us that bought bikes during deployment were first time buyer and beginner riders. I for one bought a Buell, because they were American and because I always thought they were cool and different. OH and also because I'm not a cruiser guy and never will be slow, heavy and outdated bikes are not my thing. All military personnel that purchase or plan on purchasing a motorcycle are required to take a motorcycle safety course and we are also required to take a refresher course every year or upon returning from deployment. The course is paid for by the service the member is in and is ran by the MSF. One thing I noticed is that there is a real lack of loaner bikes for beginner riders to take the course. Most times you bring your own bike but a good portion of students are in the market for a bike and do not yet own one at the time of the course. I think an opportunity like this would be just perfect for EBR, it would be a perfect way to get the brand out there and showcase its entry level bikes to young buyers. Having a partnership with the Military and the MSF on top of being an all American company will not only help make EBR a house hold name but it will also help in the marketing department. Most of my buddies and a good amount of people at work that have seen my RX have asked me time and time again why EBR being isn't part of the Military vehicle sales. All I can tell them is I don't know. I know this would do EBR a lot of good, I'm not saying this should be EBRs only marketing champaign but, it should definitely be a part of that marketing campaign. | ||
| Cmmagnussen |
Nice idea Ace I have always been impressed with Victorys support the troops discounts and promotions. Also good point about signing on and buying a bike. Enlisting and adrenaline must go hand in hand. | ||
| Court |
Interesting ......that all of these ....... Including the "we're waiting for you" program to have bikes waiting when service personnel returned.......have been part of various programs presented to, but rejected, by Harley-Davidson. One of the favorite ones I did in 1995 was "Team Buell". It established a corp of "customer advocates" in 7 zones of the country who had their own groups who assisted in setting up dealer events, answering questions for dealer projects and generally being brand ambassadors. The EBR experience, in terms of marketing and dealer relationships, was a traveststy. Starting with a coherent, focused outward interface strategy is going to be key. Witness. The current Ducati Scrambler. | ||
| Steveford |
A full page, monthly ad in Cycle World would go a long way. Remember those great Norton ads in the front cover of Cycle Magazine every month? That may not reach the general public but it will reach the motorcycle buyers. | ||
| Greg_e |
I'm not going to pretend to be a marketing wiz, so I'll just say to hire a good marketing team and let them do their jobs! | ||
| Robertl |
I am no marketing specialist but it is hard to ignore the boom in social media so as others suggested, YouTube videos, etc. This also makes it easier for dealers to share and gain information. Revzilla has some of the best product videos out there. Although I enjoyed seeing EBR in WSBK, I felt Cory's blog and visits to local tracks/dealers may get more attention or at least be more cost effective in the long run. I could follow along and watch his updates any time from any where. Back to what I said above, search Youtube EBR and you will get back about 1.5 pages of hits but these are almost all demo reviews, not actual riders. Create contests and encourage EBR owners to post up their videos (safe riding of course) and flood media with links to these contests/videos. Allow the customers to help sell the bikes. It is annoying when I walk in to buy something and I know 10x as much as the salesman. Dealers invested in these bikes, they should at least know more about them than the average joe that knows how to search google. Create some online surveys, because they are usually cost effective, and put these on social media, website, etc. to make sure what is being produced is meeting the customer needs. Top requests I see: * AX because many are looking to replace their Ulysses * Smaller cc bike * Sport touring (combination of RX/SX with some luggage? * Accessories Again, I think surveys, polls, and social media will shed light into what customers are looking for and what will sell. Still not sure which product to bring to market? Use crowdfunding: SKULLY AR-1 Hits $1M Three Days Into Indiegogo Campaign | ||
| Gearheadgrrrl |
Rider to rider. It's that simple- Paid ads in motorcycle mags are like shotgun advertising, hoping that one in a hundred or even thousand readers pays attention and is actually in the market for an EBR. Fellow riders have much better credibility than ads, EBR needs to cultivate a corps of active rider evangelists to boost the brand. | ||
