After looking at some of the marketing husqvarna done. I thought about that some of the other motorcycles & automobile companies have done to promote their brand. Here is some ideals I came up with. Both Husqvarna Headquarters & Zipty Racing can Implement. Some may have already been done.


1. Both Scott Harden & Ty Davis Go out and doing more speaking engagements on the Husqvarna brand
to the motorcycle and action sports media.

2. Write weekly articles in Dirt Rider magazine, Dirt Bike magazine, or Cycle
News about the team and the company. Similar to what Larry Brooks from L&M racing was
doing during the Supercross series. In Motocross Action Magazine.

3. Write a blogs about the team.

4. Update the Zipty Racing website weekly with news & race results.

5. Do more interviews television, radio, and print media.

6. Do a “Ride with a Pro” day. Similar to what James “Bubba” Stewart has
been doing at various tracks around the country. Also have new
Husqvarnas on display at all the events.

7. Conduct demo rides and show up as a guest pro rider or team owner.


8. Conduct a past & present husky rider’s autograph signing, with 2010
Husqvarna on display.

9. Setup an information booth with 2010 production Husqvarnas and/or a couple race bikes on display at select Supercross, Local/National Outdoor races, Endurocross races, Supermotos, freestyle events, X- Games, and some major Desert Races.

10. Setup a Booth and display some 2010 bikes at the upcoming US Open in Las Vegas.

11. Start an Adventure Tour program. Using Husky TE’s

12. Start amateur racing program that races all the same cc Husqvarnas during Supercross races. Similar to what KTM does with kids on minicycles at Supercross races.

13. Conduct an Open house that Husqvarna Headquarters in New Jersey.

14. Announce a nationwide Husqvarna Demos days.

15. Setup Nationwide Husqvarna give away contest. Give a away 3 bikes and other accessories through a drawing at all the Husqvarna dealerships.

16. Go complete viral on YouTube and others.

17. Team up with BMW on a co-op commercials

18. Setup a "Cross the USA" Ride. Invite Husqvarna riders from around the country and around the world. Riding TEs Sms. Similiar to the " Midwest Ford Mustang Association" does!

19. Setup a “Rent-A-Husky” rental program. Similar to what some Harley
Davidson dealers do!

20. Also have a Zipty Racing hold an Open house at their shop and
invite the public, the media and have some autograph signing as well.

21. Auction off a couple Husqvarnas for charity. Similiar to what Orange County Choppers do!

22. Hold a dealership block party at some of the major Husqvarna dealerships
around the country.

Any if not all these events can announce in weekly motorcycle newspapers,
websites, and dealerships, and newsletters.

Thanks
Deserthusky

I like a lot of your ideas...gas for you!

I like these ideas, but I think you would get more luck if you sent this to Husqvarna themselves. Or BMW. Idk who you would send this too.

TrDollarhyde said:

I sent it to Scott Harden, Sales & Marketing manager for Husqvarna.

they should pick 30-40 AA racers from across the country and give them a bike to use for the year.

Just develop a 220lb, 4 stroke, 350cc desert race bike with EFI and 6 gears and I personally, free of charge, will sell 1 million of them. :)

Fugi said:

What no love for the over 50 crowd Best part or least the only good think about being over 50 is the feeling you get when you beat the younger guys
and even better is doing it on a 125

Nathanael said:

Sounds good except make it a 550

In a perfect world, your ideas are great.

Dont forget that Husky "may" sell 2000 units in NA this year. No way can they afford to do 1/4 of the things on your wish list.

The entire Husqvarna NA staff is less than 10 people. They are already incredibly overworked. I cant imagine what would happen if there was any more work put on their desks. Poor old Rob Keith would have a coronary on the spot!

Don't want to highjack but.... does Husky have a team that runs in the AMA SX and MX?
Only started following the series lately and have never seen a bike out there. If not, why not?
Getting bikes out on the high profile race tracks with good up and coming riders should help sales.....

ScottyR said:

They can get dealers and Zipty Racing involved with some of these projects. They also can Co-op with Sponsors!

Example: Lets say Lucus Oil has a booth in the pits at the Supercross finals, Husqvarna can team up with them and display a TC250 and/or TC450! Lucus Oil reps will be showing the bikes for husqvarna. Basically Husqvarna will loan the bike(s) for the event to Lucus Oil reps to demo for Husky and sell Lucus Oil products at the same time!! End result, no man power from husky needed. A Win-Win project! This is what you call piggy back marketing let your well known sponsors do the marketing for you!

DesertHusky said:

Someone has to pay for those loaner/demo/show bikes and once they've been uncrated they aren't new anymore. On top of that someone has to manage when/where/how the bikes are used and sometimes sending them out with just anyone ends up costing more then benefiting. The HQ's in NJ doesn't even have hardly a bike let alone a fleet for press or demo purposes. Anything they do have is in CA and spread thin under one person.

