Sturgis And Black Hills Trademark Dispute Update. SMRI Awarded Total Of $912,000. Wal-Mart And Rushmore Photo & Gifts To Appeal. Publication of last Friday November 30th judgment reads as follow. “Wal-Mart, Rushmore Photo and Gifts and its officers, were found liable for infringement of SMRI’s trademarks Sturgis, Sturgis Bike Week, Sturgis Composite Design Mark, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, And Sturgis Rally And Races, dilution of SMRi’s STURGIS mark, violations of the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act on seven different internet domains, false advertising and unfair competition” The jury awarded SMRI $677,500 from Rushmore Photo & Gifts and $235,000 from Wal-Mart. SMRI had asked the jury to find the 2 companies liable together for a total of $7 million. Rushmore Photo & Gifts owner Paul Nieman intends to appeal the decision “because the jury had difficulties to understand the complexity of legal trademark issues”.
Harley-Davidson Top Marketing Executive Mark-Hans Richer Has Left The Company. It coincides with Harley stating on October 21 during a 3rd quarter results press conference that it plans to change its marketing and advertising approach, and increase the 2016 budget by 65%.. The company is facing tough competition from other foreign manufacturers and from Polaris Indian and Victory motorcycles. “”We expect a heightened competitive environment to continue for the foreseeable future, and now is the time for us to dial things up” said Harley President and CEO Matt Levatich. Regarding marketing Harley will have more direct interactions with its legacy clientele. Regarding advertising, expect the company to abandon definitively classic print media and to focus on digital motorcycle news channels.
South Dakota On Track For Record Motorcycle Fatalities In 2015. The number of deaths to this day has put the state on track to post the highest annual death toll recorded since the Department of Public Safety started keeping statistics in 1963. The reasons? The crush of the 75th Sturgis rally, more bikers on the road, a lack of experience among new riders. The number of licensed motorcyclists in South Dakota last year was up 69 percent from 20 years earlier, to 83,623, while the number of registered bikes more than tripled, to 78,380. One in 12 South Dakotans owns a motorcycle, the highest per-capita rate of ownership of any state in the U.S.
BMW MOTORRAD Sets US Third Quarter 2015 Sales Record. With 11,088 units delivered, BMW Motorrad has achieved record sales for the ninth time in a row as per September 2015. As compared to the already strong equivalent month in the previous year (9,991 units), 11.0 % more motorcycles and maxi scooters were supplied to customers. As of September, worldwide sales likewise reached a new all-time high of 112,411 units sold, and an increase of 12.2 (prev. yr.: 100,217 units). For the first time the 100,000 mark was exceeded already in August. The BMW R Series with the characteristic flat-twin engine contributed about 54.0 % to sales with 60,557 units sold.
Mark Hans Richer. Heard he made some big mistakes and was somewhat arrogant.
Happy to read that the fight to cancel the trademark is not over. Bikers hate SMRI. Locals are manipulated by SMRI. reason why.
HD advertising. Probably good for you Cyril.
Good move for H-D considering they seem to be depending on marketing over engineering lately.
Woody’s. What? Seems like saying “Kill the messenger”
Not my intent, meant more like spending more money on marketing the old than improving the new.
Would like to understand how HD defines “Legacies?” Are they saying that 65% of their spend should be spent on contacting previous or current HD owners in an effort to entice them to buy another one? That sounds more like a retention strategy rather than a growth strategy.
Just lower the prices to reasonable levels. Take out single line ads in magazines and internet that simple say, in black and white, “We lowered our prices to reasonable levels.” Sales and image problem solved.
I sound like a scratched record, but the Bonnie will eat into Sportster sales now as well .
I hope that they don’t start listening to HOG club members and increase their Tee Shirt and underpants ranges.( jewellery)
As a company they need to get out and be where the real wind blows.
Hope they can still find it………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
A must for consumers in the information age. Millineals have very selective brand loyalty, and $$$ point to GenX and GenY as the dominant consumer. Its a galaxy of touch points across Social, Mobile and Video.
I’m not a Vette guy but when I saw this Corvette commercial “America Still Builds Rockets” it was in my mind it was bitchin’ and woke me up that Corvette is staking their claim from its origins.
https://youtu.be/y5OwJQsAhDU
Hope the factory adds grit like GM did in all aspects of this evolution. Emojis wont cut it.
Wasn’t Flounder a “Legacy”?
Mark Hans-Ricther
“Go on take the money & Run” !!!!
Well, perhaps they can find an even darker kind of black paint so they can call their models new. Pffftt.