| Finedaddy1 |
Court - "Team Buell". It established a corp of "customer advocates" in 7 zones of the country who had their own groups who assisted in setting up dealer events, answering questions for dealer projects and generally being brand ambassadors. Robertl - Back to what I said above, search Youtube EBR and you will get back about 1.5 pages of hits but these are almost all demo reviews, not actual riders. Create contests and encourage EBR owners to post up their videos (safe riding of course) and flood media with links to these contests/videos. Allow the customers to help sell the bikes. BAM!! I TOTALLY agree, this isn't rocket science here!!! If EBR could help manage or encourage a grass roots organization I feel that this would get a lot of "bang for the buck", I imagine that there are people w/ the knowledge and passion out there that can do this....EBR has my contact info. | ||
| Xb9er |
This is a far to complex question to answer on a forum. Maybe EBR should make contact with a large sample of members on the forums to get better feedback? What makes the Scrambler so successful, and is a current popular ploy, is that they make the Scrambler relate to their target demographic meet their social, self-esteem and psychological needs. They make the motorcycle seem utilitarian and not hedonic. | ||
| Xl_cheese |
Go to the DMV in each state and get registration records for all new bikes. Figure out which bikes are the most popular then build and sell those type. This would support the bikes you really want to build. Build a product people will buy. Not what people 'want'. We all 'want' an 1190RS, but how many of us actually bought one? A 500cc inline twin standard bike would sell like hot cakes in my area. The younger crowd wants the vintage style of bike, but not all new riders are ready for the portly Bonneville or Thruxton. | ||
| Ljm |
I don't know much about motorcycle marketing, but I think that Bruce said some key things: surround yourself with people who make you look good. Court mentioned once that there were 25 people in the motorcycle business and the rest were in the consulting arm. If you can run a motorcycle business with 25 people and add 10 whose job it is to service the customer base, that is a huge increase in capacity to meet the people who would buy the bikes. Court and I have disagreed with social media as a viable method but if used to tie the community together, the 500ish of us who have the bikes or will soon, and let us push to the other 60K people who "like" EBR, that is a huge outreach program for nothing other than a social media concierge at the home office. Tripled the membership of the little sports federation I am head of. The receivership is a unique opportunity to put the 1190's in the hands of lots of people who otherwise couldn't or didn't want to afford them. If there are 1250 1190's, say, and to recoup the money invested they go for an average of say, considerably less than list price until every unit is gone, that is a customer base. I love Court's idea of involving the existing customer's in the marketing. I talk to people whenever I ride. And there is nothing to stop the show at bike night like an RS with a race pipe. | ||
| Bartimus |
I remember my City-X as one of my favorite Buells to ride, it reminded me so much of a big enduro on steroids. Probably much like the Scrambler today. I remember the BRAG rides, and the marketing that went on during those get togethers. Seeing Erik in Colorado for the introduction of the ULY. I loved the old tuber ads, especially the ones for the S2. "just get on your bike and ride." There were some great advertising campaigns for Buells. Not ALL of us are track day junkys, or wannabe road racers. Many just appreciate a fast bike with world class handling. Nothing EBR built appealed to me, I am not a racer, hopefully something in the future will. In the meantime, I will keep riding my Buells, and supporting the factory any way I can until they do produce a new bike I would enjoy... | ||
| Moshaholic2 |
I am interested in the bikes being raced (AMA/MotoAmerica) As the product line grows, in supersport class too. I buy bikes and cars from companies that race them. Eventually w/ a greater product line, pushing the KTM 390 cup out of MotoAmerica and replacing it with the EBR cup on a true entry level bike (like the KTM 390's are). An entire field running the same bikes, new and up and coming riders getting their first taste of an EBR and continuing to support the brand. then you have your naked and sport touring models too (adventure thrown in the mix too) superbike supersport entry level bike (offered as a spec racer if the class developes) naked bike (same two engines as offered in the super and sport) sport touring (probably a slightly de-tuned but more tourqey version of the superbike engine) Adventure - africatwin/BMW thats that market, one up it somehow. ALL the companies out there got there from Racing. It's a massive expense. But it works. You just have to win. if the old wsbk bikes are Motoamerica legal. they would really take it to the Yamaha parade there. a US national championship WILL SELL BIKES. | ||