It comes down to this, BMW does own HSQ and will try to keep them out of trouble (don't know if BMW even has that deep of products the way it's going) however BMW is not willing to supplement the marketing budget for a brand that only sells just over 2k units a year in the USA. They should be capable of 3-10k units a year, but when they put new models out and don't offer any aftersales support (NONE/NADA/Fing ZILCH!!!!) It's going to be very difficult for HSQ to grow any market segment. The bikes have tons of potential in the right hands, but it will never grow unless the aftersales portion gets on board and with a quickness.

In other words if $250 of every unit sold is designated for marketting use, at 2000 units there's $500,000 for marketting purposes, that goes quickly. I bet $100k alone for magazine advertisement, more for race support and units, contigency has to be paid out from somewhere, etc. $500k doesn't even come close to a half of a supercross team and would barely just fund a full factory GNCC/WORCS/SORCS/NEC type team. That's why there is a partnership with folks like Wyatt Seals and Ty Davis, each gets to do their own thing for the most part under the HSQ banner.

Considering Husqvarna's size, I think they're doing a great job building the brand name, creating media awareness and getting back into racing. Not just that, but Husqvarna USA is giving existing or long time Husqvarna dealers a chance to step back up to the plate and rebuild their market share in their area and region, before running out and signing a bunch of NEW DEALERS!

This a lone shows a lot of loyalty to existing Husqvarna dealers who supported the brand during the Cagiva years which is something I'd prefer not going into! But to say Husqvarna USA is doing that is pretty impressive.

You also have to give Husqvarna/BMW a lot of credit for getting done what they have in such a short period of time... considering that BMW has only owned Husqvarna for maybe 2 years or so.

Then there's the bigger issues like integration into BMWs procurement processes (SAP) logistics, manufacturing and as well as building a whole new state of the art factory in Italy where all the Husqvarna's are going to be manufactured and assembled all under one roof. Back in the Cagiva days manufacturing was done in three different locations and Husqvarna engines and frames would be manufactured and assembled on the same production lines as Ducati's, Cagiva's and MV Agusta's.... and again bikes under Cagiva's ownership got built based on (if there was enough money to pay the suppliers and the employees!)

Husqvarna has come a long way in a very short period of time and I think everything is moving along rather nicely.... one other note is Husqvarna is the only motorcycle company that is going to have actual growth in 2009 and 2010... and this is in a recessionary market!... While every other motorcycle manufacture including KTM has seen a decrease or loss of sales between 30% and 50%... that a lone says something.

HuskyRips :thumbsup:

HuskyRips said:

I used to share this view point, but it's rapidly changing as all of the HSQ gang are settling into the corporate bureacracy mode. The only way HSQ is going to grow sales is to support the bikes they sell now better. This means aftersales!!!!! Try to go and buy a large tank for a WR125, try to buy a large tank for any current DOHC TE from HSQ, try buying a skid plate or hand guards from HSQ, heck I would just be happy with being able to order an O ring for a clutch slave cylinder or a pick-up coil individually rather then as an assembly for hundreds of dollards. Then there is the lack of apparel and gear,.......I have several shops within a couple mile radious that already stock LOADS of offroad gear at discounted prices, I'm not going to even try to compete with them, but if I had something unique to offer like HSQ jersey's, pants, even T shirts (yes they do offer a T shirt but you have to buy a pre-dertermined quantity from HSQ that includes sizes that wont sell!)
In short there's a bunch of Indians running around and none of them waging war on any of these issues. Don't issue a TSB or warranty campaign that affects almost every bike sold by HSQ and not have the necessary parts in stock ready to distribute to fix the problem. (every single TSB/campaign since BMW's take over has involved a 2-4 month wait for parts to perform the necessary action after an annoucement)

Just unacceptible and I'm tired of being optimistic only to get schitted on with demands and coersion tactics,...petty. :moon:

Bobby hit the nail on the head.

Huskyrips, until you sit on this side of the desk, you dont know the whole story behind the scenes.

ScottyR said:

Well you know what... It sounds like they need HuskyRips up at Husqvarna!

So today I'm announcing that I'm throwing my hat in to the ring!

I'm forming a campaign committee to fix the broken chit!

With that being said HuskyRips also known as BlipBlip is entering his name in the running for Husqvarna Evangelist... promoter of all things Husqvarna... fixer of all things F-d up!

HuskyRips said:

Sounds good to me!! :thumbsup:

Saw the Zip-ty crew at Glen Helen today at the SRA race, good group of guys. I'm just a 40+ Novice but they were interstered in my setup, my 06 can't compaire with the 09 stuff, but they still liked my Uptite/LTR aftermarket bike.