Strategic Business Plan-Harley-Davidson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Business Plan-Harley-Davidson - Essay Example In December, 2011 the company had 6,000 employees and total revenue was US$5.31 billion. The assignment will study the different aspects relating to the company under consideration that includes the factors affecting the global economy, corporate leadership and a summary of the strategic issues. Introduction The company under consideration provides over thirty models of customized product (motor bikes) through a worldwide network of over 1000 dealers. The main competitors of the H-D are BMW, Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda. The study looks to analyze the key motivating factors that have led to the global expansion of Harley Davidson, competitive advantage of H-D in global market, international market entry strategy and the digital marketing strategy of the company. Study also focuses on the overall organizational design, structure, culture and leadership traits of the company (Cowan, 2005, p.131). Factors Affecting Global Economy Global Expansion Strategy Global Marketing can be defined as the process by which a company looks to target the international customers by delivering high quality products to the foreign consumers. It is understandable that compared to domestic marketing global marketing there is much more complex, and risks are associated as the company has to deal with various political, social, economical and cultural issues. However, with great risks come great rewards (Henry, 2008. P. 251). Motivating Factors North America is the largest market for motorcycles. It includes USA and Canada. This market accounts for almost 60% of the sales. H-D is the industry leader in domestic market. However, over the last few years things began to take shape. The baby-boomer generation in North America started to get old. This happened to be premier target market segment of H-D. Therefore, the company decided to enter the markets of Europe and Asia. After America, Europe was supposed to be the most prospective market for H-D due to the high level of disposable income. H owever, things did not go very smoothly in the year 2008; Europe and U.S. in particular were badly hit by the recession. As a result there has been a change in the consumer behavior and dip in the purchasing power of the people. Hence the company decided to shift focus to the virgin yet perspective Asian markets. This included China, India, Taiwan and Korea. Among these, India and China are two of the most emerging economies in the world. Since 2007, China has become the largest automotive industry. The company looks to succeed in the foreign markets through effective marketing approach, efficient distribution network, robust after sales service. Add to this, the company also needs to understand the demand of the local consumers and satisfy the global standards (Brown, 2009, p. 351). Risk Factors Considering the modern scenario, one of the biggest risk factors in case of global expansion is going to be the economic factor. The global economy is still looking to get over the downturn since 2008. This has reduced the purchasing power of the consumers, especially in Europe. Other major factors the new