| Ljm |
And my last .02, since I am not the only one with a perspective. On the social media thing, it is inconceivable to me that people troll on the EBR site. Why let someone come to your house and shit on your product? It should be heavily moderated and the jackasses banned. It is an advertising medium seen by 64,000 people. | ||
| Midknyte |
Combine the idea of a running full page add in a popular magazine(s) and owner / evangelists by soliciting and using rider photos and stories - including the older bikes. Split it at least 50/50 between the testimonial and the actual new product ad. Driving / reminding the fact that Buell was and still is around... | ||
| Gearheadgrrrl |
The product appeal has to be broadened, there aren't even enough club racers and track day riders to be a viable sized market. That means the 1190 has to be slightly modified to appeal to a broader range of riders- sport tourers, drag racers, iron butt riders, and adventure tourers. That means offering ABS, more comfy seats, belt drive option, wide bars, more ground clearance, dual sport tires, etc.. While keeping the price competitive. | ||
| Reepicheep |
A 130 HP at the crank 1190 (or heck, 1000) motor that runs for 11ty million miles and gets 50 MPG would make one heck of an adventure bike motor. Make just the motor in a kit form that would be a drop in upgrade for my XB and I'll pay $5000 for it... | ||
| Mnscrounger |
Smaller displacement and more mainstream (read affordable) bikes might get the foot in the door for many buyers, but building another model platform may not be possible right away. (Unless Mr Belfer has really deep pockets.) The existing designs and supplies will have to be driving sales least in the initial days. But new models could be derived from different variations of the existing platform. This could be with modest investment, to deliver longer wheelbase options, different tunings/ torque curves, bolt on options,a few handlebar and control location tweaks, two up seating, and maybe even hard bags for longer trips .... This next suggestion is not originally from me, but I might be the biggest cheerleader for it. TX! TX!TX!TX!.... It would still be an Erik Buell inspired creation, but made for those of us that don't feel the need for a podium beneath the soles of our shoes, just the apex of a favorite corner, on the outer edge. | ||
| Court |
>>>I love Court's idea of involving the existing customer's in the marketing. I actually prepared the TEAM BUELL strategy with the help of Drew Bledsoe's (the QB) uncle who is a major property developer. I went so far as to get letters of intent from "influential" Buell owner/enthusiasts in various areas. Each of them got 100 jackets and 500 t-shirts, flown to the factory 2X a year for "coherence" meetings to make certain the company message was consistent and compelling. Each "Buell=Bassador" was charged with finding and deploying some number of "Lieutenants" inn their area. For instance, K12pilot might be the guy in NY and have "help bees" in NJ, PA, CT, MD and RI. Each would have resources . . be responsible to support dealers in their area (show up for 3 hours every other Saturday to meet/greet potential customers) and plan 2 events a year in their area. I still have . . . somewhere in those 85 cases of Buell history . . the original proposals. I'm far less social media (I dumped Facebook about the 8th month of their existence when I saw how they were invading my contacts list and showing up in every part of my computer . . and I lacked the requisite 4 free hours a day to update my status and check on folks I hadn't seen since 3rd grade) but I know and appreciate it's power. My thinking is that you MUCH (think paper service manual vs. the thumb drive) be able to do the old fashion basics well before you can move to any higher plane. The fact that I created 62 new S2 owners, among folks who not seriously considered one, on my 31 day journey through 37 states on a Buell . . . speaks volumes about the power of person-to-person. Old timers will recall that every weekend I flew somewhere in the country and did Buell rides. I used to sit at Mt. Palomar and give folks the keys to my S2 to take a quick jaunt up Canfield Drive and the next weekend I'd be meeting Ducati owners at Alice's Restaurant. It worked. Another thing that trips motorcyclists up are their collective misconceptions about motorcyclists. A couple examples . . . and I'm not really wanting to argue them . . .but not many motorcyclists read motorcycle magazines. A lesson I learned from media