Harley-Davidson is now implementing the “One Brand Strategy” in Switzerland for the first time

Harley-Davidson has pursued a wide variety of strategies in recent years, and the terms Rewire and Hardwire are mentioned again and again. Which means that with Rewire, the company is being repositioned and with the Hardwire project, the newly repositioned company is firmly cemented.

This includes the “One Brand Strategy” , which is intended to signal that Harley-Davidson authorized dealers are not allowed to carry any other motorcycle brands. It is not crucial whether the third-party brands are directly at the Harley-Davidson location or not. The issue has been on the scene for months and when I asked Harley-Davidson officials, I was told that Harley-Davidson expects its dealers to focus exclusively on the Harley-Davidson brand and it doesn't fit with that Concept of the brand to have different manufacturers in the portfolio.

In this case, the authorized dealers find themselves on a fine line, especially when it comes to information about product development, although this has become less common these days; they often find out their information on the Harley site , which surprises me. In any case, Harley-Davidson expects absolute loyalty and either you are an exclusive Harley-Davidson dealer, or that's it, or nothing will happen with the Bar & Shield logo above the entrance.

Harley-Heaven Switzerland loses its HD dealer contract

In Switzerland it has now hit the Harley-Davidson authorized dealer “Harley-Heaven” . Harley-Davidson Switzerland terminated Rainer Bächli's (Felix Bächli AG / Harley Heaven) dealer contract at the end of the year for precisely this reason. The Bächli family has been in business since 1967 and, in addition to the Harley-Davidson brand, has also represented the BMW and Triumph brands as official dealers.

This and other non-public reasons were too much for the Harley-Davidson Company and so the well-known name Harley-Heaven, from January 1st, 2022, will become Bächli Motorcycles Heaven and Rainer Bächli will continue as an independent Harley-Davidson dealer in Switzerland . This is certainly not optimal for everyone involved, but the decision has been made.

Especially in these times, when Harley-Davidson's ability to deliver has been difficult and no one knew exactly how the conflict with punitive tariffs will develop, one or two dealers have already considered expanding their position. This will probably be thought about very carefully now, although Bächli has been set up this way for a long time. It's a shame that no solution could be found and the Swiss family business, which is well known beyond the borders, is now losing its dealer contract.

But that's just how it works, the company is pursuing its strategies and a lot more is currently being put to the test.

We wish the Bächli crew all the best!

Text: Harleysite November 12, 2021