pro John Kerr who designed programs for HD and the reason that Buell was more likely to advertise in Wine Spectator. Guess why the crown jewel of Buell dealers was Detroit and look at the number of HD dealers in PA . . the demographics of who actually BUYS is at strange various from who actually looks. Demo rides an idea pioneered by Buell the year that HD tried to seize the shirts in Daytona due to the perception that the "AMERICA'S WORLD CLASS MOTORCYCLE" inferred Harley-Davidson wasn't) and copied by BMW, HD and other . . . proved that if you could get a person on the bike the probability of a sale skyrocketed. I've got years . . . about 28 . . . of that stuff stockpiled away. Hopefully someone will be keen enough to recognize that Engineers, Entrepreneurs and accountants make terrible customer service and customer liaison folks. It's a place that EBR went dead on their face . . . . waiting 2 years for a service manual, inconsistent and non-existent answers from dealers and customers getting a plethora of answers over a broad range. I've been lectured that "it was all there on the virtual dealer portal". Problem is . . .I didn't know that and neither, apparently, did the dealers. Long time . . .since the late 80's . . .readers will remember me saying time and time again . . . . "once you get a really great, well engineered and well sorted out motorcycle . . . you are about 3% of the way to having a viable motorcycle company". The challenge is there, the processes and procedures and known, dialed in and documented and the folks exist who can make it happen. Absent the folks . . however . . . .it's akin to climbing a greased mirror. I'm eager to see how this plays out and have written Erik and offered to provide any help I can . . . . this is the last clear shot he has and I want to see it succeed. Court | ||
| Steveford |
Do you really want free publicity out the wazoo? Remember when Harley was purchased by a bunch of employees, they were struggling because everyone thought of them as complete piles and Reagan went out there, did a little flag waving and gave a schpiel about them being the great American Motorcycle Company and how wonderful it was that they exemplified the American entrepreneurial spirit and then suddenly the whole country was agog over Harleys? Right, Left or Center, who cared what you thought about Reagan, he had that charm, it was a real crowd pleaser and it worked. The Obama administration has been making a big deal over getting manufacturing brought back to the US. Apple recently told Obama to piss up a rope, things were staying in China because the US couldn't cut the mustard. Well, here we have it - an American company with the balls to get up, dust themselves off and take on the best from Japan and Europe. They've got the drive and the talent, the new owner has the attitude, you'll have more free publicity than you'll know what to do with. There's your free marketing campaign. | ||
| Finedaddy1 |
I'm having flashbacks of the KISS Army, hey it worked for them. | ||
| Court |
>>>>The Obama administration has been making a big deal over getting manufacturing brought back to the US. Apple recently told Obama to piss up a rope, things were staying in China because the US couldn't cut the mustard. That's not quite accurate. Apple is actually striving to move some production back to the U.S.A. http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnmcquaid/2012/12/06 /why-apple-is-bringing-manufacturing-back-to-the-u nited-states/ | ||
| Steveford |
This is the part that I recall: Steve Jobs himself said of the China offshoring: “those jobs aren’t coming back.” Even so, get that media circus which is the presidential entourage to drop in on EBR and everyone who owns a television set will know all about them. Americans love to root for both the home team and the underdog. Politicians love to have an example of things going well. Play up the made in America/us against the imports/keep the jobs here angle just like Harley did. What is the American Dream? What makes our country great? That kind of thing. Both men are articulate and (reasonably) photogenic. It's free publicity and if they can pull it off, TONS of it. Think big. | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
"This is the part that I recall: Steve Jobs himself said of the China offshoring: “those jobs aren’t coming back.”" uhhhh he gone. Court - I really enjoyed your post (as I do almost every one of them). I anxiously away the next book. I have nothing to add to this really - Im not a marketing major, havent studied it, and most of what I would have said has already been stated. -use social media, its free, why not? -build more bikes. I loved the RX and SX, but I already have an 1125R that I love...why spend the extra money? I want a different KIND of motorcycle right now (I've been on way too many XL sportster sites recently...). -get creative with the advertising and promotions to get people in the door. I didnt know about Buell but I saw they were giving something away if you test rode a Blast... I ended up not doing it, but it got me in the door of their dealership. About a year later I was riding a new S3. They used to give SO MUCH away for doing test rides, no one else does this. I mentioned really enjoying Courts post above, that is part of it, hearing more about the DIFFERENT things that Buell did. I have high hopes for Erik and Bruce, I hope they can turn this around, I truly do. Im rooting for them, looking forward to seeing what is the next chapter of this saga. | ||
| Steveford |
Thank you but I was aware that Mr. Jobs had passed away a few years back. I could do without the sarcasm, though. I don't think it belongs on this forum. | ||
| Fmaxwell |
Erik Buell Racing: Performance Motorcycles for Grown-Ups That really sums up Buell and EBR (at its best) to me. They are high-performance motorcycles engineered for experienced, skilled, adult riders. They are for motorcyclists who recognize that a great race bike is usually a pretty lousy street bike. They appeal to the riders who know that, for street riding, the area under the torque curve is much more important than the height of the horsepower peak. They are for the motorcyclists who understand that riding on the street in a full-on 'racer's tuck', gripping narrow handlebars behind a tiny fairing, supported largely by genitalia and wrists, will lead to fatigue, discomfort, and, ultimately, to less precision, control, and speed by the end of a long ride. The manufacturers, including Buell/EBR, mistakenly thought that the market was wild for naked bikes, adventure bikes, and retro bikes. Many chose those bikes because there were no practical, comfortable, street-oriented sport bikes. I didn't choose my XB12Ss over an XB12R, or my 1125CR over the 1125R, because I hated wind protection. Nor have I been looking at adventure bikes because I anticipate re-tracing the Long Way Down journey. I decided that I'd put up with the lack of wind protection because I hate riding around in a posture inspired by an ultrasound image of a fetus. Manufacturers are starting to recognize that there's a market for all-day, street-oriented sport bikes with good wind protection, riding positions tailored for full-size adults going 70mph (rather than Danny Pedrosa-sized munchkins racing at 170mph), and torque curves that provide satisfying thrust even when the engines are not spinning at a five-digit RPM numbers. Bikes like the Suzuki GSX-S1000F, Suzuki Bandit 1250S ABS, Kawasaki Z1000SX, and Yamaha FJ-09 are becoming quite popular. Erik Buell Racing has an opportunity to take over the high-end of that market, with an full-on sport bike for the street. Provide the lightness, agility, and component quality that are missing in the mass-market, parts bin, Japanese models. Use what was learned from the 1125R to create a fairing that provides a large bubble of wind protection -- but over a rider who's not hunched over the tank like a monkey humping a football. Sell accessory saddlebags for the guy who wants a practical bike on which to commute with a laptop and lunch or who wants to do sport-touring on his time off. That's my take on a direction that EBR could go that would leverage their skills while not requiring that they 'prove themselves' by racing against firms with incredibly deep pockets. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
Here's my plan; 1- Perfect the 1190 platform as much as is humanly possible. Make it reliable. Very reliable. 2- Use the 1190 platform as the core for a few mutations, similar to what was done with the XB's. The Uly was a big hit then and can be again. The recipe is 450 lbs, reliable, easy for the owner to maintain, 100 ft lbs torque and versatile as a swiss army knife. Leave off the electronic complexity. Put the whiz bang stuff on the sportbike and sport touring models. 3- Back off of the whole race thing. It's not realistic at this point. By the time you have a winning set up developed, the competition has a better one. The racing angle works perfectly but not if you lose the race! 4- Make EBR a household word. EBR advert everywhere. Think outside the box- many good ideas above. EBR needs more exposure. Much more. Build a product people want and it will practically advertise itself. This may be the biggest thing; advertising. I wish I had a dollar for every time someone told me they never heard of EBR. That and they just knew for sure that all EBR produced was $40,000 bikes. I still hear it! Most riders I talk to still say "if they made a bike that was at a competitive price point, I would have looked into one". When I tell them the truth about that, they don't believe me. (Message edited by panhead_dan on August 11, 2015) |
